News Archives - Healthy Caribbean Coalition
Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action
On World Mental Health Day 2022, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC)’s youth arm – Healthy Caribbean Youth – with support from regional youth organisations and allies, have developed the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action, under the slogan, “There is no health without mental Health”, to mobilise regional policymakers into prioritising the mental health and well-being of this key dem
ographic. The Call to Action represents a culmination of months of collaborative effort among regional youth and youth organisations.
This effort aligns with this year’s call from the World Health Organization to “make health and well-being for all a global priority”, by demanding urgent action from policymakers across the Caribbean to transform the region’s mental health systems and ultimately protect the mental health wellbeing of children and youth.
You can take part too!
Join us in our commitment to prioritise, destigmatize and normalise mental health among our Caribbean children and young people.
By signing onto our Caribbean Youth Mental Health Pledge, you are vowing to work towards emphasising the Call to Action, advocating for the actions to be implemented by your policy makers and strive towards improving the mental health of our Caribbean Youth. In addition, by signing this pledge, you are affirming your personal vested interest in the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action and you are declaring that the positions, views and agreements are your own volition.
Please read the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action and Caribbean Youth Mental Health Pledge before signing the form below.
Sign the Call to Action
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Regional Partners’ Quotes for the Caribbean Youth MHCTA
The future of children and adolescents in Jamaica is at stake as the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the impact of multiple pre-existing stressors, such as violence and their mental health. Left unaddressed, this can have a lifelong and debilitating effect on each child and young person. The wider collective result will retard the development of the entire country. We must act now to ensure that a well-resourced, whole-of-government plan for improving the mental well-being of our young is implemented. Improving access to quality mental health services will not only improve the lives of children and adolescents, it will also yield a positive return on public investment and by extension grow our human capital and the economy.
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Jamaica
Quotes From Youth Organizations Consulted for the Caribbean Youth MHCTA
Mental health, just like physical health, is a fundamental right of every human being. We can ill afford to deny young people their right to a healthy life, and continue in our current vein, an attitude and approach to mental health rooted in silence, apathy, avoidance, complacency and stigma. Not when 1 in 7 young people in the 10-19 age group are experiencing a mental illness. Not when mental disorders remain a leading cause of illness and disability in young people. And, not when suicide is the 4th leading cause of death amongst young people aged 15-24. We have to do something! We have to intervene! We have to do right by our youth. And, that means calling for and taking decisive action to prevent, detect, manage and reduce the risk factors for the mental health challenges facing Caribbean youth! That, fundamentally, is what this Call to Action is about
Mr. David Johnson, President and Founder of Let’s Unpack It (Barbados)
I am delighted to support this call to action on mental health. As a psychotherapist, I am aware of the enormous stress being experienced by young people and the consequences on their mental health. Gender-based violence, bullying, substance abuse and undiagnosed serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and depression are all causes for concern. I look forward to hearing the passionate voices of young people as they raise awareness of these issues across the region
Mrs. Tina Alexander, Executive Director of Lifeline Ministries (Dominica)
We have come to live in a world that is much different from what our parents and grandparents knew. With growing social and economic inequalities, violence, conflicts, pandemics and for youth,social and digital media have become an inescapable part of our lives; mental health is bound to be at risk. I urge you to digitally detox, take a break and recharge, reset! We all have minds that need to be cared for, some Tropical remedy is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed
Conversation
Ms. Ashma McDougall, President of the National Youth Council of Dominica
Supporting Activities
HCY in Bahamas Meet With Policymakers To Discuss the Call to Action
Pictured left to right : Vernon Davis, Gabrielle Edwards, First Lady Davis, Dr. Forbes, Wellecia Munnings
On October 4th 2022, Gabrielle Edwards, 5th year Medical Student and Healthy Caribbean Youth member met with Mrs Ann Marie Davis, First Lady of The Bahamas to discuss the Mental Health Call to Action. She was joined by 4th year medical students, Vernon Davis & Wellecia Munnings and senior psychiatric resident, Dr. Petra Forbes.
Social Media Graphics
Healthy Caribbean Youth Host a Series of Instagram Lives To Promote the Call to Action
As part of pre-launch activities, Healthy Caribbean Youth (HCY) hosted two Instagram Lives on the Healthy Caribbean Coalition’s Instagram page, on the Saturday 1st and 8th October, 2022. During Day 1, youth mental health advocate, Trey Cumberbatch and Co-directors of Dance4Life Barbados, Shakira Emtage-Cave and Leila Raphael, gave their insight into the mental health of children and young people in the Caribbean and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of these groups. HCY member, Stephanie Whiteman (session moderator), provided an overview of the Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action (CYMHCTA) and set the scene leading into day 2’s session, where we dive into the significance and potential impact of the calls within the Caribbean context.
During Day 2, HCY member, Simone Bishop-Matthews (session moderator), provided a recap of the four overarching calls. Counselling Psychologist and HCY member, Alaina Gomes, President and Founder of Let’s Unpack It, David Johnson and Youth Technical Advisor at the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and HCY member, Pierre Cooke Jr., gave their take on the potential impact on communities and the Caribbean region if this CYMHCTA is implemented, from a mental health professional’s and a youth mental health organization’s perspective.
Re-watch Day 1 (click/tap to play)
Re-watch Day 2 (click/tap to play)
The post Caribbean Youth Mental Health Call to Action appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.
2 years 6 months ago
News Archives - Healthy Caribbean Coalition
#ActOnFacts – The Food In Our Schools Matters Webinar
Wednesday October 5th, 2022 the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and it’s partners hosted a webinar entitled #ActOnFacts – The Food In Our Schools Matter.
Wednesday October 5th, 2022 the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and it’s partners hosted a webinar entitled #ActOnFacts – The Food In Our Schools Matter.
In this webinar distinguished panellists and speakers discuss lessons learned around the implementation of healthy school policies across the Caribbean, and share a new resource to assist CARICOM countries in harmonising healthy school policy regulation.
#ActOnFacts – The Food In Our Schools Matter, is a regional campaign that aims to encourage public and policymaker support for policies that regulate the sale and marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks in and around schools, while increasing the availability of nutritious foods, healthier snacks and drinking water.
Panellists and Speakers
Sir Trevor Hassell
President, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
Pieter Bult
UNICEF Representative for the Eastern Caribbean Area
Dean Chambliss
Subregional Programme Director, Caribbean, Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO)
Dr Carlene Radix
Head of Human Health and Social Division, OECS Commission
Dr Tamu Davidson
Head of Chronic Disease and Injury Department Surveillance, Disease Prevention & Control Division, CARPHA
Fransen Jean
Food Security Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Sub-regional office for the Caribbean /em>
Barbara McGaw
Project Manager, Global Health Advocacy Project, Heart Foundation of Jamaica
Shannique Bowden
Executive Director, Jamaica Youth Action Network
Francine Charles
Programme Manager, Childhood Obesity Prevention Programme, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados
Deonne Caines
Technical Officer, National Food Industry Task Force, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Jamaica
Michelle Ash
Chief Nutritionist and Head of Department, Ministry of Health Special Services & Programmes Building, Trinidad and Tobago
Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw
Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training, Barbados
Tamie Marie
Communications Consultant, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
Nicole Foster
Law Lecturer & Head, Law and Health Research Unit, Faculty of Law, UWI Cave Hill Campus; HCC Policy Technical Advisor
Pierre Cooke Jnr
Youth Advocate, Campaign Champion, Youth Voices Technical Advisor, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
Maisha Hutton
Executive Director, Healthy Caribbean Coalition
The post #ActOnFacts – The Food In Our Schools Matters Webinar appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.
2 years 6 months ago
News, Webinars
Health – Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana
COVID-19 vaccine no longer needed to enter Guyana- Health Ministry
The Ministry of Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Narine Singh has instructed that persons travelling to Guyana no longer need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, COVID-19. He told the Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lt Col. Egbert Field that “the government of Guyana has taken a decision to lift the ...
The Ministry of Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Narine Singh has instructed that persons travelling to Guyana no longer need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, COVID-19. He told the Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lt Col. Egbert Field that “the government of Guyana has taken a decision to lift the ...
2 years 6 months ago
Breast cancer in young women: Fasten your pink ribbon
YOU PROBABLY know someone who has battled or is battling breast cancer. Breast cancer is the uncontrolled growth of breast cells arising from the lobular glands that produce milk (lobular carcinoma) or the ducts that carry milk to the nipples (...
YOU PROBABLY know someone who has battled or is battling breast cancer. Breast cancer is the uncontrolled growth of breast cells arising from the lobular glands that produce milk (lobular carcinoma) or the ducts that carry milk to the nipples (...
2 years 6 months ago
‘You’re going to die if you make your body alkaline’
WESTERN BUREAU: DR XAUNDRE Mohansingh, a general practitioner assigned to the St James-based Cornwall Regional Hospital, is rubbishing the popular idea of having an ‘alkaline body’ as a means of fighting and resisting cancer, saying that such an...
WESTERN BUREAU: DR XAUNDRE Mohansingh, a general practitioner assigned to the St James-based Cornwall Regional Hospital, is rubbishing the popular idea of having an ‘alkaline body’ as a means of fighting and resisting cancer, saying that such an...
2 years 6 months ago
Health & Wellness | Toronto Caribbean Newspaper
Do your research before handing over money; a quick reminder that fraud is still a real Issue!
BY W. GIFFORD- JONES MD & DIANA GIFFORD-JONES It’s a despicable human who preys on people to defraud them of money. What kind of sickness drives a person to such lows? It’s a sad fact that every year, millions of seniors fall victim to fraud. They are prime targets because they tend to be trusting, […]
2 years 6 months ago
Health – The Montserrat Reporter
Covid: Man shares ‘the backbone’ of protection that kept him Covid-free – It’s ‘easy’
Reprint… abstracts WITH COVID infections rising throughout the country, many are catching the virus all over again. The current wave is fuelled by Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 that have been linked to reinfection. However, a man swears by an “easy” safety measure that kept him safe through travelling, flying and attending conferences. Read usefull […]
Reprint… abstracts WITH COVID infections rising throughout the country, many are catching the virus all over again. The current wave is fuelled by Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 that have been linked to reinfection. However, a man swears by an “easy” safety measure that kept him safe through travelling, flying and attending conferences. Read usefull […]
2 years 6 months ago
Wastewater sequencing reveals early cryptic SARS-CoV-2 variant transmission
Although some successes are obvious in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus seems to be always ahead of us. Mostly, we are reacting to the problem rather than having some proactive plans. The development of a method utilizing nanobeads to boost the amount of detectable viral RNA in a wastewater sample that successfully detected the Alpha, Delta and Omicron variants up to two weeks before the strains were detected in tests in clinics, could change the paradigm.
Although a huge possibility for early pandemic tracking using wastewater sequencing has long been discussed, two main factors - low-quality sequence data and the inability to estimate relative lineage abundance in mixed samples, were hindering the progress. In an eloquent study published in Nature a few weeks ago, scientists resolved these issues by using nanobeads to perform a high-resolution, 295-day wastewater and clinical sequencing effort, in the controlled environment of a large university campus. They successfully detected emerging variants of concern up to 14 days earlier in wastewater samples. They identified multiple instances of virus spread not captured by clinical genomic surveillance providing a scalable solution for wastewater genomic surveillance that allows early detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants and identification of cryptic transmission.
2 years 6 months ago
How social determinants fuel cancer, cardiovascular disease deaths
CANCER AND cardiovascular disease (CVD) are the two commonest causes of morbidity and mortality in the Caribbean. Moreover, there is a growing population of patients who have both cancer and CVD, and data suggest that the economic burden faced by...
CANCER AND cardiovascular disease (CVD) are the two commonest causes of morbidity and mortality in the Caribbean. Moreover, there is a growing population of patients who have both cancer and CVD, and data suggest that the economic burden faced by...
2 years 6 months ago
Take care of your heart to prevent dysfunction, disability and death
YOUR HEART works every second of the day to keep you alive! Prevention and early detection of heart disease and the associated risk factors (like obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes) are, therefore, essential to help keep your...
YOUR HEART works every second of the day to keep you alive! Prevention and early detection of heart disease and the associated risk factors (like obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes) are, therefore, essential to help keep your...
2 years 6 months ago
Health Archives - Barbados Today
Mental health of BCC students affected by COVID-19
Some Barbados Community College (BCC) students struggled to cope in the online learning environment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to seek help for mental health issues.
Some Barbados Community College (BCC) students struggled to cope in the online learning environment during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and had to seek help for mental health issues.
That disclosure came from principal Annette Alleyne who said that when most classes were conducted online due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, the BCC management had received increased reports from the institution’s Counselling and Placement Centre about students with mental health challenges.
She said it was also noted in BCC Registrar Roger Worrell’s report that the number of students requesting extended studies had doubled between 2020 and 2021.
“It was unusual. A large number of students were asking for extended studies – another year and another semester – because some of them chose to defer from various programmes. In some instances where we had students doing clinicals, they couldn’t get into the sites to do their clinicals. But in a number of cases, the students had chosen to defer some of their programmes,” Alleyne said at BCC’s Convocation Ceremony.
“And then when students did their portfolio for the visual arts and so on, a number of . . . their pieces showed the struggle some of them had with anxiety, with loneliness, depression, etc. So we knew that it was a concern for the students during the online period and that is why we have made such a great push to have students come back face-to-face.”
She added that the Students Guild had also hosted a Mental Health Week focused on issues affecting the student body.
“[They] had various initiatives and activities that could help to alleviate some of the stressors that they were experiencing,” Alleyne explained.
The principal highlighted research conducted in the United States which indicated that students who experienced mental health challenges during the pandemic appeared to be ‘quiet quitting’ – that is, doing just enough to complete their studies and not going the extra mile.
However, Alleyne cautioned the new students that the “just enough and no more” attitude had serious repercussions in an extremely competitive world, as she told them that those who gave more were the ones who excelled and succeeded.
“If you are struggling with depression, anxiety, loneliness, there is help, ask for help. Join a club, form a study group, reach out to our Counselling and Placement Centre; there is help. If you are struggling with mental health challenges, do not be one of the one-third of college students who are quiet quitting,” she said.
The BCC principal also put the newcomers on notice that the excitement and euphoria they felt at the start of their college journey would eventually fade and they might begin to feel exhausted and even question why they were there.
“And it is at these times when you need your community, a friend, a study group, someone to be able to give a word of encouragement. And our theme for this year, One Community, Working Together, Achieving Together, becomes even more appropriate.
“Life will throw things at you – a pandemic, an ashfall, a hurricane, some weird weather patterns where roofs get blown off and so on, the unexpected loss of a friend or loved one, betrayal, these things happen in life. But what it is that will keep you going and keep you firm in the face of any of these adversaries will be your sense of purpose and what it is that you want to achieve,” Alleyne said. (AH)
The post Mental health of BCC students affected by COVID-19 appeared first on Barbados Today.
2 years 6 months ago
A Slider, Health, Local News
Health – The Montserrat Reporter
15 Signs You May Have Already Had Covid-19, Doctors Reveal
MSN News The Healthy by Denise Mann, MS – Sept 22, 2022 TMR Editor: We maintain with the sanction and advice of super medical authority that much of what follows here, if observed early (and even now) and managed accordingly, Montserrat could have been the model of least affected by the pandemic. See – the old saying […]
MSN News The Healthy by Denise Mann, MS – Sept 22, 2022 TMR Editor: We maintain with the sanction and advice of super medical authority that much of what follows here, if observed early (and even now) and managed accordingly, Montserrat could have been the model of least affected by the pandemic. See – the old saying […]
2 years 6 months ago
Health – Caribbean News Service
Global Fund seeks $18 billion to end HIV, TB and malaria
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Wednesday sought to raise at least $18 billion at a donor conference led by US President Joe Biden, as decades of progress against the three diseases are set back by Covid. It is the highest ever “replenishment” goal set by the organization, which brings together […]
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Wednesday sought to raise at least $18 billion at a donor conference led by US President Joe Biden, as decades of progress against the three diseases are set back by Covid. It is the highest ever “replenishment” goal set by the organization, which brings together […]
2 years 6 months ago
How social determinants impact healthcare access
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS of health (SDOH) contribute significantly to the severe morbidity and mortality that various cardiovascular diseases inflict on the society. The components of SDOH include wealth, income, employment status, education, housing,...
SOCIAL DETERMINANTS of health (SDOH) contribute significantly to the severe morbidity and mortality that various cardiovascular diseases inflict on the society. The components of SDOH include wealth, income, employment status, education, housing,...
2 years 6 months ago
Nutritionist recommends plant-based diet to beat, treat prostate cancer
WESTERN BUREAU: Nutritionist Dr Rosalee Brown, who operates in the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), is suggesting that men consider adopting a plant-based diet, especially for those who are genetically predisposed, to reduce the likelihood...
WESTERN BUREAU: Nutritionist Dr Rosalee Brown, who operates in the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), is suggesting that men consider adopting a plant-based diet, especially for those who are genetically predisposed, to reduce the likelihood...
2 years 6 months ago
Health – The Montserrat Reporter
Dreaded Side Effect Rears Its Ugly Head in Latest COVID Variant
The Daily Beast David Axe – All over the world, the rates of death and hospitalization from COVID keep dropping. But our successful mitigation of the worst outcomes of the 33-month-old pandemic belie a growing crisis. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty© Provided by The Daily Beast More and more people are surviving COVID and staying out of […]
The Daily Beast David Axe – All over the world, the rates of death and hospitalization from COVID keep dropping. But our successful mitigation of the worst outcomes of the 33-month-old pandemic belie a growing crisis. Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty© Provided by The Daily Beast More and more people are surviving COVID and staying out of […]
2 years 6 months ago
Health – The Montserrat Reporter
Is this the end of COVID?
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/is-this-the-end-of-covid/ar-AAY... Is this the end of Covid?
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/medical/is-this-the-end-of-covid/ar-AAY... Is this the end of Covid? MSN – Sorcha Bradley – Members of the public look at a wall of remembrance for Covid-19 victims Dan KitwoodGetty Images© Dan Kitwood/Getty Images WHO gives most upbeat assessment yet of the global battle against the virus The end of the global Covid-19 pandemic is “in sight”, said the World […]
2 years 6 months ago
Health Archives - Barbados Today
Minor Cases Unit to be set up at QEH
A Minor Cases Unit is to be set up within the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Minister of Health and Wellness Ian Gooding-Edghill said.
Speaking on Starcom’s Down To Brass Tacks call-in radio programme on Friday, Gooding-Edghill said he has met with the hospital’s senior leadership team along with the Minister of State responsible for QEH affairs Dr Sonia Browne, to review an Accident and Emergency Improvement Plan.
“What we will need though, is some additional resources and we are working on those resources. I have a follow-up meeting with the A&E leadership team and that will happen very shortly. But we have to remove some of the administrative functions and burdens from the doctors to allow the doctors in A&E to focus exclusively on [clinical duties],” he said.
“There are instances sometimes where a doctor may have to go and fetch information, a doctor may have to go and source some additional medical resources in order to execute and perform a task. That’s what I meant by some of the administrative stuff,” the Health Minister explained.
He told his radio audience that authorities are trying to work through that and are fine-tuning the improvement plan.
“Once we do that, we would also be in a better position … to give them some additional resources. For example, in terms of how you run and manage an ER. One of the things I think we will have to look at is the whole management of the ER itself and how that is administered. If you can take away some of those non-critical functions from doctors and have personnel focusing on those other areas, it would free up some of the time available for the doctors to do what they have to do,” Gooding-Edghill suggested.
He said when he reviewed the plan, it was exciting even as he engaged with the team.
“We have a plan to address minor cases that present to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I have indicated before that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a place for reassurance. In my experience there, when people are feeling unwell, they go to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for immediate treatment. They go to the A&E for example, as the first stop, because if they can’t afford to go to a private care facility, they would come to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and that is where they have the best treatment, and they know the best treatment would be given to them,” the Health Minister contended.
He noted that even though A&E is an emergency facility, a patient with pain in some part of their body is not concerned about whether it’s urgent, they just want care and therefore go to the QEH.
“So therefore what we have to do, is to implement within the Accident and Emergency Department, a Minor Cases Unit, which would allow for example, patients to be fast-tracked based on the urgency of the cases they present and also that they present to the A&E department,” he announced.
“The Minor Cases Unit will also be suitable for patients. For example, if there is an injury that may require some resources from the hospital, of course they would go to the hospital. If there are other injuries for example, that are non-life or limb-threatening injuries, then obviously, the Minor Cases Unit can deal with those,” the Minister said.
Gooding-Edghill provided data to show the level of traffic that continues to pass through the A&E.
“The Accident and Emergency Department in 2019 registered 37,660 patient visits, 46 per cent of those patients that visited in 2019, accounted for hospital admissions. The remainder obviously were dealt with and discharged. Now in 2020, interestingly enough and obviously because of COVID and so on, there was a reduction. 29,667 patients would have visited the Accident and Emergency, and 49 per cent of the total were admitted. So, those statistics alone tell me very clearly that not every visit to the A&E would require hospitalisation,” the Minister of Health said.
“The issue here for Barbadians is the time that they have to spend waiting in A&E. And if we continue to improve the processes, I think that we will definitely see some improvement,” he said.
He also said that a Patient Relations Service, which is at the pilot stage, is currently in operation at A&E and on some wards, but will be expanded across the hospital in due course.
Gooding-Edghill also announced that the hospital would soon be measuring patient satisfaction based on a structured feedback system. He said too that having completed phases one and two of the A&E expansion project, the third phase is currently in the works. (EJ)
The post Minor Cases Unit to be set up at QEH appeared first on Barbados Today.
2 years 6 months ago
A Slider, Health, Local News
Health Archives - Barbados Today
QEH to clear eye surgery backlog
Health authorities have announced an initiative to address the eye surgery backlog at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and they are hoping to show significant progress in three months.
Health authorities have announced an initiative to address the eye surgery backlog at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and they are hoping to show significant progress in three months.
Minister of Health and Wellness Ian Gooding-Edghill told a Down To Brass Tacks radio talk show on Starcom Network on Friday that he is on a mission to cut the number of patients waiting for cataract surgeries and to improve care in the shortest possible time.
The minister promised to monitor the situation over the next three months, assuring the public that if the numbers did not reach the targeted level, he would turn to the Cubans for additional manpower. He said when he took up the ministry, there were 1,750 patients waiting for cataract surgery, but after meeting with the Department of Opthalmology, he was assured the backlog had started to be reduced.
“On a monthly basis, I am requesting the number of surgeries being performed on the patients with cataracts. The information I will give you will be at September 12. We have conducted 34 public surgeries. Those were surgeries that were performed.
“Back in July there were 68 completed and in August, the number was a bit lower, 34, but there were issues related to doctors with COVID and therefore they couldn’t operate. What has been provided to us is that the opthamologists are prepared to do at least 95 cases per month,” Gooding-Edghill said. He noted that the eye specialists had experienced some challenges with the equipment, almost all of which have now been resolved.
“We have had to source additional packs. These are packs that are used for cataract surgeries, and we are expected to receive 120 from Trinidad and Tobago and another 300 from a local supplier this week,” he revealed.
Gooding-Edghill also said he had directed the QEH to ensure it has at least 750 packs to ensure that there are no delays in surgery due to the unavailability of such packs.
“We have also identified additional space at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital that can be easily retrofitted to allow for more surgeries to be performed,” he told his radio audience. “We are taking steps to bring this on stream. But I can tell you we are committed to reducing the backlog without compromising other eye surgeries,” the minister said.
He disclosed that the plan also involves increasing the number of nurses so that cataract procedures can be done in the morning and in the afternoon.
“In the longer term, we will also have to look at another theatre. We are working on that. But our immediate goal is to clear the backlog of cataract surgeries, and I give you the assurance that I will be monitoring progress on a monthly basis,” he pointed out.
“There has to be a high sense of urgency in dealing with the cataract because obviously, it can lead to blindness,” he added.
“We will ensure that the doctors have the equipment and they have the necessary resources. But at the same time, we have to measure progress because if we still have a population asking and people complaining that they can’t get the surgeries, then we have to have plan B.
“So plan B is an opportunity to seek assistance where required and if necessary,” the minister pointed out. “What I will do is that I will monitor the monthly reports, I will see where we are going over the next three months in respect of the number of surgeries performed.
“Obviously, if we hit the target, everything is a home run as they say in baseball. If that doesn’t happen, I must tell you that I will have to continue discussions with the Cuban Ambassador with a view of obviously having additional resources to mobilise to get to Barbados,” he disclosed.
Emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb
The post QEH to clear eye surgery backlog appeared first on Barbados Today.
2 years 6 months ago
Health, Local News
News Archives - Healthy Caribbean Coalition
Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) is pleased to announce the launch of three (3) new publications focused on Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean. The three documents are as follows:
The Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) is pleased to announce the launch of three (3) new publications focused on Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean. The three documents are as follows:
Report – Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean Read/download
Model Policy and Legislative Guidance for Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean Read/download
Summary – Policy and Legislative Guidance for Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean Read/download
Background
Childhood overweight and obesity are growing challenges in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) affecting 1 in 3 children. Obesogenic school environments, where children spend one-third (1/3) of their time, contribute to childhood overweight and obesity. The aim of this Report was to provide policy and legislative guidance for regulating the availability and marketing of unhealthy beverages and food products in and around schools in the Caribbean
Though primarily captured through a health lens, childhood obesity must also be framed from other perspectives, namely human rights, education and economic perspectives. All CARICOM Member States have ratified the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), as well as other relevant international treaties, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). They therefore have a tri-fold duty to respect, protect and fulfil children’s rights to health, adequate nutritious foods and to access information, among other rights. Critically, these and other related rights must be centred on cross-cutting human rights principles, such as non-discrimination and the best interests of the child. The response of CARICOM Member States to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity within their borders, and also at the Regional level, is therefore urgent.
The post Regulating the Availability and Marketing of Unhealthy Beverages and Food Products in and around Schools in the Caribbean appeared first on Healthy Caribbean Coalition.
2 years 6 months ago
