THE Government will be contracting the services of retired public health inspectors to help eradicate mosquito breeding sites across the country.

The move comes as preparations for the Zika Virus (ZikV) intensify.

Minister of Health Horace Dalley, who made the announcement, said inspectors, who have retired over the last two years, will be engaged in the first instance, on three-month contracts.

“We are calling out all public health inspectors who have retired in the last two years. We are bringing them out to help in this drive,” the Minister said.

He was addressing a function held at Food For the Poor’s (FFP) headquarters in Spanish Town, St Catherine, on Tuesday for the handing over of 76 semi-electric hospital beds to the public health sector.

Chairman of FFP Andrew Mahfood said the charity should be in receipt of fever medication and other supplies within the next two weeks.

“By all indications it (ZikV) will come, so we are bringing in a container of fever-reducing medication. We are also bringing in mosquito foggers,” he said .

He said that FFP was also having discussions with the Ministry of Health for the shipment of a container of mosquito repellents for distribution to public health facilities.

Mahfood, meanwhile, urged Jamaicans to heed all the messages being disseminated by the ministry so that the efforts at containing ZikV can be successful.

Minister Dalley noted that partnerships have been established with the church and the private sector in preparing the country for ZikV, and 1,000 young people have been engaged to assist with identifying and destroying mosquito breeding sites.