safety steps

The Ministry of Health on Tuesday took possession of a 20-ton excavator that it will use in helping to combat the annual invasion of the nation’s beaches by the sargassum weed.

Health Minister, Sir Molwyn Joseph, accompanied by Minister of State in the Ministry, Senator Michael Joseph, received the keys from Senior Staff in the Overseas Marketing Department, Shunki Toda, of Kato Works Company out of Japan, the suppliers of the equipment.

Sir Molwyn Joseph said the gift by the Japanese government is this vital piece of equipment further underscores the long and cordial relations that currently exist between Antigua and Barbuda and Japan.

“This relates to our ability to clean up our beaches from the sargassum that ends up on our shores. This is one aspect of the equipment that is included in this package; we will get a vessel, and there is another bit that will be attached to this excavator that is stored elsewhere that will make it fully operational,” Sir Molwyn explained.

According to Sir Molwyn this equipment, which he described as ‘vital’ and in his words, versatile. He said the equipment will also be used by the National Solid Waste Management Authority to carry out its mandate.

“I want to place on record our thanks and our deep appreciation to the government and people of Japan for their solidarity and collaboration, which we have experienced and from which we have benefitted for many years,” he noted.

Meanwhile, another set of equipment that will be used in the new cemetery on the Sir Sydney Walling Highway were also presented to the ministry officials at the handover exercises held at Caribbean Premium Motors.

Four smaller excavators that will be used for the digging and covering of the graves were presented as well. “We are bringing in the equipment that will allow us to develop a modern cemetery that is well-ordered.

We do not wish to see a cemetery where things are all over the place. It is going to be modern in terms of its aesthetics. We won’t have those mountains for graves. Instead, everything will be flat, and a brass plate to indicate the person buried there is what we will have at the cemetery,” he explained.

Sir Molwyn disclosed that as a ‘national cemetery’ there will be no allocations for the different religious denominations to have specific areas within the cemetery allocated to them.

Asked when the cemetery will become operational, Sir Molwyn stated,’ very soon’.