Health Officers At Randal Phillips Inspect Chancery Lane Swamp

Environmental Health Officers from the Randal Phillips Polyclinic in Oistins, Christ Church, and students enrolled in the Barbados Community College’s Environmental Health Programme did a walk-through of the Chancery Lane Swamp Thursday, in observance of World Environment Day.

World Environment Day is being marked today, Friday, June 5, under the theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future.”

The initiative was organised as a team-building effort for health officers, designed to strengthen collaboration and morale within the department at Randal Phillips Polyclinic, while contributing valuable on-the-ground observations to its ongoing environmental monitoring efforts. 

The walk-through, which took approximately two hours to complete, was also staged so that health officers could assess the condition of the swamp land, including water levels, mosquito breeding and vegetation overgrowth. The team also looked for signs of erosion or encroachment.

Additionally, they set out to identify illegal dump sites where waste had been improperly disposed of, and posed risks to both public health and local biodiversity. Members of the group saw multiple sites where individuals and businesses discarded old coconut shells, appliances, car tyres and other automotive parts. The Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) will be called to remove the waste.

Acting Principal Environmental Health Officer at the Randal Phillips Polyclinic, Trevor Taylor, spoke to the media before they embarked on the guided tour and gave an assessment following the walk-through.

“We know because of climate change there are a lot of challenges, especially with the swamps. Even though these swamps are resilient, we are still expected to do an inspection at least once annually from our department. The Vector Control Department has a team that inspects the swamp, but we have a duty as well to ensure that the swamp health is maintained.

“Likewise, we have to make sure there is no illegal dumping around the area, [but] what we have seen is a lot of illegal dumping. We are not surprised; it was expected,” Mr. Taylor stated, adding that they have already made contact with the SSA to plan the next course of action.

Fortunately, the walk-through did not reveal any excessive mosquito breeding in the swamp, which is populated with fish.

Author: Melissa Rollock

Published: June 5, 2026