JAMAICANS INTERESTED IN PURSUING PARTNERSHIP FOR

UNCLAS KINGSTON 000533 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR JM SUBJECT: JAMAICANS INTERESTED IN PURSUING PARTNERSHIP FOR AIRCRAFT DISINSECTION REF: A. 04 STATE 163696 ¶B. 04 STATE 253001 ¶C. KINGSTON 3136 ¶1. On 22 February, after seven months of repeated attempts by Embassy to obtain a reply from the Ministry of Health (MOH) to Ref A request, post received a letter, dated 16 February, containing the MOH response to the US Department of Transportation's (USDOT) invitation to join a disinsection pilot project. Complete text of MOH letter is at Paragraph 3. ¶2. The letter, signed by Dr. Barrington Wint, Chief Medical Officer, is actually in reply to a follow-up letter sent to Wint by Econoff on 17 December 2004, seeking a reply to Ref B request. Wint's letter states that "the Ministry of Health is willing to cooperate with the US Government, Department of Transportation, in the piloting of the (air curtain) technology at the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport." Wint further wrote that the MOH would like to form a working group with USDOT to work out the issues involved, and names Mr. Peter Knight, Director of the Environmental Health Unit, as the MOH representative. ¶3. Begin text of MOH response letter: Dear Mr. Salzman RE: AIR CURTAIN TECHNOLOGY I refer to your letter dated 2004 December 17 in which you proposed collaboration between the United States of America and Jamaica Government to implement a pilot project to test the air curtain technology. The Ministry of Health is willing to cooperate with the US Government, Department of Transportation in the piloting of the technology at the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport. We support your decision to establish a working group since there are several stakeholders who would need to be involved and many issues to be discussed. Our representative would be Mr. Peter Knight, Director, Environmental Health Unit in this Ministry. We anticipate a mutually rewarding collaboration. Yours truly Barrington Wint (Dr.) Chief Medical Officer cc: Mrs. Grace Allen-Young, Permanent Secretary Dr. Deanna Ashley, Director, Health Promotion & Protection Mr. Peter Knight, Director, Environmental Health Unit End text. TIGHE