“Thanks to this project, the screening of newborns can be pursued by rapid tests made available in health facilities in Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda”

View the full post OECS Observes World Sickle Day on NOW Grenada.

The Dominican Medical Association (CMD) revealed that it is investigating a person with an apparent false registration operating as a doctor in a health center in the province of Puerto Plata.

The president of the association, Senén Caba, did not give details of the person being followed so as not to hinder the investigation process.

He added that a false doctor had been brought to justice in the same province, but the authorities “did nothing” about it.

The doctor said that he has collaborated with journalist Nuria Piera, who has denounced dozens of doctors working in the country’s health centers with false qualifications in several of her investigative programs.

The investigation of the alleged neuroscientist
Recently Nuria Piera investigated Elizabeth Silverio Sillien, an alleged neuroscientist, educator, and pastor, who was the director of the closed Kogland Neurocognitive and Psychopedagogical Therapy Centre, a space located in Gascue and created in December 2021, which she ran with her husband and partner David Báez Zorrilla under the object of pedagogical therapies.

According to what the journalist found out after her investigation, the woman claimed to have a doctorate in Neurosciences in the modality of cognitive-brain intervention in clinical and pedagogical areas, claiming to be a graduate of Cambridge University in England.

She claimed to have a master’s degree in Academic Management Administration and Educational Corporate Modeling from the West Indies University Campus.

Silverio Sillien also claimed to have a Ph.D. in child and general neuroscience, specializing in the intervention of developmental disorders, syndromes, and comorbidities. She also specializes in neurobiological, neurocognitive, and neuropathological areas from the University of Florida.

The fraudulent doctor claimed to have a Master’s degree in ESD model of inclusion, special education at the West Indies, Barbados campus, a specialization in the therapeutic structure of intervention treatment creation at the University of Valencia, Spain, and a postgraduate degree in updating millennial psychological modality.

Following the investigation, the Ministry of Public Health reported that the center was closed, and Elizabeth was ordered to submit an exequatur.

The Hospital Materno Infantil de la Altagracia responded to reports that several people are allegedly lying in the same bed due to the lack of this furniture.

In a communication posted on its social networks, the hospital’s management indicated that it is investigating the complaint while informing that its structure is being intervened.

“This center is currently being intervened in the areas of emergency, surgery, pre-delivery, ICU and dentistry to promote improvements in the quality of care,” the note specifies.

Complaint

This week a woman denounced using a video that her sister, who was admitted to the referred health center, was put to bed with another woman who had given birth.

The woman, whose name is unknown, told the doctor on duty, “You put several people in a bed without knowing if the other person has a contagious disease.”

She added that it is one patient per bed and considered this “an abuse and shamelessness what is being committed at the health center.”

The doctor on duty indicated that they put up to four women in the same bed if necessary since the others would not lie on the floor.

The doctor added, “just because she is your cousin, the others will not be left without a bed.”

“The launch of the Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit was held as part of CARPHA’s celebration of Caribbean Nutrition Awareness Month 2023”

View the full post CARPHA Diabetes Nutritional Management Toolkit on NOW Grenada.

We thank all of our unsung heroes who donate blood and encourage more people to become new donors

View the full post World Blood Donor Day 14 June on NOW Grenada.

Santo Domingo.- Around 30,000 individuals visited the National District Blood Bank in the Dominican Republic during the first five months of this year, intending to donate blood to the Dominican Red Cross. However, only 18,307 individuals were deemed eligible for donation.

Out of the eligible donors, 18,005 were replacement donors, while a mere 302 volunteered altruistically, accounting for only 1.67% of the total number. These statistics were provided by César Matos Moronta, the director of the National Network of Blood Banks, on the occasion of World Blood Donor Day on June 14.

Matos Moronta highlighted the World Health Organization’s recommendation that countries should strive for a minimum of 4% voluntary blood donation from the population. Unfortunately, the Dominican Republic falls short of even 2%.

Miguel Sanz Flores, the president of the Dominican Red Cross, emphasized the urgent need to establish a blood donation culture in the country to address the annual deficit of over 200,000 pints of blood. He expressed concern over the difficulties faced by Dominicans when they require blood transfusions and stressed the importance of societal commitment to saving lives through regular blood donation.

To encourage voluntary blood donation, the Red Cross relaunched the campaign “Save me with your pint, donate blood,” led by Dr. Sanz. He emphasized the importance of action rather than mere reminders on specific days, urging the nation to foster a consistent culture of blood donation.

Santo Domingo.- The Global Institute of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (IGLOBAL) organized a seminar titled “The Autism Spectrum: A Global Look at a Multifactorial Disorder” on Tuesday. The aim of the seminar was to raise awareness and sensitize society, especially educators, about autism. Josefina Pimentel, the rector of IGLOBAL, highlighted the shortage of professionals in the country who are trained to work with individuals with autism. She emphasized the need for understanding the characteristics of this condition in order to support holistic development and tap into the potential of children and adults with autism. Pimentel commended the approval of the autism bill in the Chamber of Deputies, although she also noted that certain aspects may need to be adapted to the current realities of Dominican society. She viewed it as a significant step forward.

The seminar took place at the auditorium of the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (Funglode). The event brought together medical specialists, teachers, and organizations dedicated to serving individuals with autism, featuring presentations on various aspects of the disorder. The keynote address, titled “A Global Look at a Multifunctional Disorder: Health, Education, and Socialization of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” was delivered virtually by Natalia Blanco, the director of the Spanish Federation of Autism, based in Spain.

The seminar covered topics such as the journey from health to well-being for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including early detection, neurological perspectives, socio-emotional dimensions, the family and school environment, and holistic behavior therapy.

The second block of the seminar focused on “Education by and for All,” presenting a vision of education that encompassed school inclusion, the role of support teachers, speech therapy approaches, and the Individualized Educational Program (PEI).

The third block, titled “Strengthening the Support Network for People with ASD,” showcased the contributions of both public and private institutions in ensuring the full lives of individuals with ASD. It included presentations from these institutions as well as testimonies and reflections from two families on their experiences.

The closing conference, “Public Policies in Favor of People with ASD: Facilitating the Path Towards Inclusion,” featured three legislators: Deputy Yudelka de la Rosa and Senators Franklin Rodríguez and Dionis Sánchez. They discussed the “Law of Care, Inclusion, and Protection of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).”

Santo Domingo.- Despite an increasing number of donors at the National Blood Center, the Dominican Republic continues to face a blood shortage of approximately 150,000 units annually, accounting for around 50% of the national demand of 300,000 units. Dr. Pedro Sing, the director of the National Blood Center, highlighted the significance of voluntary donations and emphasized the need to raise awareness about this crucial act.

He assured that the National Blood Center currently fulfills 100% of the emergency blood supply for the Hugo Mendoza Pediatric Hospital, 65-70% for the Robert Reid Cabral Hospital, and close to 50% for the Francisco Moscoso Puello, Salvador B. Gautier, San Lorenzo de Los Mina, and Darío Contreras hospitals.

On the occasion of World Donor Day, which is celebrated on Wednesday, the National Blood Center plans to organize various large-scale blood collection events in Santo Domingo, Santiago, and La Vega. Among these events, there will be a collaboration with the Banco de Reservas Health Insurance (ARS) and the signing of an agreement with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to further increase blood reserves.

Dr. Sing also announced the opening of the first Node or blood bank at the Vinicio Calventi Hospital this week. This Node operates within a network model, where donor clubs are established to collect blood. The collected blood is then processed at the Hemocentro and returned to the respective hospital.

BBC – A mother-of-three has been jailed for more than two years for inducing an abortion after the legal limit.

Carla Foster, 44, received the medication following a remote consultation where she was not honest about how far along her pregnancy was.

The “pills by post” scheme, introduced in lockdown, allows pregnancies up to 10 weeks to be terminated at home.

However, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the woman was between 32-34 weeks pregnant when she took them.

Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks. However, after 10 weeks the procedure is carried out in a clinic.

Prosecutors argued Foster had provided false information knowing she was over the time limit and had made online searches which they said indicated “careful planning”.

The court heard between February and May 2020 she had searched “how to hide a pregnancy bump”, “how to have an abortion without going to the doctor” and “how to lose a baby at six months”.

Based on the information she provided the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), she was sent the tablets because it was estimated she was seven weeks pregnant.

Her defence argued that lockdown and minimising face-to-face appointments had changed access to healthcare and so instead she had to search for information online.

“The defendant may well have made use of services had they been available at the time,” said her barrister Barry White. “This will haunt her forever.”

On 11 May 2020, having taken the abortion pills, an emergency call was made at 18:39 BST saying she was in labour.

The baby was born not breathing during the phonecall and was confirmed dead about 45 minutes later.

A post-mortem examination recorded the baby girl’s cause of death as stillbirth and maternal use of abortion drugs and she was estimated to be between 32 and 34 weeks’ gestation.

Foster, from Staffordshire, already had three sons before she became pregnant again in 2019.

The court heard she had moved back in with her estranged partner at the start of lockdown while carrying another man’s baby.

The judge accepted she was “in emotional turmoil” as she sought to hide the pregnancy.

Foster was initially charged with child destruction, which she denied.

She later pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of section 58 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, administering drugs or using instruments to procure abortion, which was accepted by the prosecution.

Leniency letter ‘not appropriate’

Sentencing, judge Mr Justice Edward Pepperall said it was a “tragic” case, adding that if she had pleaded guilty earlier he may have been able to consider suspending her jail sentence.

He said the defendant was “wracked by guilt” and had suffered depression and said she was a good mother to three children, one of whom has special needs, who would suffer from her imprisonment.

She received a 28-month sentence, 14 of which will be spent in custody with the remainder on licence.

Ahead of Monday’s hearing, a letter co-signed by a number of women’s health organisations was sent to the court calling for a non-custodial sentence.

However, the judge said it was “not appropriate” and that his duty was “to apply the law as provided by Parliament”.

He told the defendant the letter’s authors were “concerned that your imprisonment might deter other women from accessing telemedical abortion services and other late-gestation women from seeking medical care or from being open and honest with medical professionals”.

But he said it also “has the capacity to be seen as special pleading by those who favour wider access to abortions and is, in my judgment, just as inappropriate as it would be for a judge to receive a letter from one of the groups campaigning for more restrictive laws”.

‘Archaic law’

The sentencing has sparked outcry among women’s rights organisations and campaigners.

BPAS said it was “shocked and appalled” by the woman’s sentence which they said was based on an “archaic law”.

“No woman can ever go through this again,” said its chief executive, Clare Murphy.

“Over the last three years, there has been an increase in the numbers of women and girls facing the trauma of lengthy police investigations and threatened with up to life imprisonment under our archaic abortion law,” she said.

“Vulnerable women in the most incredibly difficult of circumstances deserve more from our legal system.”

She said MPs must do more to offer protection so “no more women in these desperate circumstances are threatened with prison again”.

Meanwhile, Labour MP Stella Creasy called for “urgent reform”.

“The average prison sentence for a violent offence in England is 18 months,” she said in a tweet.

“A woman who had an abortion without following correct procedures just got 28 months under an 1868 act – we need urgent reform to make safe access for all women in England, Scotland and Wales a human right.”

The Crown Prosecution Service said: “These exceptionally rare cases are complex and traumatic.

“Our prosecutors have a duty to ensure that laws set by Parliament are properly considered and applied when making difficult charging decisions.”

When asked whether the prime minister was confident criminalising abortion in some circumstances was the right approach, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said the current laws struck a balance.

“Our laws as they stand balance a woman’s right to access safe and legal abortions with the rights of an unborn child,” he said.

“I’m not aware of any plans to address that approach.”

The post Mother jailed for taking abortion pills after legal limit appeared first on Barbados Today.

Diario Libre spoke with the gastroenterologist Carmen Cabral, who affirmed that salmonella is one of the main bacteria causing food poisoning, together with Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia Coli (E. Coli), and Campylobacter.

The specialist acknowledged that, lately, in her professional practice at Centro Medico Moderno, she has seen an increase in positive diagnoses for salmonella and Escherichia coli.

“Could it be that they are in the water, in the vegetables? Could it be that people are eating more in the street? Something is happening!” the specialist commented.

According to Cabral, “before there was a lot of amoeba, but now you do a gastrointestinal panel on patients, and you find Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and salmonella like nothing else. I’m not even surprised anymore.”

“Where there is no good food handling, that’s where you get infected,” she said.

The gastro listed the symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, headache, and sometimes bloody diarrhea.

“When the patient goes to the emergency room it is because he is dehydrated most of the time because he has vomited a lot. Then come the complications where the patient can go into sepsis or septic shock,” she said.

The physician emphasized washing vegetables for salads, washing hands after going to the bathroom, covering food to avoid flies, and not reheating food more than once.

“A lot of pesticides are used and the handling from the field to the final consumption destination is too much. Some people think that vinegar is enough,” he commented.

Cabral recommends using chlorinated water with 20 drops of chlorine per gallon and leaving the products to soak for half an hour.

“They should be washed with bottled water, because if you use tap water, we are not at all,” she specified.

The doctor pointed out that the effects of food poisoning would depend on the organism of each individual but that there is an incubation period depending on the pathogen in the food.

Salmonella, frequent in poultry, eggs, and dairy products, usually lasts between six hours to six days in its incubation period.

Escherichia coli typically lasts three to four days; sometimes, it can take up to 10 days. It is found in raw or undercooked meat, unpasteurized juice or milk, soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk, fresh fruits and vegetables, and contaminated water and feces of people carrying the bacteria.

In seafood poisoning, the reaction usually takes 30 to 60 minutes and up to 24 hours.

Cabral recommends seeking medical advice since these bacteria can cause intestinal perforation and affect the liver and gall bladder if not adequately treated.

Treatment usually includes antibiotics, usually with metronidazole, and sufficient hydration.