Nearly a third of schools had an unacceptable quality of drinking water last year, according to a Government study.

In the budget debate on the Department of Health yesterday, Junior Health Minister Patrice Minors revealed water tanks and fountains in schools had been monitored during the past 12 months, with just 68 percent of 191 samples being deemed acceptable.

Mrs. Minors said the Department of Education had since been provided with treatment facilities with the aim of providing clean water in all schools.

Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson said: "This really makes me very, very unhappy. I would like to know if those readings are now reading 100 percent for our children."

Former Education Minister Terry Lister said a purification process was now in place.

"We were aware of this, we were concerned, it's our young people," said the Progressive Labour Party backbencher.

"We have addressed it and are currently working on it. We would be hopeful that within a very short period of time the answer will be 100 percent."

Mrs Jackson replied: "My child or my grandchild might be in one school you haven't got to yet."

This year's Department of Health budget will be $30.4 million, up 13 percent from $27.0 million in last year's estimated budget.

Improvement of services for seniors was one of the key messages in Mrs. Minors' speech.

She said the $25 million Sylvia Richardson care facility, officially opened in St. George's earlier this year, was the "first step" in Government's commitment to upgrading senior nurse homes to provide "comfortable and healthy living environments".

"It will help to address a pressing need for more intermediate and skilled nursing care across the Island," she said.

Mrs. Minors added that the care home would serve as a benchmark for similar projects in the future.

Mrs. Jackson described the Sylvia Richardson home as a "beautiful facility", but said if it had been designed differently its capacity could have been doubled to more than 80 guests.

Government has pledged a further $19 million of capital development funds on the refurbishment of Lefroy House.

Mrs. Jackson said this was a belated move as the facility had been neglected.

She said some employees were being forced to work 19-hour shifts due to staff shortages.

Mrs. Jackson said: "It took a long, long time for this Government to turn their attention to this rest home. This was the original rest home that presented itself with a problem.

"It's a fine rest home, but there aren't enough of them. They are working 19-hour shifts. They are doing work beyond what anyone is meant to do because there is a shortage of care workers in Bermuda."

Mrs. Jackson suggested money could be better spent demolishing Lefroy House and creating a new building.

"Lefroy House should be knocked down and started from scratch rather than putting $19 million into it. That's an absolute waste of time," she said.

On the subject of care for the elderly, United Bermuda Party MP John Barritt complained that he had never seen a plan for the Sylvia Richardson care home. He said he was concerned this would be used as a benchmark for future projects.

His UBP colleague Grant Gibbons added: "If you are going to use this as a model, then what's the broader plan here?"

Mrs. Jackson praised Government's Healthy Schools programme, which aims to ensure youngsters are eating healthily among other objectives.

She then questioned whether Government had any plan in place in case the Island was struck by bird flu.

Former Health Minister Nelson Bascome replied that protocols were in place to protect Bermuda.

Mrs. Minors opened the budget debate on hospitals by stating $105 million had been allocated to Bermuda Hospitals Board, an increase on $98 million last year. Funding at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is increased seven percent to $73 million, with funding for the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute up nine percent to $32 million.

These would cover an increase in salaries, costs, maintenance and the extension of services, said Mrs. Minors.

She declared BHB's goal was "to be a healthcare provider people would choose for their healthcare needs".

A key aim this year, she said, would be to attract staff in the face of global shortages.

"BHB has to be able to attract and retain healthcare professionals to provide Bermuda with services it requires," she said.

She said one way would be to make it easier to gain healthcare qualifications without leaving Bermuda.

"We hope to reduce our reliance on overseas workers for key positions and continue to improve standards of care," she said.

Efforts to retain staff would also include improving their working environment and pay, she added.

In a move to ensure quality of care is as high as possible, Mrs. Minors said patients would be given opportunities to give feedback on service. This will be done in the form of an anonymous survey carried out by American consultants.

She said methods were being considered to deal with long-term senior patients left in acute care beds because they are unable to return home.

"Keeping long-term patients in an acute care bed is not ideal for patients, nor for healthcare costs," she said.

"However, it's sometimes the only solution that ensures a patient receives care and is safe."