A significant amount of productivity is lost when cow-itch affects schools, says President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell.
He says not only were students losing learning time, but parents, who had to leave their jobs to pick them up when schools close, are also losing hours of productivity at their various workplaces.
He made the comments while speaking to Barbados TODAY on Thursday as he once again urged landowners with vacant lots near schools to keep these cleared of the bothersome vines.
“I cannot overemphasize it enough, this is a serious inconvenience to both students, teachers and even parents who would have to venture to the school to collect their children. We would want to encourage or impress upon those landowners who have lots that are unoccupied and that are overgrown with bush and cow itch to continue to clear them to keep the lots clear, to reduce the the prevalence of cow-itch and the effects it can have on the student population,” he added.
Last week, All Saints Primary in St Peter, Mount Tabor Primary in St John, and the Blackman and Gollop Primary and Thelma Berry Nursery schools in Christ Church closed their doors as some teachers and children began to experience allergic reactions to the environmental problem.
Lovell said that while most of the affected schools had reopened on Monday without any issues, a minor hiccup was encountered for the staff and students attending the Thelma Berry Nursery School.
“The occupants were still affected as while the debris was cleared from the outside, there was still residue on the chairs and desks inside the school. So it was industrially cleaned on Monday evening after school and everything was back to normal on Tuesday morning,” he stated.
(JB)

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By Anesta Henry

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has launched a monthly Employee Recognition Programme to honour staff for their hard work, dedication and going the extra mile to deliver patient care.

Delivering remarks at the inaugural awards held at the QEH Auditorium on Tuesday, Executive Chairman Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland said such an initiative is pivotal simply because only those within the organisation understand what it truly takes to deliver patient care to the public.

She stressed that employees understand the times of plenty, scarcity, as well as the creativity, professional skills, ingenuity, collyfoxing, and sacrificing that it takes to make QEH work.

Bynoe-Sutherland said reward and recognition programmes are important to increase motivation for workers to maintain a positive attitude, encourage friendly competition, improve productivity, and also boost employee retention as satisfied workers are less likely to leave or complain and are most likely to deliver the best service or patient care.

“But forgive me if I dwell on a lesson that I have learnt over the past three years and why I pushed so hard on this event. The QEH organisational culture is a work in progress, we are trying to create a culture of open and effective communication between ourselves and with our patients. 

“We are seeking to maintain a unified purpose and build and sustain a culture of excellence. Our culture will not be changed by mandates from the board or directives from management. What QEH has taught me, what all of you in this room teach us, is that a positive organisational culture is built by inculcating in each and every employee the sense that their words and actions make a difference,” she said.

Suggesting that employees are motivated when commended for a job well done, the Executive Chairman said the 64-plus employees honoured at the inaugural event were chosen because of their deliberate choice to give of themselves, rise against their own personal circumstances and to give to the people of Barbados.

Noting that there are not yet many hospitals on the island where healthcare professionals can trade their skills, Bynoe-Sutherland said for many, working at QEH is the goal. 

“Therefore, we are compelled to do all that we can to build recognition into the fabric and sinews of the organisation. This event is just one corporate measure for executive directors to celebrate their teams. Peer recognition is equally important. 

“We are going to continue with our annual Peer Recognition event, the RESPECT Awards where team members vote and recognise other team members, as recognition from co-workers can be equally as important, and it’s really important to get staff engaged in celebrating and recognising others. 

“In building this culture of recognition – a radio shout out, a thank-you card, handwritten notes, or an anonymous gift can have tremendous power in showing authentic appreciation. It is also important to recognise that some of your employees love the spotlight and others are much more private so recognition can be tailored to the individuals,” she said.

Employees were honoured for various contributions to patient care and for keeping the facility functioning even during challenging times.

Groups from several departments were recognised for the significant role they played, going beyond the call of duty and working long hours, to ensure QEH systems kept running during the cyber-attack on the hospital’s information technology systems. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines will be available at the island’s polyclinics from Monday, February 27, to Friday, March 3, at the times listed below.

Monday, February 27

• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St. Michael – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Frederick “Freddie” Miller Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 28

• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Frederick “Freddie” Miller Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St. Michael – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Randal Phillips Polyclinic, Oistins, Christ Church – 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, March 1

• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Maurice Byer Polyclinic, Station Hill, St. Peter – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
• Winston Scott Polyclinic, Jemmotts Lane, St. Michael – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• St. Philip Polyclinic, Six Roads, St. Philip – 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Edgar Cochrane Polyclinic, Wildey, St. Michael – 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Warrens, St. Michael – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Frederick “Freddie” Miller Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 2

• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Frederick “Freddie” Miller Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Randal Phillips Polyclinic, Oistins, Christ Church – 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Friday, March 3

• David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex, Glebe Land, St. John – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Branford Taitt Polyclinic, Black Rock, St. Michael – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Frederick “Freddie” Miller Polyclinic, The Glebe, St. George – 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

The AstraZeneca, adult Pfizer vaccine, and the paediatric Pfizer vaccine for children ages five to eleven, are currently not available.

Persons who wish to receive their first dose of any available vaccine are advised to walk with their identification card. Those eligible for second doses should also travel with their blue vaccination card.

At present, the choice for boosters is either Johnson & Johnson or Sinopharm. Persons receiving boosters may present either their blue vaccination card or vaccination certificate and valid photo identification. Those who were fully vaccinated overseas must also provide their vaccination cards and valid photo identification (passport or identification card). (MR/BGIS)

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By Anesta Henry

Cow-itch vines growing on empty lots have been creating major headaches for some schools across the island and President of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell wants landowners to have the offending lots cleared and maintained.

He has complained that cow-itch is becoming a “nuisance” as several schools have been affected already for this school term. One teacher who had a serious allergic reaction, was  ordered by her doctor not to return to the school to which she was assigned.

Lovell charged that some of the offensive lands may even be owned by the State.

“This is a serious matter. The Barbados Union of Teachers is imploring, begging, beseeching, whatever word you want to use, landowners who have lands adjacent to schools that are harbouring cow-itch to clear the lands. This is becoming a nuisance and several schools have been affected. This term alone, Daryl Jordan Secondary, Grantley Adams Secondary, Gordon Greenidge Primary have been affected. 

“Now I am getting complaints from Mount Tabor Primary, I am getting complaints from Blackman and Gollop Primary, from Thelma Berry Nursery, and this is just to name a few,” Lovell said.

He said that the Ministry of Education has been working to address the vexing issue, but admitted that they could only do “so much”.

When contacted, Minister of Environment and National Beautification, Adrian Forde, told Barbados TODAY he would be contacting the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Wellness to investigate the environmental concern being reported by the BUT.

“I would talk to the Minister of Education and find out what the concerns are. I know the Environmental Health offices under the Ministry of Health can also activate certain legislation under the Health Services Regulations as it relates to properties. So it would be a collective effort,” Forde said.

Meanwhile, Lovell said the union believes that landowners have a social responsibility to ensure that their lands do not pose any threat to persons in surrounding areas. The president said this is why the BUT is encouraging landowners who know that their properties are overgrown with bush, to clear the lots.

He said it is unfair to students, teachers and ancillary staff who occupy school plants, to have to be exposed to “this nuisance called cow-itch”.

“And even though we may ask the Ministry of Education to intervene at times, the Ministry of Education can only close the schools. And even after the schools are reopened, in some cases, the lands are not really cleared to the extent that the cow-itch has been totally removed. So we are asking the landowners to do what they are supposed to do by maintaining their properties.

“I know in some cases, schools have been reaching out to the landowners. But the thing is that this is an annual problem. We know that around this time of the year cow-itch grows. Why wait until it impacts or affects the occupants of the schools to then come and clear the fields? Why not be proactive as a landowner and seek to remove the cow-itch from the properties? I received calls on a daily basis with regards to cow-itch, it is a total nuisance,” Lovell said.

The BUT president also indicated that he has been getting multiple complaints from teachers that they have been experiencing allergic reactions as a result of the hazard. 

Forde said he agreed 100 per cent with Lovell’s plea, and revealed that the Government was currently working on legislation that would address landowners being forced to either clear their lots or be subjected to penalties if they refuse to do so.

“The school of thought is that landowners who are not complying to have those persons be given a period of time to do the remedial work.” 

He said if this fails, the Government would do the cleaning and bill the charges to the landowner whether it is through the land tax bill or by some other means. 

“The legislation hasn’t been drafted yet but there are definitely plans to deal with this issue. Really and truly this is not how we should be operating as Barbadians, this is not who we are as a people,” Minister Forde said.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The belief that men do not pay enough attention to their health was dispelled on Saturday morning when Cancer Support Services held a Prostate Specific and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (PSA/CEA) Screening. The hosting of the event was symbolic because it coincided with World Cancer Day.

This session, which took place at their office at Dayrells Road in Christ Church, attracted a large crowd.

Janette Lynton, Executive Director and Founder of Cancer Support Services, was pleased with the turnout. She noted this was their first event for the year. Events are scheduled for every six weeks. She said,  “We started at 10 am and so far we have 160 people waiting but we have seen 100 already and it’s just 12 pm and we are finishing at 1 pm.”

Lynton is appreciative of the support provided by corporate Barbados. She stated, “I want to thank all of the persons that came on board with us, Summit Rehab Centre, who sponsored 10 men today and I also want to thank the lab and all of the persons who have donated the water, everything today.”

She confirmed, “We are seeing quite a few younger persons coming out, which  is very commendable and we trust that this will continue on that trend.” She emphasised, “Although the person may get a high PSA that does not mean it is cancerous. It can be an infection; it can be so many other different things. But we always recommend that they take the results to their physician and if they don’t have a physician, we would recommend one and we usually follow up with them so that they are not left out there alone.” The procedure involves a blood test and there is nothing to fear. “Early detection is the key,” she assured.

Michael Cobham, who attended the screening, described the experience  as a pleasant one. “It was a long wait because there were a lot of people that came out to get tested today but the process itself was very simple.”  He advised, “I encourage everyone to come out. I came for my general health. Getting older I want to know more about what is happening to me. This was an opportunity to come and get the test at a discounted price, so I took it.”

Though the recommended age for the test is 35, if  there is a strong history of cancer in their family, individuals are encouraged to get screened at an earlier age.

Cancer survivor Ian Carrington was on hand promoting his self–published  book An Unexpected Challenge : My Battle with Cancer, which chronicles his  experience with the disease. He shared, “Twenty- eight years ago I had a confrontation with cancer and I thought I should share my story, looking at the impact on myself, my family and looking at the methods I used to heal and perhaps more importantly the lessons I learned in the process.”

A cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. He said , “I subsequently learned there are a lot of people that survive it but a lot of people are not aware of that.” He reinforced that persons should listen to their bodies, if something does not feel quite right they should not hesitate to get the issue checked. His book is available at local bookstores across the island.

Summit Rehab Centre  representatives were on site displaying some of the products  that they offer. Students from Ross University School of Medicine conducted free blood pressure checks.

A similar exercise will take place in St Lucy in March to capture the northern catchment area.  (STT)

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By Anesta Henry 

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is continuing to work towards clearing the backlog of people awaiting elective surgeries.

That assurance has come from Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness with responsibility for the QEH, Dr Sonia Browne, who also told Barbados TODAY she was pleased the healthcare institution was on top of its cataract surgeries.

She congratulated medical personnel and other workers who contributed to clearing up the backlog in those surgeries “in a timely manner”.

“Now, the joint replacement surgeries have started and we are looking to really get that moving swiftly and in a practical way. Right now, the joint replacement surgeries are not going as fast as I would like it but we are getting there,” she said. 

“For the other surgeries, one of the delays was the availability of theatres. All of the theatres that are available, I believe, are in use.”

Dr Browne further explained that while the three theatres at the hospital’s Lion’s Eye Care Centre have been out of use, all major ophthalmology surgeries had to be diverted to the main theatres.

She said the hospital’s management was in the process of getting a loan to get the theatres at the Eye Care Centre repaired.

“We are looking to get those back on track and working again on their own to free up some of the other theatres,” the Minister said.

Responding to complaints from patients referred to the hospital for operations, Dr Browne said that while some complaints were valid, some surgeries were delayed due to reasons beyond the QEH’s control.

She said some patients would show up for operations but their test results showed that, for example, their diabetes “is out of whack, their hypertension is out of whack, they may have eaten when they shouldn’t”, leading to scheduled surgeries having to be postponed.

“I promise you that we are looking at all of that and we are trying to work with the doctors and nurses and everybody else to see where we can address that. The issue that we found is a delay in the start time for surgery and I think we have more or less addressed that, so they start on time and the process would flow,” Dr Browne said.

During a press conference in March last year, Minister of Health and Wellness Ian Gooding-Edghill said partnerships were being explored with Cuba to reduce the backlogs, adding there was  need for “out-of-the-box commercial thinking”.

He revealed at that time that part of the plan will be to get all 12 operating theatres back into operation to be utilised “day and night” for surgeries. anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The Barbados Cancer Society (BCS) says while there has been a rapid increase in new breast cancer cases coming through its programme, there has been no Stage 4 diagnoses in the last five years.

There have also been no deaths recorded by the programme from 2018 to December 2022 among those diagnosed at stage 0-1 with the disease.

Medical Coordinator of the Breast Screening Programme (BSP), Dr Shirley Jhagroo, has attributed the absence of stage four patients to the ongoing awareness programme.

“I am not saying that there hasn’t been any, but at the Breast Screening Programme we have not had a new patient at stage 4. And this I honestly attribute to awareness, and the walk (Walk for the Cure) has made the difference. 

“Unfortunately there was an increase in the number of new cases diagnosed per year, from 26 in 2018 to 72 in 2022. I don’t know if we can attribute this to the new [screening] machine, up and running since September last year, that we are getting new patients with earlier diagnoses,” Dr Jhagroo said.

Her disclosures were made on Thursday as she delivered remarks at the presentation of funds raised through the CIBC FirstCaribbean 2022 Walk for the Cure activities to the BSP at the Hilton Hotel.

Dr Jhagroo said that the programme continues to be self sufficient and noted that the funds raised from the walk along with donations, go towards purchasing and maintenance of equipment. The money also subsidises investigations such as breast biopsies, mammograms and ultrasounds. 

The doctor said that the education and awareness campaign to save lives through early detection has made a difference in the attendance numbers at the clinic, as is evidenced, by the number of self-referred patients moving from 15 per cent 10 years ago, to almost 40 per cent in 2022.

She said over 125 000 clients have benefited from the services of the BSP, thanks to the Walk for the Cure fundraising activities.

“Over the past two decades there has been a continuous upgrade in breast imaging technology. We have been very fortunate to have the resources to keep up with this changing technology. The programme is serviced by a $1.2 million state-of-the-art 3D mammogram with special features for imaging male breast. . .,” she said.

Dr Jhagroo said that in 2023, the Breast Screening Programme intends to add a stereotactic attachment to the present 3D mammogram machine. The special attachment, one of the best currently on the market, will allow the BSP to carry out breast biopsies.

“We are hoping that this will improve our early detection. Its cost at the moment is over $170 000. So thank you so much CIBC, we are going to have that.

“I have sort of ordered it, but the [manufacturers] are coming in to meet with us to be committed and for us to give our deposit and give them details of what we really want,” she said.

FirstCaribbean’s Director Retail Banking Channels, Michelle Whitelaw, indicated that in addition to the 2022 Walk for the Cure activity, the financial institution also embarked on a series of fundraising activities which raised BDS$200 000. 

(AH)

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The donation of two ambulances by the Maria Holder Memorial Trust to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has led to the Emergency Ambulance Service (EAS) now being equipped with nine vehicles to respond to the 14 000-16 000 emergency calls it receives annually.

The trust handed over the two ambulances during a ceremony at the EAS Wildey, St Michael headquarters on Monday, where trustee, King’s Counsel, Peter Symmonds, announced that in order to help the service achieve its ideal target of 12 functioning ambulances, the registered charity had agreed to purchase two ambulances in 2024, provided that the QEH purchases one this year.

Symmonds noted that in addition to the two fully-equipped ambulances, the trust also donated two additional stretchers, safety vests, helmets and dispatcher headsets. He said the entire donation cost an estimated $400 000.

“In order to make the appropriate intervention, with equipment should also come training and we have agreed to assist with funding the training of up to 15 dispatchers by April 2023 so that when you call 511 you should be assured that you are speaking to personnel who are continually trained to carry out their duties. This is therefore seen as a complement to the provision of the ambulances and equipment which we fervently expect will be immediately put to good use,” Symmonds said.

The trustee also indicated that the staff of the trust has received presentations on healthcare from EAS Medical Consultant, Dr David Byer.

Dr Byer said while the service responds to 50 to 60 calls per day, the additional ambulances allow for the fleet to last longer while undergoing the necessary servicing and preventative maintenance.

“This bolsters our fleet. Our target is between 10 to 12 vehicles and this allows for the fleet to last longer because it allows us to do the necessary maintenance. I mean not all 10 to 12 would be off the road at the same time, but we would be able to pull them out and do the necessary servicing and the necessary preventative maintenance to allow them to last for a very long time.

“We are working with the trust in terms of supporting training with respect to the dispatchers and that is something that we are looking at in 2023. And further down the road, that is basically very preliminary, we are going to be looking at paramedic training as well as possibly driver training for emergency drivers of the vehicles so that they can function a lot safer,” Dr Byer said.

Sales Director of NASSCO Limited, Roger Moore, who sourced the ambulances, said that a down payment for an additional vehicle has already been made and suppliers have already started manufacturing it.

“In the next couple months you should be receiving that. We hope that it would not take as long as these last two took, but this is a quieter time, the end of the year is always a busy time, so I think that this time you should be receiving it much sooner so that you can get the other one ordered before the year is out,” Moore said.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr Sonia Browne, extended gratitude to the Trust for the donation and the pledge to train staff of the EAS.

She said the trust’s contribution adds to the care and treatment of patients, specifically due to the decrease in waiting times and availability of ambulances and provision of-well trained staff.

“All these of course will impact positively on morbidity and mortality rates from injury and illness throughout the island,” Dr Browne said. (AH)

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Adopting a healthy lifestyle in Barbados can be achieved without excessive spending.

So says vice-president of the Dietitians of Barbados, Meshell Carrington who said, contrary to popular belief, eating healthy could be achieved at an affordable price.

Speaking during an event hosted by the Alexandra School Alumni Association at the school’s, Queen Street, St Peter, grounds over the weekend, Carrington said ground provisions and legumes were inexpensive, healthy options.

She pointed out that breadfruits could be purchased for around $3, while some legumes were on the market for even cheaper at around $1.60. Foods such as green plantain, yam, sweet potato, cassava, eddoes and brown rice were all available on the local market.

However, Carrington said a 2019 food survey done in Barbados revealed that sugar-sweetened beverages, poultry, ground provisions, rice, bread, cake, sweetbread, pasta, dairy products and fish were the preferred foods of Barbadians.

“The common theme was that the Barbadian diet was characterised by high sugar intake, with most of the sugar coming from added sugars. There are also high intakes of fat and salt and the dietary intake of fibre is inadequate…along with low intakes of fruits and vegetables,” she said.

“Meats are one of the major foods found to be consumed but we don’t need that much meat. People could probably reduce the meat consumption a bit and eat more legumes which are cheaper. Staples are the main source of carbohydrates, provide energy and also provide the body with dietary fibre.”

Additionally, she said a Barbados Food Consumption Survey done in 2000 revealed that on average, Barbadians ate out twice weekly.

Carrington also urged Barbadians to stay away from “ultra-processed” foods. She said a 2015 survey showed that 65 per cent of adults in Barbados were classified as either overweight or obese.

She told the session that the most consumed ultra-processed foods in Barbados included soft drinks, sandwich bread, salt bread, french fries and cereal.

“It [ultra-processed food] is defined as the formulation of ingredients, mostly of exclusive, industrialised use. So they are highly processed and they are typically created by a series of techniques and processes…There is no real nutritional value in them and all they provide are calories,” Carrington cautioned.

“The goal is really trying to get some energy balance, so the energy or calories that you are taking in, needs to equal the energy or calories that are going out. It is necessary to control energy because it is necessary to control weight.”

The dietitian explained that poor diets were the primary causes of hypertension, diabetes and some forms of cancer.

Carrington said it remained a concern that a large number of children in Barbados were obese.

“One out of every three children in Barbados between the ages of nine and 10 are either obese or overweight. That’s concerning because the earlier you start the more complications you will have because of the ill effect of the disease,” said Carrington. She also pointed out that 12 per cent of those children had elevated systolic blood pressure. (RB)

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By Shamar Blunt

A leading medical consultant believes the impact of Barbados’ growing Non-communicable Disease (NCD) epidemic has become an even more dire problem for the island’s acute healthcare facility because of COVID-19.

Dr Kenneth Connell said: “I probably would have said it is more dramatic than that,” in response to recent assertions by Acting Director of Medical Services Dr Chaynie Williams that NCD sufferers were contributing significantly to delays in the Accident and Emergency Department. 

Dr Connell, the Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of West Indies Cave Hill Campus and Consultant Physician at the QEH, noted:

“The emergency [department] pre-COVID was already a difficult place in terms of waiting time… What has happened post-COVID, is an increase in the NCD emergencies – stroke, heart attack and heart failure. COVID has been the propellent for a lot of this. So patients admitted with emergencies can sometimes remain in A&E department for two, three days waiting to be placed on the ward,” he explained.

Dr Williams recently told the radio call-in programme Down to BrassTacks on which callers raised the issue of the delivery of service at the hospital: “The emergency department’s challenges are a health system challenge as it represents one geographic location. We have many complications of non-communicable diseases – kidney, heart, and others – that patients need in-patient care [for] and many times persons spend days in the Accident and Emergency Department trying to access in-patient care because they are very ill or in hospital and can’t get out of hospital because they are not well enough.”

Agreeing that the NCD situation at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is severely impacted by the NCD situation, Dr Connell said this is due directly to the influences of the pandemic. In fact, he suggested to Barbados TODAY that the pressure being placed on the island’s healthcare system from Barbadians being treated for NCDs is being understated.

Noting the importance of expanding the A&E Department in order to cater to the island’s emergency health needs, Dr Connell insisted that any such expansion would not be the answer to Barbados’ out-of-control NCD war.

“Expanding the A&E Department, which there has been a lot of talk about, I am not sure is the actual solution. What would happen, the beds from the expanded department would just be basically holding more patients with NCD emergencies.

“I think that the country needs to have a serious conversation with all stakeholders – from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, civil society organisations, patient advocate groups – so that we can decide how best we can manage or better manage NCDs before they reach the hospital. If we do not do that, then what we are likely to see is what I would describe as a slowly growing pandemic.”   

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2022 Non-communicable Disease Progress Monitor report states that the percentage of deaths from NCDs in Barbados in 2019 stood at 83 per cent or 2,800 total NCD deaths, which is above the world average of 74 per cent.

Dr Connell suggested that education surrounding the nation’s NCD fight needed to be increased significantly if the current situation at the QEH and other healthcare facilities is to ever be addressed.  shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb

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