THE historical background of psychiatric nursing in Barbados was given by Sandra Barrow, Deputy Principal Nursing Officer (Ag) as she delivered the annual Eunice Gibson Memorial lecture on Wednesday night.

Speaking at the Harcourt Lewis Training Centre, Barrow took the audience on the journey back to the 1880s and the pervading thought that the mentally ill were a product of Obeah, demon-possessed or affected by the full moon, hence the term
‘lunatics’.

She noted that Jenkins Ville was opened back in 1893 with 250 patients and mused that back then nurses were paid only $10 monthly. It was back in 1927 that physical and chemical methods were introduced to make patients more controllable and drugs were introduced in the 1940s.

In the 1990s the concept of a halfway house was introduced but was not very well received. The quarter way house was opened in 2012 at the Psychiatric Hospital where the patients are managed by a nurse in a more controlled environment and more structured than a halfway house in the community.

Barrow highlighted the strides made by psychiatric nurses professionally and the development in psychiatric nursing which became more evidence based care, bringing a more holistic approach to treatment and community-based care.

The Child Guidance operations in the polyclinics was introduced in 2015 and Barrow reported that the Sandy Lane Trust has graciously consented to build a new wing for children, noting children of varying age groups exist with behavioural disorders.

She noted that the 2015-2020 strategic plan of the hospital includes cost containment without sacrificing effectiveness; the establishment of a customer-centric hospital environment, the promotion of continuous learning and growth opportunities for employees and external stakeholders, partners and constituents, and the promotion of continuous learning opportunities. (JH)

Many shoppers and campers braved the heat to enjoy a mini concert yesterday afternoon.

Corporate Communications Specialist at the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), Simone Codrington, told The Barbados Advocate that the Scotiabank Draw and mini concert replaced the Junior Monarch Road Show, where the participants would have visited different primary schools, doing their own promotions and reminding people of the upcoming show. She explained that yesterday’s participants included people who did not make it to the semi-finals or finals as well as past Junior Monarchs.

“Before we would have used some of the people actually in the competition that would have been finalists; but this year we wanted to give a little bit of exposure to those who would not have made it to the semi-finals and finals and also to promote some of the past and reigning monarchs,” she said.

Senior Marketing Manager at Scotiabank, Lisa Cole, noted that the Scotiabank Draw and Mini Concert, which usually takes place at Scotiabank, was held in Bridgetown yesterday as a way to garner more attention for the upcoming show. She explained that yesterday was the first time they were having the event in this particular format and that they were completely delighted, that the vision to bring the event out into the public and showcase the juniors in that way, came to fruition. Referring to the last Sunday’s show where the contestants found out who advanced to the final stage, Cole expressed that the participants gave stellar performances.

“Overall, the calibre and standard of performances continues to be of a consistently high standard and all of the Junior Monarch Programme participants are to be commended,” she said.

Additionally, she noted that she was also pleased by the collective efforts from the NCF, the mentors, coaches, participants and their families as she viewed it as an investment in the preservation of the Caribbean art form that is calypso. She expressed that the Juniors were the vessels that will ensure that decades down the line, calypso has “a future that is bright and filled with exceeding talent.”

Cole said that the theme for this year’s competition, which will take place July 22, is “I Got Something to Say” and commended the participants for highlighting various issues such as corporal punishment, bullying and even potholes.

Sleeping giant, time to arise.

A call to action for nurses from one of their own, Shanette Brewster who was the 2016-2017 Eunice Gibson Award recipient, and whose comments were delivered on her behalf on Wednesday night at the Harcourt Lewis Training Centre. The lecture was hosted by the Barbados Nurses Association as part of the activities held to celebrate Founders’ Month.

She said since being named the recipient of the prestigious award, she examined the profession and critiqued areas where nurses need to be in a rapid and dynamic environment. She said she concluded that nurse practitioners and researchers are no longer crucial areas of nursing that can be ignored.

Brewster believes that trained nurses are underutilised in Barbados and could ease pressure in the island’s polyclinics and offer greater assistance in the care of the older population.

According to Brewster. “Why must it take 24 hours for a client to be cannulated [introduce a thin tube] if an intravenous becomes dislodged? Why must the older adult be seated for 72 hours in A & E before seen by a medical officer when nurses are qualified to perform the job are available?

The Chairman of Education and Training of the BNA Executive said with calls for nurse researcher being sounded again, the question to be asked is “Does our older adult receive the best care based on empirical evidence? Of course that is not a question that I need to ask as the complaints continue to increase.”

Saying she is aware that she may be stirring up the ant’s nest by sharing her view on the profession, she however urged members of the Barbados Nurses Association to act now for change.

“One of my lecturers asked the question in May 2017, when will the nurses, the sleeping giants, the largest health care professionals in Barbados arise and make a significant contribution to the decision-making and health policy in Barbados. I am willing to stand up.”

“Nurses’ expanded knowledge in all the specialities in Barbados are exceptionally wide and varied. We are closer to the community than any other health professional and can make profitable contribution in decision. We just need to learn how to present those thoughts effectively,” she stated.

Retired nurse and past president of the BNA Paulette Drakes, while commending Brewster’s comments, noted that during her time in the A&E she also expressed the need for nurses to be trained and for the powers that be to have confidence in their training. “If they would listen to us they would save money,” she said. (JH)

The Honourable Richard Sealy continues to ensure that children leaving the primary schools within his constituency have a smooth transition to secondary school.

Yesterday, the Member of Parliament for St. Michael South Central brought together the students for a one-day seminar aimed at giving them a heads up on what to expect in this new environment.

“The intention is to give you some confidence, so you can go into first form feeling ready to continue your studies,” Sealy expressed.

“It’s a chance for all of you to get an idea of what you can look forward to in September. It is important that we equip you with this because you are going into a new school with bigger kids, and there are other factors that will not necessarily be a part
of the primary school experience. We are providing you with a few useful tools so you can manage the journey.”

The seminar, now into its ninth year, was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).

Delivering the featured topic “Transition from Primary to Secondary School”, Gilbert Carmichael, highlighted that some of the difficulties they may encounter, include: the number of subjects, number of teachers, changing classes, fear of bullying and getting lost.

However, he stressed that they need not fear going into secondary school. “The teachers at secondary schools are quite aware that you are coming from one environment into another, one which is new to you,” he assured.

The teacher at The Lester Vaughan School also told students that regardless of which school they are going to they should “feel proud and embrace it”.

“Recently the Lester Vaughan School was in the public domain because of one or two students who obviously know not how to conduct themselves. When we recently had first year registration, I spoke to some parents who were quite concerned as to the environment at the school. I used the analogy of a farmer growing tomatoes and the plot yielded 956 tomatoes and out of those 956 tomatoes, 12 were rotten. I still think the farmer did a fantastic job because of the 956, only 12 went against
the grain,” Carmichael pointed out.

During the day students also took part in sessions on Substance Abuse and Addiction, Fire Safety and Prevention, as well as a tour of Arlington House Museum in Speightstown. (TL)

The Honourable Richard Sealy continues to ensure that children leaving the primary schools within his constituency have a smooth transition to secondary school.

Yesterday, the Member of Parliament for St. Michael South Central brought together the students for a one-day seminar aimed at giving them a heads up on what to expect in this new environment.

“The intention is to give you some confidence, so you can go into first form feeling ready to continue your studies,” Sealy expressed.

“It’s a chance for all of you to get an idea of what you can look forward to in September. It is important that we equip you with this because you are going into a new school with bigger kids, and there are other factors that will not necessarily be a part of the primary school experience. We are providing you with a few useful tools so you can manage the journey.”

The seminar, now into its ninth year, was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).

Delivering the featured topic “Transition from Primary to Secondary School”, Gilbert Carmichael, highlighted that some of the difficulties they may encounter, include: the number of subjects, number of teachers, changing classes, fear of bullying and getting lost.

However, he stressed that they need not fear going into secondary school. “The teachers at secondary schools are quite aware that you are coming from one environment into another, one which is new to you,” he assured.

The teacher at The Lester Vaughan School also told students that regardless of which school they are going to they should “feel proud and embrace it”.

“Recently the Lester Vaughan School was in the public domain because of one or two students who obviously know not how to conduct themselves. When we recently had first year registration, I spoke to some parents who were quite concerned as to the environment at the school. I used the analogy of a farmer growing tomatoes and the plot yielded 956 tomatoes and out of those 956 tomatoes, 12 were rotten. I still think the farmer did a fantastic job because of the 956, only 12 went against the grain,” Carmichael pointed out.

During the day students also took part in sessions on Substance Abuse and Addiction, Fire Safety and Prevention, as well as a tour of Arlington House Museum in Speightstown. (TL)

AGAINST an unsettled industrial climate and a struggling economy, Minister of Labour Dr Esther Byer-Suckoo is saying that now is not the time to pull apart the Social Partnership.

She said while she is aware that now is the “silly season and people let silliness prevail we have to have levelled heads”.

“We need to come together as social partners. They don’t want us to lay-off fine. But we need to have jobs created. Government can’t create any more jobs, to pay [workers] with what.

“We need to see in the private sector jobs being created as well. We need to see the private sector working with the unions to create jobs and to create the kind of conditions for the workers and these jobs to thrive. That is what we need to do,” she said.

The Minister made the remarks on the importance of the Social Partnership to creating job opportunities for Barbados, as she spoke briefly during Friday’s Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Astor B. Watts lunchtime lecture series, at the Party’s George Street, Belleville, headquarters.

Dr Byer-Suckoo also commented that Barbados has been making the mistake of not educating students about the Social Partnership which, she said, is used by other countries around the world as an example to follow.

The Minister of Labour said she was one of a number of persons chosen by the International Labour Organization (ILO) to travel to other countries to showcase Barbados’ Social Partnership.

“Not many places in the world can you get government, unions, employers and workers to sit around the table together. I think we need to let our children know, because when you ask the man on the street about the Social Partnership, he would ask you about the eight per cent cut. They don’t know what goes on behind closed doors,” she said. (AH)

If Minister of Health John Boyce has his way, next year’s successful medical interns will be offered positions at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Saying it was regrettable that a number of these interns could not be added to the roster of the island’s main medical institution, he insisted that this must be addressed.

“I continue to regret the fact that from year to year we leave out some persons who have been successful obtaining their MD program, because we do not have the spaces immediately available to put them in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital program. It is not only the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in terms of allocation, but also in terms of finance and payment by the Ministry of Education and Health. I believe that there are workouts that can be achieved in this regard,” he said, noting that this would be a priority area moving towards the new September academic year.

Delivering the feature address at the QEH’s Presentation of its 2017/2018 Business Plan at the Hilton Barbados yesterday, he commended the medical facility on its attempts to improve its operational capacity.

Noting that there were some critics who continued to say that there had been no change, he pointed its many successes in receiving international accredi-tation throughout various departments.

Boyce also recommended that attention be now given to the Engineering Department.

“Let us now pay some attention on accrediting our Engineering Department. I paid an in-depth visit to the department last Friday, though satisfied generally with the operation there and the tremendous improve-ments that have been taking place, I think we just have to make that little extra effort to make sure that this Engineering Department too, like our Kitchen becomes the end of any private sector institution in Barbados,” he stated. (JMB)

A CALL has been made for more young entrepreneurs to establish businesses, which, though they have their base here in Barbados, can earn foreign exchange and re-energise the local economy.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Youth, Stephen Lashley, issued the call on the occasion of the launch of a new and innovative electronic health records management system called MedRegis, which has been created by young entrepreneur Dale Trotman, a graduate of the Ministry’s YES Programme.

The launch took place in the Minister’s Conference Room, Sky Mall, St. Michael yesterday.

“Bringing new products to market is a challenging process. We need however to have more young entrepreneurs like Dale coming to the fore with their skills and products and services, that will re-energise the Barbados economy,” Minister Lashley remarked during the launch.

“In fact, it is my view that some of the current economy challenges we are facing, is as a result of the absence of more young entrepreneurs who have their base here in Barbados and who see the world as their market.

The urgent re-establishment of indigenous businesses offers the best chance for sustained economic growth in Barbados, and here I speak of seeing our young entrepreneurs taking leadership in all areas of economic activity, whether it be the Cultural Industries, Sports, Tourism, Agriculture, Manufacturing, Technology,” he added.

“We must understand that our economic model upon which we relied in the ’80s and ’90s and up to now, are no longer relevant to an emerging Barbados economy and we have to provide the tools and market access to our young business men and women, so that they can drive the earning of foreign exchange, while reducing our dependence on foreign goods and services,” he maintained.

“That’s why I am excited in saying kudos to Dale on his accomplishment. It speaks too of the vital role that Government must play and is playing in
empowering our youth to assist with the urgent transformation of our economy,” Minister Lashley further stated.

Trotman, Founder and CEO of MedRegis, has meanwhile noted that the start-up’s goal is to reduce the widespread use of paper in ambulatory care within the Caribbean. Hence, medical staff will now be able to experience a more efficient workflow with every patient visit, using the health technology that provides a user-friendly layout that allows for quick documentation of patients’ health records and also provides an efficient means of providing prescriptions and bills, electronically.

THE Small Business Association is calling for a repeal of the widely debated National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), but if it is here to stay, the association is asking for clarity.

This was the word coming from President of the Barbados Small Business Association (SBA), Dean Straker, at a press conference held yesterday at the SBA headquarters in Harbour Road.

Straker contended, “We need clarity without further delay; set it out specifically that there is no grey areas.

“The Small Business Association is cognisant of the economic situation facing Barbados today and we fully accept revenue streams are urgently required. At the same time, the views of our membership have to be represented and by extension our concerns have to be given to the Government of Barbados and the general public.”

According to him, “The SBA is calling for a clear definition from the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) before any NSRL taxes are paid over to the Authority. The SBA already sees this NSRL as an unfair tax imposed on manufacturers. It is disturbing that the members of Government could agree to a NSRL tax on manufacturers that are already struggling to survive and compete against imports. The questions being asked, ‘Do they want to kill manufacturing?’ ‘Has manufacturing not declined in the last two decades?’ ‘How can any Government see the wisdom in signalling out manufacturers from all of the businesses in Barbados and mandating them to charge consumers this additional ten per cent on locally-made products?’ These are the same manufacturers that are still employing staff, paying NIS and contributing to the future of Barbadian families and do Barbadians really understand that manufacturers must now add ten per cent in rent, NIS, wages, etc, to every item the consumer now goes to purchase.

“It is now back-to-school season and Bajans will have to pay NSRL on every school pants and shirt made in Barbados, amongst many other things.”

He noted, “I understand hoteliers are exempt from NSRL… hotels already have duty-free concession on most items. This is not an attack on the hotel industry, but manufacturing is an industry too and it is ridiculous that this industry should be treated differently from any other entity.

“Therefore what this means is that as the sales decline on locally manufactured items, staff will be sent home, etc. It is my belief that if this tax remains, that this is the surest and quickest way to wipe out the workers and the businesses in the manufacturing industry.”

The President contended, “There is ambiguity and confusion when it comes to the NSRL tax. In an effort to guide and inform our members accurately, the SBA is requesting the Minister of Finance and BRA to clearly describe how production cost for the purpose of calculating NSRL should be determined. It is not good enough to say to our respective accountant should advise us which has been uttered by the BRA.

“The accountants I have spoken to have indicated that although general accounting practices may dictate what constitutes a company production cost, attributable headings may also be subject to some interpretation and consideration. So if it is left to individual manufacturing businesses to form their own interpretation, I’m afraid that in an effort to protect the consumers in Barbados and remain competitive against import, certain companies may incorrectly calculate their production cost. If the industry does not receive this clarification, it exposes us to potential financial loss, if the BRA conducts an audit after the fact and then determines that manufacturers have not calculated the NSRL in accordance with their expectation. This result can be the most unjust atrocity ever committed on the small manufacturers in this country.” (NB)

TRUSTEE of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), Hartley Reid, wants the unions who are at loggerheads with Government over the controversial National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), to explain who they will command, if and when they step up industrial action.

Reid, who noted that while the reality stands that Barbados Labour Party (BLP) and Democratic Labour Party (DLP) supporters make up the workforce, he wants the unions to indicate which workers they are going to call out.

“Well this is a Democratic Labour Party Government,” he said, while speaking at the DLP’s Astor B. Watts lunchtime lecture series, yesterday.

On Tuesday, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) and the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) staged a march to Parliament, where the leaders delivered a letter to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart appealing for relief for the workers of the nation from the controversial 10 per cent NSRL, which came into effect from July 1.

Following the delivery of the letter, the unions indicated to their members that if they did not receive a positive response from Prime Minister Stuart within 48 hours, they will be putting plans in place to step up industrial action.

While that two-day deadline has since expired, Reid, who indicated that the unions have a right to take action, cautioned them to move cautiously and to understand that there is a reaction to every action.

Reid warned workers that if they participate in a strike, Government would not have to pay them their wages, and noted that the unions do not have strike funds.

“When you call out your workers and they do not come, or let’s say you have a 100 per cent attendance, then you are on strike. But, the employer does not have to pay you because you are on strike.”

“The employer now, in this instance, Government, is going to dig in its heels. You can strike for two, three, or for weeks… Remember, that sounds good on the surface, but if you don’t get pay you can’t buy food, you can’t pay bills,” he said.

Reid also stressed that some of the major trade unions in Barbados are being led by young leaders who have not taken the time to understand necessary procedures.

“So now you have a situation where the last resort in industrial relations is spoken of first, strike. The problem is, you have a situation where nobody wants to sit down and talk. What we are having now, is certain members of CTUSAB have decided that they are going to take matters into their own hands,” he explained.

“They have gone outside of President Cedric Murrell, outside of General Secretary Dennis de Peiza and they are now doing things by themselves.

“What they are doing now is that they are forming their own alliances. You all have not heard CTUSAB yet because CTUSAB is not only those unions, CTUSAB has a number of entities,” Reid added.

He said, while unions are required to represent the interest of workers, in his opinion, what has been taking place, “is that every act that is being done by a union and a staff association, has a political overtone and undertone and this is where the unions are going to lose their credibility”. (AH)

There appears to be too wide a gap between the equipment available to train students in the technical and vocational institutions and the state-of-the-art equipment available in many sectors and this is proving to be challenge.

That’s according to Director of the Barbados Vocational Training Board, Henderson Thompson, who explained that this is one of the reasons why there is often criticism levelled at those institutions regarding their ability to prepare the students for the workforce. He was speaking yesterday at the 16th Annual Conference of Association of Caribbean Higher Education Administrators (ACHEA) at the Hilton Hotel on the topic ‘Partnerships and Alliances in Higher Education: The Role of the Private Sector’

He explained that a challenge instructors face is that there is very limited technology, limited budgets to purchase needed equipment, and no viable maintenance budget to refurbish the existing equipment. This, he said, no doubt poses a challenge for them, as they are training graduates on dated equipment, therefore when the graduates go into industry, both them and the employers become frustrated.

“The debate rages on as to how far higher education, rather post secondary education, should go in preparing students for life, especially for employment and particularly for a specific job. In small economies we do not often have the luxury of never ending debates about workforce preparation; when our nurses or elderly care graduates hit the job market we do not often have the luxury of providing them with a highly trained supervisor dedicated solely to ensuring that they, the graduates, learn the ropes and become highly proficient on the job. Rather graduates of all of our post-secondary institutions are expected in most instances to hit the ground running,” he indicated.

Thompson noted that anything less than that and employers call to ask ‘what are the students being taught?’ As such, he argued, that this reality brings into clear focus one of the roles the private sector can play in a“most constructive way” in higher education, promoting and facilitating the creation of industry-led curriculum in technical and vocational areas.

“By industry led curriculum we are not advocating that the institutions abdicate their role as the guardians and facilitators of the pedagogy, rather we are advocating close collaboration with the private sector indeed with business and industry on the role to help shape the requirements and criteria for competency development,” he stated.

The BVTB Director added that some of this already happens, but is adamant that the approach needs to be solidified so that the benefits are widespread.

“The manufacturing industry for example possesses a level of technology that is far advanced and sometimes even non-existent in the training institutions. It is therefore important for the higher education institutions to be aware of what they are training and teaching so that those standards can be reflected in industry.

“The institutions therefore need to partner with industry to determine for example how a simulation model can be acquired for the institution to provide students with some exposure to the authentic work requirements,” he said.

The director added that where it is not possible or feasible to acquire equipment or simulators, the educational institution should partner with the private sector to allow the students and trainees to go in the industry to
train on this updated technology and equipment. (JRT)

Medical staff in Barbados now have access to a new and innovative electronic health records management system called “MedRegis EHR”, which will see them delivering health care in a more efficient manner, by moving away from a paper-based system in favour of this electronic system.

MedRegis EHR (Electronic Health Record) is a start-up focused on health technology, which has been created by young entrepreneur Dale Trotman, a graduate of the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth.

Speaking during the official launch of the product MedRegis in the Minister’s Conference Room, at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St. Michael, on Friday, Trotman, noted that the journey all began when he recognised a need within the Caribbean’s health care sector and sought to address that need.

“Our aim is to eradicate the widespread use of paper within ambulatory care in the Caribbean. Doctors, nurses and front desk staff want to integrate technology into their professional lives, the same way it is integrated into their personal lives. MedRegis will achieve this, by stream lining workflow and usability, in a way paper cannot,” Trotman remarked.

Stressing that his solution will fast track the appointment process, allowing doctors to deliver prescriptions electronically and to also do their billing processes in this manner, he also noted that the MedRegis application will also provide medical staff with a more efficient way of storing patient’s health records, including X-ray images.

“I know that I have an application that will bring efficiency into the medical sector, not just for Barbados, but the Caribbean and eventually beyond.

“My aim with MedRegis is not about becoming a billionaire or a millionaire. My aim with MedRegis is to create an application that becomes the pioneering start-up in health technology in the Caribbean. A company that moves health care in the Caribbean, into the 21st century. I want MedRegis to be seen as the “Apple” of health care and my aim is to be the “Steve Jobs” of health care,” Trotman asserted.

Trotman, who has won the Social Innovation Award at TIC Americas, has also been a delegate at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit held in Silicon Valley in the USA, where he got the opportunity to meet with a leading US developer who works with Google, who gave freely of his time to point him in the right direction, in terms of the development of MedRegis.

Trotman also credits his mother Jennifer Trotman who started him off with some of the funding for the business, the YES Programme which gave him the additional funding needed, two mentors he met via LinkedIn, and strategic implementing partners Dr. Brian Charles from the Coverley and Sandy Crest Medical Centres and Dr. Kathy Ellis of Medical Associates Family Clinic, for assisting him in bringing the product to fruition.

The island’s dairy industry is back on track again and it is all thanks to an initiative implemented by the Barbados Agricultural Society (BAS).

So says President of the Barbados Beef and Dairy Association, Brian Allan, who noted that last year’s crisis was over, as not only was there an increase in the quantity of milk being produced, but its quality has also risen. This he attributes to the importation of 194 Holstein and Jersey cows from Florida; a move which was facilitated by the BAS.

“It has been a very successful programme whereby the milk has increased tremendously. Pine Hill Dairy was down to two or three days’ stock. It was becoming a serious crisis, but that was resolved with the importation of the cows and now there is more than an adequate supply of fresh milk for the country. So we are very happy with this programme,” he stated.

Allan also disclosed that the first rebate for the farmers for importing the cows was received from the Ministry of Agriculture, to reduce the loans for these animals. In addition, the rains have also added to the success of the industry leading to better supplies of hay and foliage and therefore a higher quality of milk, in terms of the solids and proteins.

“All in all the industry is on track again and it is mainly because of the initiative brought into the BAS,” he told the media on Thursday at the BAS’ Grotto, Beckles Road offices.

Meanwhile, Woodville Allan-Jones, President of the BAS and Pig Farmers Association also gave an update on that industry, stating that while it currently was doing well, it was an expensive venture compared to those in other Caribbean islands.

“In Jamaica, they have access to things a lot cheaper than Barbados has, their feed is cheaper because they have access to the feed companies and we don’t. We depend on buying feed. Trinidad has the same privilege. They have access as well. So we find it is more expensive for us to produce pigs. You have to be strong because the profit is there… but you have to be very disciplined,” he added. (JMB)

Communities within Bridgetown are looking a little brighter as the clean-up initiative spearheaded by Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate for The City, Henderson Williams, has been ongoing.

Speaking to the media yesterday following that day’s activity, Williams said a clean-up of “somewhere around 30 to 40 per cent” of the constituency has been done thus far. He identified areas such as the Orleans, Emmerton Lane, Mason Hall Street, Reid Street and Kensington New Road as locations that have been cleaned.
He spoke of further plans to continue with the effort.

“We have new public sector partners coming on board to assist us with the clean-up. So we will continue in another two weeks in another area in The City and certainly that is really the genesis of our beautification effort in The City. We are going to be communicating with the schools, with the churches and other community-minded bodies in terms of how we are going to make The City a model for everyone to follow,” he stated.

Williams told the media that through the initiative, he has also used the opportunity to connect with members of the constituency and has received “a favourable response” from individuals. He additionally shared that the clean-up project forms part of a wider model which he is using called, “a constituency partnership”.
Explaining how it works he said, “We will be looking to get feedback from all of the residents, work with them to ensure that we have an implementation schedule and an agreement with them, to ensure that we stay on track with the things that we say to them that we are going to do.”

Commending Williams, General Secretary of the DLP, George Pilgrim, who was present at Tastees Restaurant for yesterday’s press briefing said, “What I want to do is congratulate Henderson Williams on his initiative, what he refers to as the constituency partnership model of governance in this constituency and it means that he is obviously interpreted what is wrong and what is needed in this consistency and I laud him for the new model.”

GOVERNMENT has said it is not happy with the quality of service in the local mobile phone market. To this end, several changes will be made to this country’s Telecommunications Act, so as to make the sector more robust and among other things to prevent mergers/acquisitions in the sector.

This has been stated by Senator Darcy Boyce, Minister with responsibility for Telecommunications, during the recent official launch of Ozone Wireless at Manor Lodge, Green Hill, St. Michael.

“First of all, we will very shortly be introducing quality of service standards for the local Mobile market,” Senator Boyce said.

“We are not happy that the quality of service is not as good as it ought to be in a country like Barbados, so we are going to do something about that with the Telecommunications Act,” the Minister declared.

In addition, work is to start shortly on the local number portability project where two of the large companies here in Barbados having agreed to fund that project, Boyce revealed. He is hoping that Ozone Wireless can join in that project, which is to be done in stages.

The Minister promised as well that Government intends on starting to redefine what the universal service package is. According to him, “No longer can we continue with the package, which is essentially a landline or equivalent.”

He made it clear that the universal service package must contain a minimum amount of data, so that persons at all levels are able to access Internet and to use the telecommunications technology in a way so as to live a better life and do business better.

Furthermore, through the Act, Government will make sure that it is no longer easy for companies in the sector to change ownership. Senator Boyce said it is necessary for the competition to continue and for companies to keep their licences.

The Minister expects that a more competitive telecommunications landscape will be reflected in better prices for consumers. “It will enable all of us to avoid roaming charges as consumers go around the region,” he said.

The Minister wished Ozone Wireless well and that he expects it to become successful in the local market.

Barbados needs to introduce measures to promote wide-scale recycling as a matter of urgency, if concerted efforts are to be made to protect the environment and reduce the waste going to the landfill.

Kammie Holder, advocacy director with the Future Centre Trust, noting that more countries across the world and even within the region are embracing such initiatives, maintained it is time that Barbados follows suit. He made the point as he noted that if persons are given incentives to recycle, he believes that they will. His comments came as he suggested that Barbadians needed also to have a greater appreciation for the environment and how their actions can positively or negatively impact it.

“The truth is 100 per cent of household waste can be recycled, even old clothing is now being used to make microfibres. So if a person really cares about the environment, they can recycle the glass, the magazines, the paper and even the old clothing,” he said in an interview with The Barbados Advocate.

He made the point while indicating that the Returnable Containers Act is in dire need of amendments. Holder is suggesting that the list of items included in the legislation should be expanded to further promote recycling among Barbadians. By doing that, he added, it creates opportunities for persons to engage in such businesses.

“You cannot speak about the plastic bag deterrent fee and not speak about how people dispose of their waste. We recognise that persons use plastic bags to dispose of their garbage, but if we can recycle more items then the need for those bags is also reduced. So we’ve asked that the Government increase the number of things in the Returnable Containers Act, as currently it does not include things like water bottles, but the Government has not responded to date,” he lamented.

Holder says that the Future Centre Trust is also advocating for Government to introduce a registry for all appliances, so that when such appliances are dumped illegally, they can easily trace their origin and prosecute the perpetrators appropriately. He lamented that too often persons dump their items illegally and are not held accountable for their actions and he is adamant that this must become a thing of the past.

With that in mind, he said that they are hopeful that the changes to the Returnable Containers Act and the laws to govern the illegal disposal of appliances can be put on the statute books in the not-too-distant future. He made the point while saying that such could be included in new environmental legislation they have been told is being pursued by the Ministry of Environment. With that in mind, he is calling on the authorities to consult the relevant stakeholders if such legislation is being contemplated.

“We understand that there is new legislation being worked on, but NGOs like the Future Centre Trust have not been consulted to date. We appreciate that it may be at an early stage of development and are asking that if this is indeed on the cards, that all the stakeholders are allowed to have their say,” he stated. (JRT)

THE leader of the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP) believes somebody should be held accountable for the National Housing Corporation’s Parish Land, St. Philip housing project.

Yesterday, standing in the midst of the 122 unoccupied houses built by the ruling Democratic Labour Party (DLP) administration, Mia Mottley charged that the project appears to have been all about handing out contracts.

“It was not about the supplying of houses. If it was about supplying houses, in here would be full of little children and cars. But this was designed to supply contracts before the last election and empty it stands today. But because the next election is coming up, the front houses getting paint up,” she said.

Speaking to the media, during her party’s Rubbing Shoulders event in St. Philip North yesterday, the Opposition Leader stated that if Minister of Housing Denis Kellman spends less time contributing to call-in programmes, and less time in Moontown, St. Lucy, “he would perhaps know why it is impossible for people to move” into the houses as they are.

“You cannot have houses shut up for five, six years and expect that you can find these houses functional. You look at the trimming of some of the houses and you will see the wood rotting.

“Go and look and see the mould on the board. Go and look and see other signs of decay, and what we cannot see, but we all know is what happens to pipes when you don’t run water. What happens to tiles when you have a house closed up? We all know the consequences,” Mottley said.

“If he was spending less time on the call-in programmes and in Moontown, he would know that somebody needs to be held accountable for this massive wastage of money and those persons perhaps should be better spending time across the road at Dodds rather than walking around Barbados freely,” the Opposition Leader added.

In 2016, while giving an update on outstanding government housing projects, Minister Kellman acknowledged that the Start Home Programme at Parish Land, which is one of Government’s largest low-income housing projects, was behind schedule by about four years due to rising costs and legal challenges encountered along the way. He had told a local newspaper that 80 of the 122 units were due to be allocated.

Meanwhile, BLP candidate for St. Philip North, Dr. Sonia Browne, said she was not only concerned about the fact that the houses are unoccupied, but also stressed that constituents were worried that “they are small and do not suit the low-income people who are known to have more than two children”.

“A constituent of mine just up the road commented that they are so small you can’t even change your mind in them and I agree with it totally,” Dr. Browne said.

Alluding to the issues that affect constituents, including bad roads, poor transportation, single mothers finding it difficult to financially support their children and poorly lit areas, Dr. Browne said a better Member of Parliament (MP) is needed to represent the interests of the people.

She said constituents appear to be fed up with their MP, Minister of Transport and Works Michael Lashley.

“The constituents are angry with the current representative. Some of them have lost their jobs. They are generally angry because a lot of promises were made and not kept.

“The frustration is not only among Democratic Labour Party supporters, but it is spilling over to the BLP supporters as well. But, I want them to understand that I am here to support them,” Dr. Browne said. (AH)

ANY retailer who seeks to profit from the plastic bag deterrent fee will be exposed.

Advocacy director with the Future Centre Trust, Kammie Holder, made this clear during a recent interview with The Barbados Advocate as he reflected on the new fee that retailers have agreed to charge for single-use plastic bags as a means of reducing the use of plastic bags, which are a major environmental hazard. He explained that there is no set means for collecting the fees charged, which are to be donated to the Future Centre Trust, and acknowledged this is something they recognise has to be addressed to ensure that where fees are collected, they are passed on. As such, he said that to ensure transparency, they will likely ask that all retailers collect the fees in marked cans, as some already do.

Speaking then to the success of the initiative, he said that just about six weeks in, all reports reaching him suggests that the new fee being charged by retailers, which is optional, is going extremely well. Holder explained that the goal is not to really raise funds from the initiative, but to see a reduction in the use of plastic bags, and in that respect, he said it is definitely bearing fruit. He disclosed that some merchants have actually seen as much as a 60 to 90 per cent reduction in persons taking “single-use plastic bags” and noted that some merchants are offering discounts to customers when they bring their own shopping bag.

“You have retailers who are having 100 per cent reduction because some persons are so supportive of the initiative that they are charging as much as 30 cents and persons are not paying the 30 cents, so therefore it would be a success. We don’t want people to pay the 30 cents or the 15 cents or the ten cents; we want to bring about a change in behaviour.

The South Coast Sewage Plant can tell you of the issues they have with plastic bags, because every time a plastic bag gets into the system and the centrifugal pumps breakdown, it is costing the Government over $300 000 to fix. That is money that can be used for other social services that has to be diverted,” he explained.

Holder added, “The money does not come from some inferior place, it comes from our pockets, the taxpayers, and we have a duty to ensure we do our part to prevent such from happening. So when people want to lambaste the Government about the sewage system, I think that is disingenuous because it is the said people who litter who cause the plant to become all clogged and the system to breakdown, and they want to blame the Government for that, but it is all our doing.”

The advocacy director made the point as he noted that it is important that retailers understand that the cost of the plastic bag is much more than an accounting cost, it has also a social and economic cost. Holder noted that often improperly discarded plastic bags become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which he said can then pose serious health concerns for the country.

“When you look at what we have to do to treat outbreaks of mosquito breeding to prevent the spread of Chikungunya, Dengue or Zika, that fogging not only helps to get rid of the mosquitoes, but it destroys the good insects as well; when you destroy the good insects that can also impact crop production, so the cost then of the plastic bag is more than an accounting cost,” he maintained.

He explained that some small retailers have not embraced the initiative, indicating that they are not placing added burden on their customers, but Holder, noting too that plastic bags which are not discarded as they should be can also cause flooding, maintained that the deterrent fee is the way to go.

“Whenever there is flooding in the country, the areas that are vulnerable are some of the poorest places where you have serious problems with littering, where the said poor persons are that some of the small merchants in those areas are saying they are not doing it because they are protecting the small man. But I am saying that if you really want to protect the small man, you would protect them from themselves by helping them to change behaviour and not taking the plastic bags,” he stated. (JRT)

TWO members of the local medical profession are set to benefit from further training in their respective fields when they travel to China next year.

This was revealed during Friday’s reception at the Chinese Embassy. It was held to bid farewell to the first delegation of the Chinese Medical Team, who worked for the past six months in Barbados at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). It was also to welcome the second delegation of the Chinese Medical Team, who will work for one year at the QEH.

Addressing this event, Ambassador of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Barbados, Wang Ke, explained that the Team Leader of the first delegation, Dr. Shiqiao Luo, “received a payment of US$5 000 as surgery fee” for a private procedure which he performed during his stint at the QEH.

He made the decision “to donate the money to the QEH in order to finance two doctors to get training in the hospital where he works in Chongqing next year”.

Adding to her comments, Chief Executive Officer of the QEH, Dr. Dexter James, told the audience that through Dr. Luo’s efforts and in collaboration with the Director of Medical Service Mr. Gill, a doctor and a nurse have been selected to be the recipients of the scholarships.

“We were able to obtain two scholarships for doctors of the hospital to go to China fully paid by the Chinese government for six months. I think interventional radiology is one area and I think a nurse in another area. So very shortly they will be going off to China to do a short-term stint and fellowship under the sponsorship of the Chinese government.”

He thanked Dr. Luo and the Embassy for providing the opportunity. The names of the recipients were not revealed. (MG)

IN a joint statement issued on Saturday night, the trade union movement has called on Prime Minister Freundel Stuart to start the process of requested dialogue without delay.

The statement sent by the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), the Barbados Workers Union (BWU), the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) and the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), outlined the dissatisfaction with the proposed increase of the National Social Responsibility Levy and the implications that it will have on the workers of Barbados.

Declaring that “open season on workers must stop”, it was stated that the trade union movement in Barbados will not be side-tracked or intimidated by anyone.

“Trade unionists have always been and will always remain the voice of workers. It is their voice – the only one that can truly represent them and those living in the vast majority of households in Barbados who are now faced with the imposition of over $500 million in revenue over a nine month period.

“The issue for the labour movement is how best in the current circumstances to protect the interests of workers, many of whom have not had a wage or salary increase in almost a decade and where the value of take home pay has been eroded by inflation and taxation. It is clear that the upward adjustment in taxes is much larger than what can be expected in the period specified by government. This message should not be distorted because of expediency. Everyone should be able to recognise that it is the massive damage of the impositions which is forcing us all to shake in our boots.”

Saying that the labour movement recognises that some sacrifices will have to be made, the statement said it is unreasonable in a financial crisis to expect some persons to sacrifice when they have nothing left to sacrifice. “To suggest that a NSRL should be increased from 2 per cent to 10 per cent is unfortunate, misleading and draconian.”

It was posited that there cannot be a general application of this tax to all and sundry whether in the private or public sectors. It is believed, however, that a phased or share approach is needed during the period of adjustment.

“Some differentiations in relief and accommodations will have to be made between types of business and commercial activity, as will be the case with the most vulnerable in the society, some of whom will be workers at the bottom of the pay ladder.

“What the labour movement also knows is that dialogue entered into in good faith can produce solutions that are workable and acceptable. This should be the focus of everyone. There should be no bar to the Government, even in the midst of Crop Over, committing itself to those all-embracing talks, including the completion of negotiations with the public sector unions.

“We believe that fairness and equity are critical. We also believe that you cannot inspire sacrifice by asking persons to do one thing but at the same time doing something else yourself. If we are to tighten our belts then we must all tighten our belts together.

“The Prime Minister knows that a fair and responsible government cannot ask any citizen, particularly the working class, to carry more than their fair share. We urge him in the interest of Barbados and all Barbadians to start the process of the requested dialogue without delay.

The group also had a few words for commentators of the action taken by the Union which included a protest march and a go-slow.

“This is a time for a managed and humane approach to adjustment where all parties will share the burden fairly and where together we can truly set Barbados on a sustainable path to get out of this economic crisis. It is a time for all those pundits in their respective fields who seek to weigh in on the issue with different perspectives to contribute toward making a positive difference. We urge that they leave the workers and their representatives out of any of their considerations of personality clashes and political spats.”