Tufton praises Sutherland for COVID-19 compliance
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The infection prevention and control measures implemented by business processing outsourcing (BPO) company, Sutherland were given full marks during a recent tour of its facility at Kingsland by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton and local health officials.
Several hand wash stations and social distancing markers, which have become the new normal since the onset of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), were among a range of measures on display during the tour.
Sutherland’s nurse, Terry-ann Thompson, who was stationed at the entrance to the facility located west of Mandeville, did a thorough interview and temperature check of everyone before they were allowed access.
Additionally, security executive Lincoln Lemonius said those entering were not allowed to touch doors.
Upon entering, employees and visitors were required to fill out forms at the front desk and provide a slip of paper issued by the nurse, bearing their temperature reading among other details. Tufton was pleased.
“What I have observed is that this facility is practising the infection prevention and control measures. From entering the entity, the temperature checks, the questionnaire, the logging of information, the sanitisation stations, the isolation room, the single use of their storage area, single use of workstations, the spacing between workstations, and half of their staff complement is working from home,” he said.
“All combined, it is a good thing because it is in keeping with all that the Ministry of Health and Wellness has put in place as part of the prevention in the spread of the virus,” he added.
He encouraged other entities “to do the same because, again, this must now become the norm”.
Medical officer of health, Dr Nadine Williams revealed that of the seven BPOS in Manchester, two failed to meet the guidelines and have since been closed.
“We have seven that are in the parish right now and currently only five of them are satisfactory. There are some that have been closed and others we have given them a work plan to get themselves up to standard, so they are working on those at this time,” she said.
Dr Williams commended Sutherland for adhering to the infection prevention and control measures.
“We have been working with them [where] we visit at least twice every two weeks to ensure that they are keeping up with the measures that have been put in place by the Ministry of Health,” she said.
Tufton reiterated that the ministry will go after those found in breach.
“The ministry won’t be afraid as it provides oversight through its public health officers to recommend drastic measures, because at the end of the day it is about protecting the people…as much as I am encouraging in a friendly way, I am also warning those who do not comply that we cannot afford to have entities not following protocols,” he stressed.
BPOS came under the microscope after an outbreak of COVID-19 at Alorica in St Catherine in April.