Blind and visually impaired persons are urging the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) to implement audio alerts for medication collection, highlighting a significant accessibility gap in healthcare services.

Their calls come in the wake of repeated challenges members of that community encounter while accessing certain services at the island’s lone public general hospital.

On Thursday, a caller on the radio call-in programme Down to Brass Tacks complained that while audio alert indicators were put in place to accommodate persons with disabilities in at least two of the island’s polyclinics, more could be done at the hospital.

The caller, who identified himself as blind, said: “What I am calling about is something that I experience every time I go to the pharmacy at the QEH and I hoping that the director of the QEH and the minister is listening to me very carefully. I am blind, let me make that clear first. When I go to Winston Scott Polyclinic or the Edgar Cochrane Polyclinic to get medication, there is a device at the pharmacy that tells you the number and you then would go up to the pharmacy and hand in your prescription and get your medication. But what I have observed is that when I got to the eye clinic at the hospital and I have to go and get medication from the pharmacy, they have that same device but it doesn’t talk. So anybody that goes to the pharmacy at the QEH that is blind or visually impaired they have to depend on somebody to tell them when their number is up on the screen. I would like the director of the hospital or the minister to look into that and make sure that they put one of the ones that talk.”

Failing that, the caller suggested that a teller terminal system be set up in which people could pull numbers and an automated audio caller would announce the number.

Vice-president of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, Ambassador Kerry-Ann Ifill, confirmed that her organisation had received numerous complaints about the situation over the years.

Ifill told Barbados TODAY that there were technologies such as vibrating buzzers that could be used.

“They could use the same system that the restaurants are using, the buzzer system, which would make better sense because they flash and vibrate and use them for people who only have disabilities. That way, when you go and you are blind or deaf, nobody would have to tell you when your number [is] called. That is a simple solution and yes, it is a big issue that we face with the hospital,” she said.

Asked how persons with disabilities get around the issue, she said: “With a lot of frustration and there are some good people out there that will tell you your number called or ask you what number you have and monitor it for you. Some nurses also assist but it doesn’t lend to an independent experience.”

Ifill added that people with disabilities wanted to be independent and feel empowered and issues such as this were a major setback.

When contacted, the QEH promised a response to the concerns highlighted, but no statement was provided up to press time. (SZB)

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The Vector Control Unit will concentrate its fogging exercise in St Lucy and St Peter for most of this week.

On Monday the team will visit communities in St Lucy, including Trent’s Road, Hannays Road, Swampy Town, and Hope Bridge Road.

The Unit will focus on areas in St Peter on Tuesday when it goes into Speightstown, Queen Street, Bovell Road, Mango Lane, Chapel Street, Gooding Alley, Major Walk, Sand Street, Church Street, Golden Mile with avenues, and environs.

Wednesday will see the team return to St Lucy, where the following areas will be sprayed: Pie Corner, Little Bay, Upper Salmond, Josey Hill, Rock Hall, Mount View, Chance Hall, Cave Hill, and Bishops.

It will be the turn of Graveyard, The Risk, Date Tree Hill, Boscobelle, Collins, Diamond Corner, Moore Hill, Castle, and Gays in St Peter, on Thursday.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday in the following St Michael and Christ Church districts: Deighton Road, Gooding Road, Brathwaite Gap, Dayrells Road, Plum Close, Rockley New Road, Ventnor Gardens, and Golf Club Road.
Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the fog.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time.

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The government is banking on a raft of public policy changes in its fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity, including a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and an upcoming ban on industrially produced trans fats, a forum revealed Thursday.

With lifestyle diseases accounting for nearly 80 per cent of deaths in the region, the government said it is addressing the root causes of unhealthy diets and lifestyles, particularly among children.

The policy measures were revealed during a forum, A Conversation on the Right to Health and the Right to Adequate and Nutritious Foods, held in observance of World Food Day on Wednesday. Organised by the Law and Health Research Unit at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill, the Ministry of Health, and the National Non-Communicable Disease Commission, the event brought together health officials, legal experts, economists, and representatives from international organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

In addition to the school nutrition policy, the government introduced a 20 per cent tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to curb the consumption of sugary drinks, a major contributor to obesity and diabetes.

Senior Medical Officer of Health, Dr Arthur Phillips, speaking on the success of the tax, said: “The tax did or was associated with… a decrease in the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, [and] an increase in the consumption of water.”

However, he acknowledged that more can be done.

Barbados is now looking to refine its tax structure to further incentivise healthier choices.

“Taxes influence consumption, and this one has worked,” Dr Phillips added.

Another significant initiative is the planned ban on industrially produced trans fats, which are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The government is committed to enacting this ban by the end of 2025.

“Industrially produced trans fats significantly increase the risk of negative cardiovascular outcomes,” said Dr Phillips. “We’re working closely with food producers, and we are fortunate in that our major importers, producers, and processors are on board.”

While these policies represent important strides, affordability remains a key challenge. Economist Dr Antonio Alleyne highlighted the issue of high prices for healthy foods, which are often more expensive than ultra-processed alternatives.

“If you look at the taxation when it comes to healthy items compared to unhealthy items, it actually is much higher,” he explained. “With the advent or the advancement of technology, it allows us to produce more ultra-processed foods at a faster pace and at a cheaper pace.”

Dr Alleyne called for a balanced approach to addressing this disparity, suggesting a combination of taxation and other measures to make healthier foods more affordable.

“Unhealthy versus healthy prices are a very big issue…. What was proposed was we take that revenue loss [from reducing taxes on healthy foods] and implement it on the unhealthy items,” he suggested.

Nicole Foster, a lecturer in global health law at UWI, underscored the state’s legal obligation to ensure access to healthy food for its citizens.

“For every human right, there are three basic obligations that the state assumes: an obligation to respect that right, an obligation to protect that right, and an obligation to fulfil that right,” she said.

Foster also highlighted the government’s duty to regulate third-party actions that could harm public health: “Where third parties, including private actors, are carrying out activities which undermine the respective right, it is the obligation of the state to take action to rectify that.”

She further emphasised that while progress may take time, it is crucial to continue moving towards the goal of improving public health.

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The government is set to unveil sweeping changes to the island’s primary healthcare system in a bid to slash rates of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Minister of Health Senator Jerome Walcott has revealed.

Speaking at a ceremony honouring Sir Trevor Hassell for his work in NCD education, Walcott announced that the Ministry of Health is on the cusp of rolling out significant reforms aimed at reducing premature adult mortality from lifestyle diseases by a third.

The planned reforms are part of a broader initiative aimed at improving healthcare outcomes by focusing on early detection and prevention, rather than relying on tertiary care.

“I have a personal mandate that we should try to reduce the premature adult mortality from NCDs by a third. It is not impossible, it can be done, and in the course of the next few weeks, you will gradually see a rollout of parts of this process,” he said.

He highlighted that the reforms would include improvements in early prevention and detection systems.

“Everybody is focused on QEH and tertiary healthcare, but the fundamentals of healthcare have to do with primary healthcare – the ability of early prevention, and detection to get better health outcomes. We are looking at that in a project to be discussed soon,” Walcott added.

He also revealed that new screening programmes for various NCDs and cancers would soon be introduced. These include a colonic screening process, initially at two polyclinics, with plans to expand the service later. Additionally, cervical cancer screening and mammography services will be reinstated at the QEH, after having been discontinued in 2008.

“We are looking at the protocols for prostate cancer, recognising the anxiety of men as it comes to testing,” Walcott noted.

Sir Trevor, a former president of the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, welcomed the recognition but stressed the ongoing work needed to combat NCDs. He called for the NCD Commission to take a more active role in policy decisions and to engage the private sector in promoting healthier lifestyles for Barbadians.

He said: “What the commission now needs to do in terms of fostering, facilitating, educating, encouraging [persons] are three fundamental things. Firstly, to assist in what I call the challenging political and policy decisions that need to be made around NCD prevention and treatment. Secondly, the commission is well-positioned to encourage, facilitate, and advocate for the private sector to play a more fundamental role in contributing to NCD prevention and control. Thirdly, yes, there is that role for the commission still to empower the people of Barbados by assisting them in becoming more health literate.”

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Over 40 blind and visually impaired individuals walked in the Warrens business area to highlight the challenges they face in the bustling business area.

The walk was organised by the National Disabilities Unit and the National United Society of the Blind Barbados with support from the Bridgetown Lions Club, the Barbados Defence Force, the Barbados Coast Guard and others.

It came ahead of White Cane Day which will be celebrated tomorrow. (LG)

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The Vector Control Unit will visit various districts in St Thomas and St Michael when it conducts its fogging exercise this week.

On Monday the Unit will make its first stop in St Thomas. It will spray Cane Garden Park with avenues, Cane Garden Crescent, South View, Sugar Mill Drive, Mint Close, Coral Drive, Pearl Drive, Violet Drive, Jackson Main Road, Fosters Gap, and Canewood Road.

The team will visit some areas in St Michael for the remainder of the week.

On Tuesday the Unit will go into Jackson Terrace with avenues, Jackson Tenantry, Rock Hampton Road, and surrounding communities.

The following day it will be the turn of Avenues 1, 2 and 3 Grazettes, Capri Drive, Upper Wavell, Walters Road, Parris Road, Jackman Road, Thompson Road, Goring Land, Nos. 2 and 3 Fairfield, Hurley’s Land, Wood Land, and Fairfield Road.

On Thursday the Unit will target Cadogan Road, St Stephen’s Hill, Nos. 1 and 2 Clevedale Close, Clevedale Road, Black Rock Main Road, Apple Grove, Wavell Avenue, Tamarind Road, Wavell Gardens, Dear’s Land, Yearwood Road, Murray Land, Fairfield Road, and environs.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday in Lower Wavell, Nos. 1 and 2 Nightengale Road, Belfield Land, Seclusion Road, Fairfield Road, and Grazettes Main Road.

Fogging takes place from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily. Householders are reminded to open their windows and doors to allow the spray to enter. Children should not be allowed to play in the fog.

Members of the public are advised that the completion of scheduled fogging activities may be affected by events beyond the Unit’s control. In such circumstances, the Unit will return to communities affected in the soonest possible time. (PR)

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The pharmacy at the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic in Warrens, St Michael, will be closed this Friday, October 11, to facilitate the rollout of the Barbados Drug Service’s (BDS) new Pharmacy Management System that is expected to result in an improvement in patient records management, treatment, and pharmaceutical health care and safety.

It will reopen on Monday, October 14, when the system is fully implemented. The pharmacy at Eunice Gibson is one of many pharmacies under the aegis of the BDS, in addition to the Psychiatric Hospital Pharmacy, which will have scheduled closures until Monday, October 28.

On the dates of the closures, clients may access pharmaceutical services at any polyclinic pharmacy or outpatient clinic pharmacy. All clients are reminded that they must present their Barbados ID card to access pharmaceutical services.

Clients who need refill medications must present their medication containers to facilitate the refill process. Persons are likely to experience a temporary increase in wait times for pharmaceutical services for approximately four weeks.

The management of the Drug Service regrets any inconvenience which may be caused and encourages members of the public to arrange their business accordingly.

(BGIS)

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The 131-year-old Psychiatric Hospital is set to undergo a rebranding as part of efforts to reduce the stigma preventing people from accessing mental health services, Director of the Psychiatric Hospital David Leacock revealed exclusively to Barbados TODAY.

Health authorities are aiming to ensure that the facility, the island’s sole main provider of mental healthcare, becomes more welcoming to those in need.

Leacock revealed that preliminary discussions have already taken place between the Ministry of Health and the hospital’s management.

“The minister himself, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness [Davidson Ishmael], would have raised this matter with us a few weeks or months ago, having the need for us to more or less, improve access to services from our end, because of the idea of it not carrying that longstanding stigma associated with being the hospital and where it came from,” he said.

He acknowledged that, despite efforts to encourage people to seek help regardless of where they access it, negative associations with the Psychiatric Hospital persist.

“That’s understandable, but it is something we are definitely looking at, and hopefully, in the near future, it would be supported towards a name change,” he added.

The Psychiatric Hospital began in 1893 as the Mental Asylum when it opened on the site of the Jenkinsville plantation in Black Rock.

Successive generations of Barbadians referred to the asylum–later renamed the Mental Hospital and then the Psychiatric Hospital–by its location, ‘Jenkins’ and ‘Black Rock’. The Victorian-era buildings and layout have remained largely unchanged with modest improvements over the intervening years.

Leacock was keen to stress that the planned rebranding is not just about changing the name.

“The idea of a name change is not just that, but also bringing awareness to persons about what it is that [the Psychiatric Hospital] does, and hopefully with that, we can get a better understanding of the role that we play, and hopefully some of the issues that they have in seeking care wouldn’t be as many as they are now,” he explained.

The hospital director stressed that the institution will be careful not to reinforce stigma by creating divisions based on socio-economic status. “Yes, we are mindful that persons may say, ‘I am not mentally ill’ and therefore should be seeking services in a place where persons are mentally ill. The reality is that, within our population, a quarter of all persons will experience mental health challenges in their lifetime, whether it be depression, some persons or families will experience mental health challenges,” he pointed out.

Leacock further stressed the importance of avoiding the “re-stigmatisation” of clients who already access the hospital’s services by how new patients are treated.

“We don’t want a situation where, in trying to offer our services, we, in turn, are turning away persons because we create divisions to say that one set of persons is this way, and the next set is that way,” the hospital official said.

He also stated that the Black Rock, St Michael hospital should not be viewed as a last resort or a place of punishment but as a therapeutic environment for individuals in need of assistance. He acknowledged that while the preference is for community-based treatment, some individuals are best served in the hospital setting.

“A large part of what we have been doing in the last three or four years in relation to expansion has been from the community-based standpoint. The posts of psychologists, social workers, and a medical doctor have augmented our community services, and that has seen a very high increase in the number of persons being seen at the community level. I have seen a high level of persons who have seen either the doctors or the nurses,” he said.

Despite the growth of community services, Leacock admitted that admissions to the Psychiatric Hospital have also increased. He revealed that the institution has been actively engaged in public awareness campaigns to address the mental health challenges faced by at-risk youth and the wider population.

Calls for the rebranding of the hospital have also come from external sources. Last week, Shaquani Hunte, the new president of the Young Democrats and a youth representative on the Democratic Labour Party’s Crime Commission, made a similar proposal during a special youth edition meeting of the commission. Hunte highlighted the need to address the mental health crisis among young people and noted that stigma often prevents them from seeking help, even when they are able to articulate the pressures they face.

At a 2022 inquest into the shooting death of a mentally disturbed man in 2016, the coroner Graveney Bannister recommended that the Psychiatric Hospital be renamed and rebranded to erase the stigma associated with the mental hospital.

“It is unfortunate in Barbados the stigma that is attached to mental health illnesses for persons with mental health. For some reason, people do not want to go to the Psychiatric Hospital because of that stigma.

“I would recommend that the place be given a remake – a new name, a new ethos, maybe call it a wellness institution as we have seen in other jurisdictions instead of calling it the Psychiatric Hospital. . . . Something away from the name psychiatric. Change the ethos so that it will be accepted by both patients and the general public,” the coroner recommended.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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The Ministry of Health and Wellness has confirmed one case of West Nile Virus in Barbados. Communication relative to this was issued in Surveillance Bulletin for week No. 38 dated September 27.

The Ministry wishes to assure the public that given the pattern of transmission and disease, there is little risk to the general population. With reference to the one confirmed case, the patient, an adolescent female, was diagnosed in September 2024, after presenting with symptoms including fever, headache, and body aches. She later developed encephalitis (infection of the brain). Initial testing for dengue fever and bacterial infections was negative, and further testing revealed the presence of antibodies consistent with West Nile Fever.

A study conducted in 2007 predicted that the disease/virus was likely to be detected in Barbados at some point in the future due to the presence of the Culex mosquito and migratory birds which carry the virus. Although the virus has been previously known to be in the Caribbean, with a recently confirmed case in Martinique, this is the first documented case of West Nile Virus in Barbados.

It is important to note that humans and horses infected with West Nile Virus do not transmit the virus to mosquitoes, therefore there is no risk of a widespread outbreak from this case.

West Nile Virus, is similar to Dengue, and is primarily transmitted from the infected migratory bird via the Culex mosquito. Other rare forms of transmission include mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, and through infected blood products or transplant material.

Infection with West Nile Virus generally causes mild illness, with approximately 80 per cent of cases being asymptomatic. It usually takes between two to six days for symptoms to show but can take up to 14 days. Around 20 per cent of infected individuals may experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, muscle aches, gastrointestinal discomfort, and a temporary rash.  In rare cases, (fewer than 1 per cent) the virus may cause neurological infection with features such as meningitis or encephalitis.

Patients with a normal immune system, who have recovered from the virus should have lifelong protection from re-infection. However, they should refrain from donating blood for at least four months.

While there is currently no specific treatment for West Nile Virus, most individuals recover with supportive care, which include fluids, rest, and analgesia. However, individuals with suspected neurological symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, as complications like respiratory distress and seizures may occur.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue to manage mosquito populations, including educating the public on avoiding mosquito bites. The Ministry will also continue its surveillance and testing for the West Nile Virus as a part of the normal testing protocol for mosquito-borne illnesses.

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A single case of the potentially deadly mosquito-borne West Nile Virus (WNV) was recorded here last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed, prompting the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) to warn people not to mistake the illness for dengue fever whose symptoms are similar.

BAMP president Dr Lynda Williams responded on Friday to the news revealed by the WHO of the island’s first confirmed human infection – in “a child less than 15 years old residing in Bagatelle, St Thomas” in mid-September.

The Ministry of Health had not communicated the discovery to the Barbadian public, but the WHO disclosed on Thursday that the ministry, the International Health Regulations National Focal Point, had notified of the case last month, after receiving the test results on the child who took ill in June.

The child began experiencing symptoms on June 10, including headache, fever, vomiting, neck pain, and knee pain, the WHO reported. A dengue fever test on June 14 was negative. The patient was admitted to paediatric intensive care on June 16 with “worsening of signs and symptoms, including joint pain, abdominal pain, altered mental status, and slurred speech”.

Cerebrospinal fluid tests ruled out some bacterial and viral pathogens, but the child’s condition worsened, the WHO said. Blood samples sent to the Mayo Clinic on September 3 confirmed WNV antibodies (IgG) on September 14.

“The patient remains under care and is recovering,” WHO said.

West Nile virus is generally carried by migratory birds and transmitted by mosquitoes to humans, horses, and other mammals.

“This is the first human case of WNV infection detected in Barbados. Additionally, no infections have been previously documented in birds or horses in this country, making this case both unusual and unexpected,” it said.

According to the WHO, the patient reportedly visited a horse stable in February and “a beach frequented by horses” on June 8, two days before the onset of symptoms.

It said: “Although these exposures to horses were considered risk factors for WNV infection, the precise source of infection remains unspecified. No other suspected cases of [West Nile] were identified, but public health authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Symptoms of WNV include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. The virus is primarily transmitted through mosquito bites, with birds as the natural hosts, and there is no evidence to suggest that the virus spreads easily between humans or from horses to mosquitoes. There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat West Nile in people.

Urging vigilance, BAMP’s Dr Williams told Barbados TODAY: “I just want people to realise it is no more dangerous than dengue. In the same way, we must not assume that everything is dengue. That’s the point I want to get across. We must not assume that everything that looks like dengue is dengue, and doctors need to be made aware, and look out for the possibility that some things that seem to be dengue may not be.”

She explained that there are several other viruses circulating, besides WNV, with similar symptoms.

“Try hard to prevent mosquito bites,” the general practitioner advised. “It has the same sort of risk potential as other mosquito-borne illnesses. The difference, I think, with this one is because of the neurological complications, such as encephalitis and paralysis, there is a lot more concern. But the reality is that very, very, very few people who get West Nile Virus will end up with neurological complications.

“The actual numbers are that between 20 and 40 per cent will develop any symptoms, and less than one per cent will develop neurological complications. Although the potential exists, you just have to be aware that it is out there and be able to find out what is causing a person to have these dengue-like symptoms.”

The BAMP leader noted that many people who get dengue-like symptoms stay home and treat the illness themselves, rather than seek medical care.

“So that is why I am trying to get the word across: if you are really ill, have a high fever, muscle pain, and joint pain, don’t assume it is dengue. Go and get tested and confirm what has happened,” Dr Williams advised.

The WHO said that while WNV has spread in the Caribbean before,  likely via infected migratory birds, no cases have been documented in birds or horses in Barbados.

However, it added, “It is possible that the virus is circulating in birds and horses undetected”.

“Despite this, the overall impact on public health remains limited at this stage, as there is currently only one recorded human case and appropriate public health response measures have been implemented. WHO considers the current risk from WNV as low but will continue to evaluate the epidemiological situation in Barbados.”

After confirmation of the single case, the WHO said, health authorities here conducted interviews with the patient’s parents to investigate risk factors such as exposure to animals known to carry WNV, recent travel history, and other relevant factors; and implemented ongoing epidemiological surveillance and testing to ensure no further cases are missed and to evaluate the potential risk of local transmission in the area.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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