The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment has announced that it is ready to commence Phase Two of the SMART Health Care Facilities in the Eastern Caribbean Project.
A technical meeting was held on Thursday 31st August 2017, between the Ministry, representatives from the Pan American Health Organization and the U.K. Department for International Development, to officially commence work at the Chateaubelair Hospital.
At the meeting, PAHO also introduced the Contractor for the project, FRANCO Construction, and conditions for the implementation of the project.
Phase II of the SMART Health Care Facilities in the Eastern Caribbean Project officially began in June 2015 and will be implemented in the four Windward islands – Grenada, St. Lucia,
St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica, as well as in Jamaica, Guyana, and Belize over a period of five years to June 2020.
The project is being financially supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, DFID and implemented through the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Department, in partnership with the Ministry of Health in each target country.
CARICOM Chairman, Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell of Grenada and Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin LaRocque on Wednesday completed a tour of hurricane devastated islands and have indicated that arrangements are being made to convene an international Donors Conference to mobilise the ‘significant resources’ required for the recovery effort.
The touring CARICOM Delegation included Mr. Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), which is the CARICOM Institution coordinating the regional hurricane disaster response; and Captain Errington Shurland, Executive Director of the Regional Security System (RSS).
Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Mr. Gaston Browne joined the Delegation for the tour of Barbuda where Government’s assessment shows more than 90 percent of the buildings on the island were destroyed. Prime Minister Browne confirmed that all Barbuda residents have been relocated to sister island Antigua, with just a contingent of military personnel remaining to provide security.
“I’m very grateful for the visit by the CARICOM Chairman, Secretary-General and other members of the delegation. It shows we have other Caribbean brothers and sisters who are standing in solidarity with us,” Prime Minister Browne said after taking the delegation on a walk-though Barbuda’s devastated capital, Codrington.
“Clearly, this is a very difficult time for Antigua and Barbuda and we are very appreciative of the support and, certainly, all of the pledges that will be made,” he added.
In the British Virgin Island, where the delegation toured affected communities and met with Premier Dr Orlando Smith and Government and Disaster Management officials, the focus is on meeting critical immediate needs such as water and food supplies and restoring access to electricity and telecommunications, while simultaneously working on arrangements for getting students back into schools and getting critical sectors of the economy such as tourism and financial services back up to speed. Premier Smith noted that the Government headquarters building is among the those destroyed and his office has had to be re-located to the main hospital building.
Anguilla’s Chief Minister Mr. Victor Banks, who joined the CARICOM Delegation on the tour of his island where the main hospital, schools and 90 percent of the homes were damaged, said he is also working to address the pressing need for food, water, building supplies and electricity and confronting any challenges to the critical tourism sector.
Prime Minister Mitchell, acknowledged ‘the extremely high level of devastation’ in these and the other affected islands, and said substantial international support is required to build on the ongoing financial and other contributions by Caribbean governments, individuals and organisations.
“The plan is to organise a regional and international aid conference that can help to get significant pledges towards the reconstruction effort of these countries. This will be similar to what we did in Grenada (after hurricane Ivan devastated the Island in 2004) and we got significant support”. Prime Minister Mitchell said.
He said the requested support must include psychological counselling to help affected persons overcome the trauma of the hurricane Irma experience. “We will use our regional and international contacts to leverage the required support” he added.
Secretary-General LaRocque said, given the scale of the destruction, countries and institutions in the international community must be willing to build on the current relief efforts by the Caribbean Community and he said invitations are already being sent to development partners for the soon to be convened Donors Conference.
“The governments can’t do it alone. We need to mobilise international help from partner countries in the international community. We hope to have this donor meeting as soon as possible and the mobilisation has started,” the Secretary-General said, adding that a representative of the UN Offices in Barbados who was included on the tour has already been in contact with his head office.
In the meantime, CDEMA has been facilitating much of the regional collaboration through a hub in Antigua for the affected Eastern Caribbean islands, and one in Jamaica for the Western Caribbean, including the Turks and Caicos Islands, Haiti and The Bahamas. CDEMA, working in conjunction with National Disaster Management offices has been coordinating the provision of required personnel, relief supplies and other support in the run-up to, during, and after the passage of Irma.
See Photos: Barbuda, Tortola, Anguilla
Eleven members of the World Bank Group (WBG) Board of Executive Directors will pay a two-day visit to Jamaica from Thursday (September 14) to Saturday, (September 16).
The delegation, representing 98 member countries from the Caribbean, Latin America, North America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific, will discuss Jamaica’s development priorities, emerging opportunities and challenges.
They will also examine the WBG engagement in support of the country’s efforts to reduce poverty and enhance prosperity.
During the visit, the members will meet with Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness; Finance and the Public Service Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw and other members of the Cabinet; as well as key representatives from the private sector, civil society and women entrepreneurs.
The WBG Board members will also experience, first-hand, some of the work being implemented under World Bank-supported projects in the island.
They are expected to meet with farmers’ groups and visit greenhouses to see results accomplished under the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) project.
Health officials encourage structured exercise programmes as a way to live healthier lifestyles.
Health officials in the Ministry of Health are encouraging citizens and residents alike to create structured exercise programmes as part of their daily routine as a way of living healthier lifestyles, which can in turn prolong lives.
“Exercise is something that should be structured and planned. So exercise is a structured and planned physical activity. It is not that you are going to be walking to or from work and you think that that’s enough and you don’t need to structure an exercise. I think that all of us need to have a structured exercise programme,” said Dr. Hazel Laws, Chief Medical Officer, during her appearance on “Working for You” on Wednesday, September 13.
Dr. Laws suggested different types of exercises that persons can do to keep them in the best possible shape as they seek to live healthier lifestyles.
“You have endurance or aerobic exercises, which include walking, jogging, swimming, cycling. It gets your heart beat up and it improves your heart and lung function,” said Dr. Laws. “You also have strengthening or resistance exercises. That’s also important. It involves using weights. Very important because as we age we automatically lose strength in our muscle fibres and we lose our muscle cells. So this is a natural part of ageing and so strengthening exercises help to combat that aspect of the ageing process.”
She reiterated that strengthening exercises are important, as well as flexibility exercises “whereby you stretch to maintain your full range of motivation of your joints in your shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, hip joints” to name a few.
The chief medical officer encourages persons to include, in addition to walking three or four times a week, one or two days of weight exercises when structuring or planning their exercise programme, as there are many benefits to exercising such as reducing one’s risk of major illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Ministry of Health reports increase in the number of reported Conjunctivitis (red eye) cases in Grenada.
On completion of an extensive surveillance, monitoring and evaluation of the current outbreak of conjunctivitis on island, the Ministry of Health earlier today advised education officials, that in an effort to contain and prevent the spread of viral conjunctivitis (RED EYE) all persons affected should remain at home.
Health officials say given the seriousness of the outbreak among children, parents and guardians should be vigilant and ensure that every precautionary measure is taken to prevent their child from becoming infected and or spreading the virus.
The MOH is also advising the general public to adopt similar measures to prevent the spread of the virus, while the Epidemiology Unit continues to evaluate the situation.
According to Health officials, within the past 48-72 hours there were significant increases in the number of reported cases of the syndrome and as a result health practitioners have been responding quickly and adequately to the situation.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. George Mitchell reconfirmed earlier reports that the current outbreak is viral and can be transmitted by person to person.
Dr. Mitchell reiterated that the most practical and effective way to stop the spread of the virus, is by practicing proper and regular hand washing.
The CMO further added, that persons should also refrain from touching or rubbing their eyes following contact with potential contaminated sources.
Outbreaks of viral conjunctivitis occur mainly in tropical countries with high population density, hot and humid climate.
For additional information about conjunctivitis (clinical description how it is spread), and how best to prevent and or manage conjunctivitis please visit the links provided: www.cdc.gov or www.health.gov.gd.
CTUSAB President, Cedric Murrell; author Sabir Nakhuda; and Prime Minister Freundel Stuart chatting following the presentation of the Barbados At 50: The National Values Assessment 2016 Report to the Prime Minister, at Ilaro Court yesterday evening. (C.Pitt/BGIS)
Government is committed to creating an inclusive Barbados where people can realise their aspirations.
Prime Minister Freundel Stuart expressed this commitment last night after the Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), Dr. Don Marshall, presented him with the Barbados At 50: The National Values Assessment 2016 Report.
In addition to the hand-over of the report, several persons received certificates of appreciation for their hard work during the 50th Anniversary of Independence celebrations last year.
Mr. Stuart said the questions he posed in 2016 at the launch of the anniversary celebrations as to which features of Barbadian life should be retained, reclaimed or discarded quickly, formed the basis for the important study.
“I detect that there is some uncertainty in Barbados today as to where we are and what it is we believe. I agree the Barbados of 50 years ago is not going to come back ever; too much has happened over the last 50 years for us to reconstruct that Barbados. Our material foundations have changed and therefore we are not casting a nostalgic glance into the past and trying to reconstruct the old Barbados because again there was not everything good about the old Barbados either.
“But what we want to do is create a relevant Barbados that is inclusive, and a Barbados in which every man, woman, and child can feel that he or she has a chance to make what he or she believes felt in the society…,” he stated.
Mr. Stuart stressed that Barbados had changed much over the past 50 years, and he was therefore not surprised to hear Dr. Marshall’s comments that citizens had a tendency towards an American values system.
He underscored the importance of Barbadians determining what kind of nation they wanted. He pointed out that a society was not held together by the material acquisitions which people struggled so feverishly to possess but by shared values.
The Prime Minister said the study was commissioned, not for academic purposes, but for policy-making and charting a future for the country. He expressed profound gratitude to SALISES for the work done, saying that with the expected discussions, the needed path should be found.
Contracts amounting to $4.7 million have been signed between the Ministry of Environment and three contractors for remedial works on three sections of road on the eastern side of the country.
These contracts were signed at an official ceremony at the Ministry of Health conference room on Wednesday, under the Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP), a $106 million project funded by the World Bank and the Government of Dominica. The DVRP aims to reduce the risk of the adverse effects of climate change on the island.
Under this project, Government proposed to undertake considerable work on the east coast from Pond Casse to Bois Diable, Bois Diable To Castle Bruce, Castle Bruce to Petite Soufriere and Castle Bruce to Hatton Garden.
However, following the passage of Tropical Storm Erika, immediate works were required.
“In the upcoming weeks, residents can expect construction activity such as the erection of retaining walls, reinstatement of broken edges and pavement, river-dredging, road realignment to avert further land slippage, installation of guard rails to increase safety of bridges, cleaning and widening of culverts and earth drainage, construction ring walls and ring and installation of gabion baskets, Hon Drigo detailed. “These projects are very important to us in the Castle Bruce constituency.”
Work will be done from Bellefield to Castle Bruce by ADA Trucking Ltd, Castle Bruce to Petite Soufriere by George Nathan Trucking & Excavation Services and in Castle Bruce by Jars Sales and Services Ltd.
However, the Ministry of Public Works has undertaken a number of interventions in extremely vulnerable areas in the east ahead of this project.
“This ceremony is further proof of this Government’s commitment to improve our road network across the island to ensure the safety of all road users…the evidence of this abounds as this Government continues to work feverishly to build a robust network of roads, guided by the principle of ‘building back better’.”
The Hon Minister for Health and Environment, Dr. Kenneth Darroux, under who the DVRP is implemented, remarked that these immediate works are critical for the safety of the people.
“While these interventions might seem modest individually and collectively, I think they are going to go a long way in allowing the residents of the Castle Bruce constituency to sleep much better,” Hon Darroux said.
Consultations have been held with the people of the east to inform them of the projects to be undertaken and landowners who are affected by these interventions will be compensated.
Mr. Colin Gillett has been named as the new Deputy National Emergency Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO).
Mr. Gillett holds a Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. His work experience includes Director of the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, Project Coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belize, and Private Consultant in Project Management and Logistics.
In his new position, Gillett serves as Deputy to NEMO’s National Emergency Coordinator (NEC), Colonel (Ret.) Shelton DeFour, who stated, “We have an extensive public education and preparedness programme, and the new Deputy National Emergency Coordinator will assist with the management and administration of the staff and headquarters’ functions in order to enable the Head of Department to implement NEMO’s disaster and emergency strategies and programmes.”
Gillett, for his part, stated, “I plan to work very closely with the National Emergency Coordinator, Colonel Shelton DeFour, on all the projects that we have going on, and all the programmes. Especially in these times of major hurricanes and major disasters that are occurring, I think we need all the help we can get to better plan and to make sure that the people of Belize are well prepared and can rebound after any disaster.”
Mr. Colin Gillett took up his new position as Deputy National Emergency Coordinator with NEMO with effect from September 4, 2017.
The Department of Disaster Management in the British Virgin Islands has released the following emergency updates for citizens and visitors of the Territory:
For more information, please visit the Department of Disaster Management website.
The DDM can also reached via the below:
Telephone: (284) 468-4200
Fax: (284) 494-2024
Email: bviddm@surfbvi.com His Excellency the Governor of the British Virgin Islands, Mr. Augustus Jaspert, meets with OECs Chairman and Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Hon. Allen Chastanet; and Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules.
