The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is stepping up security in response to recent violent incidents targeting healthcare workers — with plans to fill key vacancies, enhance officer training, and explore the introduction of batons and body cameras.

Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark confirmed the measures in an interview with Barbados TODAY, saying the hospital is actively recruiting to fill ten security posts and reviewing options to better equip its frontline security personnel.

The move comes amid concerns over staffing shortages, delayed training and a lack of resources for security personnel. 

“There are some vacancies in the security team,” Clark said. “I think there are ten vacancies, and we’re out to recruitment for those, so hopefully that will be addressed. So, I have the posts, the posts have been approved, and I can recruit to those posts, and that’s active recruitment.”

Discussions are also ongoing about equipping security personnel with batons and restraints to improve safety for staff, patients and officers themselves.

“We’ve had discussions with the security team about batons and how they can protect themselves, protect the patients, protect the staff, about restraints, how they can restrain patients, and we’re working with our security team and with the police force to understand what the rules and regulations are pertaining to giving those services or those tools to our security team,” Clark explained.

The hospital CEO also revealed plans to introduce body-worn cameras. 

“I’ve also asked about giving the security team body cams, which gives them a little bit of protection and a little bit of overview of what’s happening on the ground, and after any incident, there’s a clear indication of what happened,” he said.

The security team has been conducting security awareness sessions for nurses and staff.

“They engage with us very actively in providing some awareness sessions as to how to keep themselves safe,” Clark said, adding that improvements often stem from frontline staff.

“Any issues that the security staff have… they know my door’s open. They come and see me and we discuss this, and they’ve come forward with a number of ideas, and a number of those ideas that they come forward with, we take forward. All the ideas for any of my departments come from the staff who work within them.”

He encouraged officers to bring concerns directly to him.

Regarding the Barbados Nurses Association’s call for panic buttons on wards, Clark confirmed a review is underway.

“There’s something that we need to review about how we keep the staff safe on the wards. So that’s a piece of action that we’re in now, given the recent attack on some of the nurses on one of our wards.”

louriannegraham@barbadostoday.bb

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A leading cancer specialist has warned of a worrying rise in liver disease among non-drinkers, as poor diets and widespread use of unhealthy cooking oils fuel an increase in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Consultant radiation oncologist Dr Lalitha Sripathi raised the alarm on Friday.

“Initially we used to see liver disease only in alcoholics, and we used to attribute that to alcoholism,” she told journalists.

“Now we see something called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease on the rise, and we see that in people who are not alcoholics.”

Sripathi singled out seed oils such as canola and sunflower oil as a contributing factor, noting that these oils are commonly used in cheap, processed and deep-fried foods.

“What is causing the liver disease in them is those seed oils… the cheap ones,” said Dr Sripathi. “There definitely needs to be a lot of education.”

The oncologist’s comments formed part of a broader message on lifestyle-related diseases, including cancer, diabetes and hypertension.

She warned that too many people in Barbados are relying on highly processed, readily available foods that are packed with preservatives, chemicals and unhealthy fats.

“It’s unfortunate that they’re so easily available, so affordable… but they are to be avoided at all means,” she cautioned.

Dr Sripathi advised people to reduce their intake of deep-fried foods and instead use healthier alternatives such as olive or avocado oil – occasionally, and in moderation.

“If you need to have it, please have it in a healthy way—like you can use substitutes like olive oil and avocado oil for your cooking,” she said. “But only as a cheat-day diet, not on a regular basis.”

Dr Sripathi also cautioned against the use of plastics, non-stick cookware, and aluminium pots at high temperatures, which she said can leach harmful chemicals into food.

She recommended using steel, cast iron or earthenware alternatives.

“Ultimately, it all narrows down to living as naturally as possible and avoiding all the things that are convenient, easily available, but are ultimately harming your health,” she said.

The senior oncologist’s remarks at a hospital news briefing come at a time when health authorities across the region are paying closer attention to non-communicable diseases and their links to modern diets and lifestyles.

She called for greater public awareness and education, particularly for younger people and families making daily food choices that could affect long-term health outcomes. (SM)

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Cancer patients in Barbados are now being seen within just two weeks of diagnosis at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), a dramatic improvement from previous wait times that stretched to nearly five months.

Hospital officials on Friday hailed the development as a major step forward in cancer care, bringing the QEH in line with — and even exceeding — international standards.

“We’re achieving better than world standards,” declared QEH Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark.

“Fourteen days is the standard the NHS in the UK aspires to and often doesn’t achieve. I’m so proud of what the team has done.”

The announcement came on Friday at a media briefing where doctors and senior staff outlined a sweeping overhaul of the hospital’s oncology services.

The transformation, they said, wasn’t driven by any drop in demand — quite the opposite. It was the result of deliberate decisions to expand clinic capacity, clear patient backlogs, and increase frontline staffing.

Consultant radiation oncologist, Dr Lalitha Sripathi, said the difference has been dramatic: “Once a new cancer patient is registered with us, the time to see the patient used to be around 140 days. Now it has come down to just a couple of weeks.”

The number of new patients seen each month has also doubled, from around 25 to nearly 50, while follow-up visits now top 700.

Officials further reported that the department is on track to exceed 800 visits this month, following a campaign to bring forward patients who were previously scheduled for later in the year.

“We had patients who were registered in March and weren’t scheduled to be seen until September,” said senior radiation therapist Ian Weithers.

“We made adjustments to bring them in earlier,” he added, clarifying that the new numbers do not necessarily represent a spike in new cases, but an intentional move to become more efficient.

Weithers, who also serves as operations manager, acknowledged that the shift required more than just rescheduling.

“Our staff are sometimes here from early in the morning, pressing on until 5 p.m. to handle new consultations,” he said.

“It’s intense work, but there’s deep commitment in this department. We all have family and friends who have been through this system.”

The team credited much of the progress to new leadership and structural changes within the oncology unit, noting that the department is preparing to deliver even more advanced treatment with the linear accelerator set to be commissioned soon.

“We’re gearing up to provide world-class radiation treatment and we’re also adding a clinical oncologist, a haematologist, a medical oncologist, physicists, and radiographers to make this a comprehensive cancer service,” Dr Sripathi said.

The specialist didn’t just focus on treatment. She used her time at the podium to deliver a blunt and passionate message about cancer levels in Barbados, encouraging prevention.

“The most common cancers I see in women are breast cancer. In men, it’s colon cancer, followed by prostate,” she said. “And sadly, we’re seeing them in younger people, including a 20-year-old recently diagnosed with breast cancer.”

She warned against red and processed meats, sugary drinks, and canned foods, calling them proven carcinogens, while also urging Barbadians to stay active, cut alcohol and tobacco use, and undergo regular screening.

“Most cancers are preventable,” she said. “And once mutations happen, they can become hereditary. That’s when we start seeing cancer in the next generation.”

Dr Sripathi encouraged women to begin annual mammograms at age 40 and also advised men to start prostate screening by age 40.

She further recommended colonoscopies from age 50, or earlier in cases of family history.

Her warnings were solidified by a simple but profound statement: “Cancer is becoming a lifestyle disease.” (SM)

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Faced with questions about gaps in specialist care, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on Friday defended the continuity of services at its haematology clinic, noting that there has been no significant disturbance to patient treatment, even as it scrambles to fill key vacancies.

Officials acknowledged that the sudden resignation and retirement of senior doctors had led to some clinic cancellations in recent weeks, but they insisted no patients were turned away and treatment for those with blood cancers and other serious disorders has continued without major disruptions. 

“There has been some sensationalism out there,” said Chief Operations Officer at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr Christine Greenidge, in a press briefing at the QEH boardroom. 

“Our job is to make sure that information currently and accurately reflects the efforts to keep this vulnerable population as safe as possible and to ensure their treatments are of the highest quality.”

Haematology deals with blood diseases such as leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, anaemia, and haemophilia. 

Patients typically attend the QEH clinic three times a week – twice for treatment and once for monitoring and medication management.

“These patients are a very vulnerable population,” said Dr Greenidge. 

“Our goal is to keep them healthy and preserve their life status.”

The COO noted that the departures were unexpected, but swift steps were taken to avoid service gaps.

“Immediately, all efforts were focused on ensuring that the continuity of care would not miss a beat,” she said. 

“We ensured cross-coverage to meet the needs of this patient population, and our clinics have continued successively over the last three weeks.”

Officials revealed that the hospital is now in the final stages of hiring new haematologists, with Dr Greenidge stating that most of the recruits – including junior and consultant-level staff – are expected to be in place by the first or second week of August.

Acting Director of Medical Services Dr John Gill further confirmed the strain on the clinic, noting: “It is now well known that the haematology clinic has suffered some punctuations in its functions.

“We’ve had a few cancellations because of the retirement and resignation of the senior medical staff,” he added. 

Remaining doctors within the QEH, along with volunteers, have helped to keep the clinic running in the interim, said Dr Gill.

“I must commend those who volunteered and the Department of Medicine for readily assisting us to convene the clinic on a weekly basis,” he said.

The acting director told reporters that the QEH is also looking regionally, tapping into the University of the West Indies’ network for help. 

Two graduates of the UWI Mona’s postgraduate haematology programme have been interviewed for consultant roles, with one expected to begin work shortly. 

A retired specialist has also come on board temporarily.

QEH is additionally working to contract local private haematologists for specific cases, he said, adding that it remains open to referring patients overseas if necessary.

“Our aim is no one who requires specialist attention should go unserved,” said Dr Gill. 

“Where it’s within the hospital’s capacity to seek these services, either directly or by sending the patient abroad, that’s what will be done.” (SM)

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A senior ambulance official has defended Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) emergency crews after public criticism of an apparent delay in rushing a young motorcyclist to hospital, insisting that stabilising patients at the roadside now takes priority over speed.

Senior ambulance officer Trevor Bynoe stressed that what bystanders saw as a delay was in fact adherence to essential on-scene treatment protocols rather.

Responding to criticism after a serious collision on Baxters Road involving a young motorcyclist, Bynoe said what looked like inaction was actually a full patient assessment and stabilisation at the roadside.

“Pre-hospital emergency care doesn’t start when the ambulance pulls up, it begins with dispatch,” Bynoe explained to journalists at a press briefing on Friday.

“Our dispatchers ask scripted questions so that by the time we’re en route, EMTs and paramedics already have a mental picture of what they’re going into.”

Bynoe referred to concerns from onlookers, who said the injured man remained in the ambulance for what seemed an extended period before being taken to hospital. Bystanders questioned why he was not immediately rushed away, but Bynoe said that notion is outdated.

“Once upon a time it was all about speed. Now, it’s about treatment, care, and getting there safely,” he said.

“We don’t do ‘load and go’ anymore. That was over 40 years ago when [EMTs] had no formal training.”

“It’s not about delay, it’s about doing a full assessment before moving the patient. That includes spine, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis. If you miss one thing, it can be detrimental.”

The crew on scene consisted of EMTs who are trained to conduct thorough examinations, administer oxygen, dress wounds and stabilise injuries prior to moving a patient.

Paramedics, where available, can conduct more invasive procedures, such as treating cardiac conditions, starting intravenous feeds (IVs) and assisting diabetics.

Bynoe noted that in this case, the patient had abrasions.

“So they dressed all [the wounds], and then they communicated to [Accident & Emergency] so that staff there would know what to expect…,” he said.

He also stressed that every scene begins with a safety survey, both for the crew and the patient.

The QEH’s Chief Operations Officer Christine Greenidge added that much of the misunderstanding stems from the public not being familiar with how emergency services prioritise treatment.

“It’s not understood by the general public. It’s the whole idea of triaging,” she said.

“There’s going to be certain levels of priorities and that process of triaging allows the medical practitioner to discern whether your injuries are life or death and you become priority.”

Bynoe acknowledged that public perception has not caught up with the realities of modern emergency care.

“People think we just throw the person in and go. No. That was before 1984. Today, EMTs are trained in CPR [cardio-pulmonary resuscitation], oxygen delivery, even childbirth,” he said.

“And our teams work hard to constantly improve the service.”

He also revealed that the hospital has implemented speed caps on ambulances in the interest of safety.

“At a certain speed, say 100 kilometres, the vehicle gives an alert. If it’s exceeded for a justified reason, I’m alerted, and I review it. But there’s a cap. It’s not all about speed anymore.”

Hospital officials urged the public and media not to rush to judgement or portray emergency crews unfairly.

“Sometimes the environment is hazardous. Sometimes the patient is unstable. The goal is to treat, not just to move fast,” Bynoe said.

“There’s a reason we ask questions, assess on scene, and communicate clearly with A&E.”

The condition of the motorcyclist injured in the Baxters Road collision was not revealed up to the time of publication. Police investigations into the crash are ongoing. 

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb

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The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is set to begin delivering advanced cancer treatment on its long-awaited linear accelerator as early as September, senior officials confirmed on Friday.

Corey Drakes, project coordinator and QEH physicist, said the installation of the state-of-the-art radiotherapy machine is scheduled for mid-August.

“We can expect a final site visit at the end of July. After that, once everything is satisfactory, we will proceed with the rigging and installation. That’s scheduled to take place in the middle of August, and we can expect our first treatment somewhere between mid to late September 2025,” Drakes told a media briefing at the hospital’s boardroom.

Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark acknowledged recent public concern over delays in the project and explained that the hospital intentionally imported the equipment early to avoid shipping and customs delays, while site preparations were still underway.

“Progress has been impacted by two key factors… the extended timeline associated with the procurement of the necessary civil works [and] the structural and remedial works required to house and operate the machine have also taken longer than anticipated,” he said.

“These works are complex and involve specialised engineering and different subcontractors to ensure compliance with international safety and performance standards for radiotherapy equipment.”

Clark stressed that the delays were not due to inaction but rather a deliberate effort to ensure the facility meets global best practices.

The CEO said the QEH has continued to support cancer patients through overseas treatment arrangements in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness, “ensuring no one is left without care”.

“When operational, this linear accelerator will significantly expand our capacity to deliver high-quality cancer care right here in Barbados,” he added.

The officials reported that 99 per cent of the civil works are complete and preparations for installation are in their final stages.
Once operational, the linear accelerator will mark a major milestone in Barbados’ cancer treatment infrastructure. (SM)

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Guardian Life of The Caribbean Limited has reaffirmed its commitment to improving cancer care and financial access for women across the region, with a focus on prevention, early detection, and inclusive insurance solutions. 

The announcement was made by President at Guardian Life of The Caribbean Limited, Samanta Saugh, last Friday at the Caribbean Association for Oncology and Hematology (CAOH) Conference at Hyatt Regency Trinidad, where Guardian Life participated as a sponsor and strategic partner.

“As a subsidiary as part of the largest indigenous financial services group in the English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean, Guardian Life understands the vital role we play in supporting the wellbeing of our communities,” said Saugh. “We are working to ensure that equity in care includes not only medical treatment but also financial protection and peace of mind.”

Over the past five years, Guardian Life has seen a steady increase in cancer-related claims, particularly among women. 

According to the data:

• Cancer accounts for 47 per cent of all critical illness claims across the company’s portfolio.
• Women file 53 per cent of all claims.
• 68 per cent of female critical illness claims are cancer-related, with breast and ovarian cancers most common.

In response, Guardian Life is taking several meaningful steps to better serve its clients:

• Tailored Insurance Products: Developing inclusive policies with coverage specific to gynaecological cancers and more accessible options for lower-income women.
• Support Beyond the Payout: Bundling financial protection with wellness, care navigation, and mental health support throughout the treatment journey.
• Digital Claims Innovation: Streamlining the claims process through user-friendly technology for faster, more transparent service.
• Healthcare Partnerships: For example, launching a breast cancer screening drive in collaboration with Bayview Urgent Care Facility in Barbados, making preventative care more accessible for policyholders.

Guardian Life continues to work closely with healthcare professionals, NGOs, and policymakers to strengthen the regional ecosystem of care. 

“At Guardian Life, we see the people behind the policies,” said Saugh. 

“We’re here to protect futures—and that means listening, innovating, and acting with compassion.”

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Nurses in public healthcare are set to benefit from a comprehensive safety review across the system, following fresh commitments from the Ministry of Health to address longstanding concerns about workplace security, the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) said Friday, declaring progress with the authorities on improving safety for nurses.

Plans include strengthening security at polyclinics and the hospital, and looking into panic buttons for staff, said BNA President Faye Parris. 

“BNA had a call from an organisation… who wanted to assist with having panic buttons,” she said, adding that there must first be a “comprehensive assessment so that we can put everything in place.”

A recent town hall meeting with the Ministry of Health was a step in the right direction, according to the BNA. 

“We were very grateful to the ministry for accommodating us and having a town hall meeting, and to be working to strengthen the shuttle service across the system,” Parris said. She added that the BNA is “working with the ministry to collate the information and strengthen that service across the system.”

Safety remains a top concern for nurses, Parris said, noting that after the meeting, the ministry agreed to a full safety review. 

“One of the things that came up at that town hall is that there’s going to be a comprehensive assessment that BNA has been calling for, for a while, of the institutions to assess all their safety needs and come up with a comprehensive plan,” she explained.

While welcoming the government’s response as “favourable”, Parris said “members felt that there could be more urgency when dealing with the matters”.

She was adamant that nurses should not have to work in fear, adding: “What I find we’ve been doing is being reactive… So it has to be collaborative, a joint effort… so that we can be proactive. I want us to be proactive because we can’t afford… a loss of life of a nurse.”

The BNA is also rolling out self-defence classes which are gaining in popularity. 

“We are facilitating defence classes for nurses and as well as we’re going to be doing webinars since the first webinars, and the defence classes are attracting a lot of persons,” Parris said. “We have quite a number of nurses who are signing up for these defence classes.” (LG)

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Health experts have sounded an alarm over the nation’s reliance on imported fruits and vegetables, warning that ultra-processing and genetic modification are stripping food of its nutritional value and threatening public health. 

They called for urgent action to shift eating habits back to locally grown, seasonal produce, as concerns mount over the impact of trade policy on the island’s food security.

Speaking at a Heart & Stroke Foundation of Barbados workshop at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel on Thursday, clinical nutritionist Nicole Elliott, co-chair of the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition, warned that imported produce — particularly apples and corn — may be undergoing ultra-processing or genetic modification that alters their natural characteristics while still appearing deceptively fresh.

“We had an experiment running at school — how long we could keep apples out of the fridge before they went bad — and you can try this out when you get home,” Elliott revealed. “Normal red apples, the ones we used to call ‘50 cent apples’ (gala apples), I guarantee you that if you keep them in the refrigerator, they will last you a year and they will not go rubbery, they will not turn brown. And even if you leave them outside, the same thing will happen. For some reason, those innocent apples that we are accustomed to purchasing now are being subjected to ultra-processing, and they still look like they’re in their natural form.”

She explained that modern food technology and genetic engineering were driving changes that many consumers were unaware of.

“We’ve been seeing product modification and food technology at play for a long time. Depending on where our products come from — and who the importer is — we get foods from countries that do genetic modification, especially with corn, apples, and other items that are in high demand and require large-scale production,” she said.

“So, you’ll find that some apples spoil the way you’d expect — they go through the normal food spoilage process. But others? You leave them out, and nothing happens. They just sit there. Sometimes, you’ll look at an apple and say, ‘This looks too shiny, too perfect,’ almost like the one from the Snow White story. And when you pour hot water on it, the wax coating comes off. That’s because wax is added to make it look more appealing. And that works — we’ve all been conditioned from childhood to think that’s what a ‘good’ apple should look like.”

Elliott cautioned that while not all imported apples or fruits are problematic, Barbadians must begin to think critically about food sources and push for minimal processing.

“Eat the apple — don’t eat the Apple Jacks [cereal]. That’s what I’m saying. We can’t stop eating, but we have to start choosing the lesser of the two evils. A good place to start is eating as close to the farm as possible, as close to the source as possible. Because if that apple already has something added to it at the fresh stage, imagine what’s happening when you start dehydrating it, packaging it in a special kid snack, or mixing it into granola.

“The apple is just an example — not all apples behave the same — but the point is, the more we process it, the further it gets from being an actual apple. By the time you get that so-called ‘apple’, you might as well have been eating dirt. There’s no value left in it — no nutrition, no substance, no flavour — just a name.”

Her comments were echoed by Dr Maddy Murphy, senior lecturer at the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, part of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus. Murphy said the dominance of imported produce in the region’s food systems was driven largely by trade policy — not public health.

“This is one of the biggest issues we have with parents — what are the options? Because the fruits and vegetables are going in a certain direction,” she said. “For most countries in the Caribbean, most of our fruits and veg are imported. [There’s] a whole range of reasons, and it’s not related to health. A lot of this is about the Ministry of Economics and Trade, and those kinds of things. It’s about the World Trade Organisation and being able to bring certain things in.”

Dr Murphy added: “Some of those farms are bigger than some of our islands, so the price that they’re able to send down their fruit and veg — our local products can’t compete a lot of times when it comes to price. That’s something we really need to change in terms of our food and nutrition security.”

She said regional food systems must move towards greater self-sufficiency and cohesion, highlighting the need to increase the availability and appeal of local, seasonal produce.

“We’ve spoken to parents, and they’ll tell you: their kids don’t know what dunks and ackees are any more. They’re just not exposed. When you talk to farmers, they’ll say there’s so much construction and development that a lot of those indigenous fruits and vegetables are being removed and not replaced.”

Both Elliott and Dr Murphy called for renewed efforts to educate Barbadian families — especially children — about local fruits and vegetables, food preparation, and the risks of over-reliance on cheap, imported goods.

“It’s all nice and shiny to have blueberries and strawberries and everything else. But you have a lot of foreigners who come down here — tourists come here and they want to eat our local produce. They see the benefits and talk about breadfruit as a superfood.

“I think what we need to do is education and appreciation for what we have, and really to start getting people to eat local. The food preparation is important. You don’t want to add too many things, but it’s closer to home, it’s less of the pesticides, it’s less of the storage, the waxes and all those things.” 

(SZB)

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A primary school in Christ Church was abruptly closed on Tuesday after a seven-year-old pupil was admitted to intensive care with a suspected infectious illness, leaving parents and teachers demanding answers.

The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) has confirmed that a pupil of Gordon Walters Primary School, in St Patrick’s, was being treated in the Intensive Care Unit, and at least six of his 11 classmates have also fallen ill, with high fever the most common symptom reported. 

Teachers are now calling on health authorities to provide answers, as investigations continue into the child’s condition and the cause of the cluster of student absences.

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Education said the decision to close the school was made “out of caution for the health and safety of its staff and students” after being notified by the Principal of the hospital admission.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY at the school, BUT Vice-President Julian Pierre, who chairs the union’s health and safety committee, said the incident had left staff deeply concerned.

“There are a number of students in a particular class – I think the class has 12 students – where about seven of the students are out sick. The general symptom of that class, as reported, was high fever,” he disclosed.

“There are also students from other classes who are absent, reasons being unknown. Similar to the case at St Bernard’s Primary School, the staff is concerned as to what it possibly could be.”

Pierre noted that no official diagnosis had yet been made regarding the child in hospital.

“There has been a report or confirmation from the Chief Medical Officer that there are no cases of scarlet fever,” he said.

News of the hospitalisation began circulating on Monday night, and teachers met with the Principal the following morning. Many expressed discomfort about continuing classes given the uncertainty and the child’s condition.

“Teachers said they were uncomfortable. The level of anxiety was high, especially after what happened at St Bernard’s and the fact that this child had to be hospitalised,” Pierre said. “They’re worried it could be a highly contagious disease.”

The education ministry said in its statement: “The Principal of Gordon Walters Primary conducted a staff briefing this morning to update staff on the student’s welfare. Some teachers communicated feelings of discomfort to the Principal, and choosing to err on the side of caution, [the ministry] closed the school at 11:35 a.m.”

The Ministry of Health was actively investigating the symptoms and circumstances surrounding the child’s admission, the ministry said. 

“As per protocols and best practices, the immediate contacts have been identified and are being appropriately managed,” the statement added.

Despite those assurances, Pierre said the mood among teachers remained tense.

The situation comes just a week after St Bernard’s Primary in St Joseph was forced to close for two days. Several students fell ill at that school, prompting industrial cleaning and a full inspection by health officials. While scarlet fever was ruled out in that instance, two isolated cases of hand, foot and mouth disease were suspected. However, some staff remain unconvinced.

Now, teachers at Gordon Walters are demanding greater transparency from health authorities. Pierre insisted that parents, staff, and the public deserve clear communication.

“There has to be some level of transparency in that if the health officials say it is not a particular thing, there has to be some confirmation to the public as to what it is. This is about the safety of children and those who teach them,” Pierre said. “We need clear, timely information and swift action to prevent panic and protect everyone involved.”

As investigations continue, the BUT is urging parents to be extra cautious.

“We’re asking parents during this time to be vigilant as to the status of their children,” Pierre advised. “Check their skin and so on, make sure that they’re feeling fine. You know that within the school environment, there are many different viruses and bacteria that will pass throughout the school year.

“If you see anything that is irregular, seek medical attention… hopefully it is something that can be treated as soon as possible so there is no further spread of whatever it is that the child may be experiencing.”

The Ministry of Educational Transformation has confirmed that Gordon Walters Primary will remain closed until further notice, pending the outcome of medical investigations and a joint decision with the Ministry of Health.

The current school term ends on Thursday for students.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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