The workers of the Directorate of Environmental Health in Caracas argue that they can barely attend to one or two fumigation requests a week because they do not have adequate conditions.
Workers of the General Directorate of Environmental Health, attached to the Ministry of Health, warn of a possible outbreak of dengue in Caracas due to the lack of implements to fumigate in the communities.
They explained to the NGO Monitor Salud that, despite having the insecticide to spray, they do not have diesel to dilute the product nor do they receive safe-conduct to supply gasoline to vehicles and spray equipment. To fill their tanks and get gasoline for the machines, they must wait hours at subsidized service stations and put their mark on the Patria System, stated in a press release.
Workers also do not receive uniforms, boots, masks or gloves, nor do they apply the cholinesterase test, whose marker decreases in the blood if you are regularly exposed to insecticides without protection or with expired equipment. This can cause respiratory damage, seizures, or even death.
The Environmental Health Department has a car to travel to the communities; however, due to the characteristics of the vehicle, the workers cannot fumigate in the upper parts of popular areas, where they regularly request work days. The workers argue that in this context they can barely attend to one or two fumigation requests a week; They also take turns to avoid having contact with the product for two days in a row.
To comply with the requests made by the communities, they should have four vehicles available for the day and two for the night, which are assigned to each health district (El Cementerio, El Valle, San Martín and La Pastora). The authorities limit themselves to saying that the lack of implements is a situation that is replicated in the regions of the country.
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