Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Public Health reported through its weekly epidemiological bulletin that 170 suspected cases of measles have been recorded so far this year.

The bulletin highlights that while no cases have been confirmed, at least 18 suspected cases have been reported in various provinces during the current epidemiological week.

“San José de Ocoa and the National District Area IV have the highest number of suspected measles cases, with 8.8 in each locality. Of these cases, 57.6% are male and 38.2% are children between the ages of 1 and 4,” the report states.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that Member States continue efforts to increase and maintain adequate vaccination coverage against measles, rubella, and mumps. They reiterate that vaccination, epidemiological surveillance, and preparation for rapid response to measles and rubella outbreaks are the three main strategies to interrupt the endemic transmission of these viruses.

PAHO/WHO Recommendations for Healthcare Professionals

• Encourage the practice of requesting proof of immunity/vaccination against measles and rubella within the healthcare sector (including medical, administrative, and security personnel).
• Raise awareness among private sector health workers about the need for immediate notification of any measles or rubella cases to ensure a timely response from national public health authorities according to national surveillance and response standards.
• Remind healthcare personnel to inquire about patients’ travel history to better assess potential exposure to measles or rubella.

Santo Domingo.- The National Meteorological Office reports that the summer solstice officially begins this Thursday in the northern hemisphere. This marks the hottest time of the year, characterized by the longest days and the shortest nights.

To cope with the heat, the office recommends that the public wear light, light-colored clothing, drink plenty of fluids (preferably water), and avoid sun exposure without proper protection between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Regarding the weather forecast, there will be increasing cloudiness from the morning hours with scattered rainfall and isolated thunderstorms expected along some parts of the Caribbean coastal region and the northeast. This includes areas such as Barahona, Pedernales, Peravia, Azua, Samaná, María Trinidad Sánchez, San Pedro de Macorís, La Romana, La Altagracia, San Cristóbal, and Gran Santo Domingo. These conditions are due to the combination of easterly winds and an upper-level trough.

From the afternoon until early evening, increased cloudiness with showers, thunderstorms, and gusty winds are anticipated, mainly affecting the provinces of Duarte, Sánchez Ramírez, Monte Plata, Hato Mayor, Monseñor Nouel, La Vega, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Santiago Rodríguez, Dajabón, San Cristóbal, San Pedro de Macorís, Gran Santo Domingo, and nearby areas.

Speaking on the QEH Pulse radio show, Dr Margaret O’Shea, whose expertise lies in kidney transplantation, emphasised the pressing need for such legislation to expand transplant options and meet the increasing demand from the dialysis patient population.

“I think it’s well known we do have a very large dialysis population, and this is increasing year on year, due mostly in part to the increasingly non-communicable diseases,” she remarked. “So the best approach or the best option for our patients with end-stage renal failure is kidney transplantation.”

While dialysis is a crucial treatment, the specialist noted it was not the optimal long-term solution.

“Given the thought that patients who at this time would benefit from a transplant need a live donor, we are not doing as much transplants as we would like, because in Barbados right now, the option for transplantation is only the live donor transplant,” Dr O’Shea explained.

A major obstacle facing the QEH transplant programme is the lack of legislation for deceased organ donation in Barbados. Dr O’Shea underscored the significance of legislative changes to expand transplant options.

“We do not have legislation for deceased donation at this time, but the good thing is the legislation is in the works,” she noted. “The minister of health is moving in that direction to ensure that we can take steps to have more organs available for transplant generally.”

The medical expert elaborated on the advantages of kidney transplantation over prolonged dialysis. She said patients live a better quality of life, live longer, “and, of course, you’re not spending all that time on the dialysis machine.”

Transplants not only improve patients’ health but also enable them to return to their normal lives more quickly.

“Patients who get the transplant are certainly able to go back to their work more readily,” Dr O’Shea emphasised. “You just spend time taking medications so you don’t reject the kidney. It’s better quality of life and also better quantity of life and certainly more cost-effective for the hospital and patient…. It’s a win-win situation for both the patients and the healthcare system.”

Dr O’Shea said there were rigorous screening processes in place to ensure the safety of both donors and recipients.

“We screen our donors very heavily because we don’t want anything to happen to the donors. They get all of the tests done to make sure they’re very healthy and fit for surgery,” she explained.

The hospital’s live donor transplant programme has achieved impressive success rates, supported by its collaboration with international partners.

Dr O’Shea said there is a “close to a 90 per cent success rate at this time”.

“So far, all of our grafts have worked, but we do have patients who, because of underlying problems, do succumb to other issues,” she added.

To foster community involvement and raise awareness, the QEH is hosting an information session about kidney transplantation on Friday at 1 p.m. at the QEH auditorium.

The post Doctor urges legal changes to boost kidney transplants appeared first on Barbados Today.

The state-owned Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Wednesday said security was being beefed up to counter violent attacks on wounded patients while they are receiving treatment at the Accident and Emergency Department, an apparent growing trend across the Caribbean. GPHC Chief Executive Officer, Robbie Rambarran said security guards would be equipped with more handheld ...

Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Public Health (MSP), Víctor Atallah, announced that the country currently lacks COVID-19 vaccines due to the perception that the disease had “disappeared.”

“COVID-19 seemed to have disappeared, and the influx to vaccination centers was almost zero. We vaccinated nearly 100% of the population, which was a record. A second outbreak was not anticipated,” said Minister Atallah during the presentation of the new edition of the National Epidemiological Bulletin.

Atallah mentioned that vaccines for adults are expected to arrive next week, and information on the distribution centers will be provided. Additionally, he confirmed that vaccines for children, who were pending vaccination, have arrived to prevent a spike in cases among this group.

No Intensive Care Patients or Intubations

Minister Atallah highlighted that there are currently no COVID-19 patients in intensive care or on ventilators. He noted that the number of cases has decreased, with no reported deaths. “Only 300 new cases have been registered, showing a reduction compared to last week,” he emphasized.

He also mentioned that approximately 2,500 hospital beds have been made available, and there has been no overcrowding in health centers. He stressed the importance of wearing masks to prevent the virus’s spread and assured that pharmacies are being supplied to avoid a shortage of medicines. “We continue to monitor to anticipate possible outbreaks,” he concluded.

Launch of the Modernized National Epidemiological Bulletin

On Tuesday, the MSP unveiled a modern version of its National Epidemiological Bulletin in digital format. The updated bulletin features changes in format, design, and content, with a focus on a main theme in each publication.

The primary objective of the new bulletin is to “inform in an easy and accurate manner” about health events in the country, targeting both epidemiologists and the interested public.

During the launch event, Minister Atallah highlighted that the new updates make the epidemiological document more accessible, with an index and chapters navigable through tabs. The bulletin uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) on its cover and includes a QR code for accessing the repository of previously published bulletins, which are available for download.

Weekly Updates and Central Topics

The new bulletin will be updated every Thursday at noon and will be available on the Epidemiology Directorate’s website, https://digepi.gob.do. Each edition will feature a central current topic, described and analyzed in detail within its local, regional, and global contexts, along with surveillance methods and prevention or control recommendations.

Minister Atallah explained that the format of the National Epidemiological Bulletin had not been updated for over 15 years. The new version aims to provide a more modern, readable, and instructive tool that facilitates quicker access and understanding of the document.

The updated bulletin will present mandatory notification events by time, place, and person, along with a summary table of confirmed cases for the week and the most relevant events. It will also feature a relevant scientific article for the ongoing education of epidemiologists and other readers.

This statistical document covers notifiable health events, showing the behavior of diseases such as dengue, malaria, leptospirosis, cholera, respiratory diseases, and rabies. It also includes the incidence of maternal and infant deaths, disaggregated by sex, age, and other indicators.

The government officially launched its eye-testing and spectacles programme which will benefit thousands of vulnerable individuals on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). The programme will see these individuals accessing financial assistance from the government to get their eyes tested and outfitted with the required spectacles. Individuals under 18 years of age, and ...

Samples from Grenada sent to CARPHA last week showed the outbreak of gastroenteritis is caused by sapovirus, salmonella and E Coli

View the full post Sapovirus among causes for gastro outbreak on NOW Grenada.

West Indian Cherries are great to help reduce sickness and diseases that men are susceptible to such as heart disease, cancers and depression, and helps in fitness and endurance

View the full post West Indian Cherries and men’s health on NOW Grenada.

Over the course of the last week, the two entities facilitated a blood donation drive on the grounds of the National Blood Collecting Centre, located at Ladymeade Gardens, St Michael. Sagicor, a leading insurance and financial solutions company, provided the support of its mobile medical unit and team to assist with the collection of blood donations, and Barbadians turned out in their numbers in recognition of World Blood Donor Day, which was celebrated on Friday June 14.

Founder and brand director of Egi Women, Gina Cummins, said they started their relationship with the Blood Collection Centre about a year ago.

“We felt that this year, in continuation of our acts of service and community building, we wanted to find a partner who could help us to amplify the message and the importance of giving blood. Sagicor have willingly come on board with their mobile wellness unit,” she said. “The way we see it is if we give blood on a frequent basis, the Blood Collection Centre will have a ready supply of blood when people need it.”

Executive vice president and general manager of Sagicor Life Inc (Barbados), Paul Inniss said the company was proud to be associated with what he called a fantastic initiative to give blood.

“…Because we are actually giving back to our communities. We are adding value by personally giving of ourselves, and if you think about it, we are actually giving blood to others that need it, when they need it. I am happy that we had a fantastic turnout and contribution by our people,” he said.

Nurse at Sagicor Life Inc Rosanna Springer outlined the importance of giving blood from a medical perspective.

“You can have a mass casualty where multiple persons can be injured and require blood, someone could be having a procedure or operation, a mother could be giving birth and you need to have blood just in case there are any emergencies. You could also just be simply donating to the bank, to ensure that on a national level, we are always prepared,” she said.

(PR/BT)

The post Egi Women, Sagicor stage successful blood drive appeared first on Barbados Today.

The prohibition on smoking medicinal cannabis in Barbados is sparking mixed reactions among patients and doctors, according to Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMLA), Shanika Roberts-Odle. 

At present, medicinal cannabis is mostly administered topically through dermal sprays, gels and creams. 

Appearing on a recent radio programme, Roberts-Odle, highlighted the divergent opinions on this policy, its implications and alternatives.

Her comments come amid an ongoing national dialogue around appropriate medicinal cannabis policies. Since legalising medicinal cannabis in November 2019, authorities have taken a cautious approach, prohibiting smoking as a method of administration, while focusing on the growth of an export industry.

“There are significant amounts of persons who I have met who have indicated that for them, there’s a certain level of hypocrisy involved in that particular position,” Roberts-Odle told the programme.

“Doctors that I’ve spoken with have said smoking anything, in their position, is not recommended. Others have said if there is someone for whom that is their preferred method of use, then, as long as they know that their patient is getting what they need and the patient is aware of the risk that they’re taking, they are fine with that.”

This regulatory stance has drawn criticism from some patients who prefer the rapid onset provided by smoking over other delivery methods like topical applications or oral consumption. 

Some medical experts have voiced concerns about the potential health risks of inhaling cannabis smoke. Critics counter that smoking for palliative care provides relief that far exceeds risk to a terminally ill patient. They argue that a paternalistic approach undercuts patient autonomy and the medical benefits that smoking can provide for certain conditions.

Despite the current prohibition, Roberts-Odle noted that many patients, particularly those in palliative care, prefer smoking as a method of administration, sharing that they are “disappointed that they’re not allowed that avenue at this point in time”.

Anaesthesiologist Dr Adrian Waterman acknowledged the appeal of smoking cannabis due to its quick onset of action, crucial for those seeking immediate relief. But he raised concerns about potential lung damage from tar and other particulates in smoke.

“I can understand why some patients will like that route of administration because, especially in the past, it was a much easier route because the plant, basically the raw product, was [involved]…. People would say that it was a faster route of administration and they liked that,” he said.

“Today, with therapeutic development, they have found ways to administer the chemicals in cannabis, whereby we don’t have to use the inhalation route as much to get a faster onset of action.

“Doctors will tell you, especially in the pulmonary field, that they are very concerned when people smoke and that travels into the lungs.”

Roberts-Odle countered by distinguishing between recreational and medicinal cannabis usage, noting that medicinal cannabis typically does not contain additives like “fanta” used in recreational smoking.

“Generally, the tar comes from the additional things that you put in it,” she said. “For medicinal cannabis, what is actually being smoked is just the cannabis… you don’t add ‘fanta’ and those kinds of things.” 

She also addressed the risk of public smoking and secondhand exposure, stating that if legal, there would need to be restrictions on where medicinal cannabis could be smoked to prevent exposure to non-users.

Pharmacist David Workman, another guest, suggested an alternative rapid-relief method without smoking risks: “Drops or a spray under the tongue where there is a rich blood vessel supply and allows for rapid absorption. I can’t say it’s going to be as fast, but it’s going to be fairly quick.”

Roberts-Odle shed light on patient-specific treatment plans, noting that legislation does not restrict what doctors can prescribe medicinal cannabis for, as “its usage continues to grow and your doctor knows you.”

“They’re able to make an informed decision on whether this is good for you and so we have not restricted the kinds of things that they can prescribe you medicinal cannabis for,” she added.

So far, the BMCLA chief revealed, the drug has treated patients with epilepsy, pain, muscle spasms and anxiety. Underscoring responsible usage, she said: “The same way we have to be responsible with any kind of other medicine that we’re using, medicinal cannabis would have to be under those kinds of context as well… everything in moderation and in the correct usage patterns.” (SM)

The post Debate flares over smoking medicinal cannabis appeared first on Barbados Today.