There was a steady stream of men into the Cancer Support Services Dayrells Road office on Saturday as they took part in its Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screen.

Reporting that over 150 men had been screened since the doors opened at 9 a.m., Executive Director Janette Lynton said the organisation is seeing an increase in the number of men coming forward to be tested for prostate cancer, the number one killing cancer in the island.

“We are pleased because we are seeing first timers and younger men coming forward, which means the message is getting out there. However, we would love to see more ,” she said.

Pointing out that the PSA test is a blood test, which checks the level of PSA, she reminded people that if a high level is detected, this does not always mean that a male has prostate cancer, as infections and other conditions could be the cause.

“It is always best to take the results to your physician and your physician will determine what further assessment you will need,” she said.

Speaking to Barbados TODAY on the importance of men getting tested, Lynton said that early detection means that treatment will be more successful.

“Early detection is the key,” she said, adding that the next screening will be held in six weeks. (JB)

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Nurses need opportunities and resources to ensure they can sustainably protect the health of the nation, says acting Chief Nursing Officer Annastacia Jordan.

She said it’s critical that nurses are further trained in various skills to enhance what they offer professionally and are equipped with the necessary tools.

“We must protect and support our nurses by providing the needed education and the resources to deliver safe and effective nursing care. As we look to the future, we must transform our profession from invisible to invaluable in the eyes of the public… We must chart the future direction of nursing, to build capacity in all areas, to ensure the sustainable growth of our profession [and] to meet the ever changing complex health-care needs of our citizens,” she said, while addressing a ceremony at Savannah Hotel on Friday to launch Nurses’ Week 2023.

“As such, our goal is to strengthen our health-care systems by investing in our workforce to address the changing and growing health needs of our population. Upscaling our nursing skills and capacity is an important step in giving nurses a greater say in decisions, affecting scopes of practice, competence and safety.

“Nurses will be better able to manage client conditions using innovative ways to work within existing constraints and perform their jobs more effectively. Consequently, our practice will play a strategic role in the future delivery of more efficient, accessible, affordable, acceptable health-care services for Barbadians and those visiting our shores through the pandemic.”

In his remarks, Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr Jerome Walcott said that although the local nursing fraternity is faced with a myriad of issues, including fighting non-communicable diseases and the migration of health-care workers, Government is committed to putting measures in place to ensure the health-care industry is a desirable sector in which to work.

“In order to adequately address these challenges, we must pay close attention to the entire health workforce and especially the nursing component while ensuring that it remains fit-for-purpose to effectively deal with the aforementioned multitude of changing health concerns.”

The Health Minister said: “My Government has and continues to make significant investments in improving the capacity of the nursing profession. We recognise that nurses are critical in the government’s road map to achieving the sustainable development goals and ensuring Barbados’ commitment to universal health coverage.”

Walcott explained that his ministry has been listening to the complaints of health-care workers and is addressing them.

“We have been listening to your complaints about nursing shortages and conditions of work and lack of opportunities. We will work with you in this regard.”

He added that training opportunities are being provided and nurses are being trained in the areas of dermatology and public health. He said that midwifery training will resume next January.

Walcott also indicated that 40 people will soon be trained in pediatric nursing at  the diploma level.

The theme for Nurses’ Week this year is Our Nurses, our Future. The week is internationally recognised from May 6 to May 12. (SZB) 

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Clad in blue t-shirts bearing the words ‘Accept’, ‘Understand’, ‘Love’, the Autism Association of Barbados took to the streets this morning to help build awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Dozens of people participated in the Autism Awareness Heroes Walk, which is part of a series of events to mark Autism Awareness Month. A workshop on the tested tools for ASD and an awareness drive were among the other events held throughout April.

President of the association, Frank Johnson, said the annual walk is a means of educating the public on many traits and forms of the disorder.

“Being a spectrum disorder, of course, it affects people profoundly as well as lightly, but we are here to cover all of the bases today,” he told Barbados TODAY.

Under the watchful eye of the Barbados Police Service, participants walked from the headquarters of the  Barbados Council for the Disabled located at Garrison, St Michael, to Hastings Road, through Dayrells Road and back. (JB)

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Climate Change is a global emergency, yet few countries have made plans to face it. Barbados Ministry of Health and Wellness staff and allied sectors recently met at the Accra Beach Resort in Barbados, to understand how climate change is affecting public health in the country, a first step in the creation of a Health National Adaptation Plan (H-NAP). 

The process to assess vulnerabilities and prioritize ways to manage or minimize the impacts of climate change in an area is called adaptation planning. H-NAPs consider the impact of climate change on people’s mental and physical health, and the social effects. These plans present actions to build climate-resilient health systems that can anticipate and protect public health. 

Barbados’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, participated in the one-day meeting and took the opportunity to thank PAHO for its commitment to the development of the HNAPs. Meanwhile Acting PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados, Dr Prabhjot Singh said that climate change does affect public health directly and urgent action is required.

Under the European Union-funded CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health project, coordinated by the PAHO/WHO Caribbean Subregional Program Coordination Office, Grenada and St Lucia have completed the H-NAP and plans are underway in Belize, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Bahamas, Haiti, Jamaica, Guyana and the Dominican Republic. Dr Alison Gajadhar, lead consultant for the development of the HNAP in Barbados stated that she was impressed by the level of participation and engagement of public health experts in Barbados.

The final HNAP Report will include key recommendations to inform the development of policy, strategy and plans and programmes to assist countries in the process of adaptation.  For more information on the project and the progress with the H-NAPs please visit the project website.

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By Anesta Henry

The Barbados Union of Teachers’ (BUT) plea for additional psychologists to be placed in schools has received full support from the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Supreme Counselling for Personal Development Shawn Clarke.
He told Barbados TODAY that he has been advocating for more psychologists in schools since the resumption of face-to-face classes following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clarke, whose organisation manages an anti-bullying prevention programme in several secondary schools, said that as far as he was aware, the Ministry of Education recently placed counsellors and safety officers at some schools.
Addressing Monday’s opening of the BUT’s Annual General Conference at the Radisson Aquatica, President Rudy Lovell said that with the increase in the incidents of violence in schools, the Ministry of Education urgently needed to hire additional psychologists since the present complement was woefully inadequate.
Lovell, who also called for an increased effort to provide psychological support to at-risk students and their parents, suggested that more guidance counsellors, support services, and safety officers should be assigned to schools.
In a response, Clarke said “I do think that the services of more psychologists are needed to help with our young people. And I have been saying that the Government doesn’t need to do it on their own, everybody doesn’t need to be an employee of the Ministry of Education.
“We have enough non governmental organisations in Barbados that have access to psychologists and psychiatrists and professional development counsellors on their teams that can partner with the Ministry of Education to make these services readily available to students,” he said.
“We just need to sit at the table and come up with a way that is workable and that is mutually beneficial to both parties.”
Clarke queried whether the psychologists and counsellors in the school system are equipped with the resources to provide the intense intervention that many at-risk students need. Students need to be assigned to a psychologist for at least three years, as opposed to just for a six-week term or an academic year, he added.
“The question is are the psychologists who are in the schools adequately prepared to see one child for that extended period? Secondly, with an enrolment of almost 1 000 students at schools, some of these psychologists and counsellors, are attached to two schools.
“Counsellors now have 2 000 students when you look at it. Do they have access to the facilities to be able to do prolonged counselling? For a lot of these children, a six-week fix is no fix.”
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The spate of fires across the island in recent weeks has led the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH) to develop a system to update the public on air quality.
CIMH climatologist Dr Cedric Van Meerbeeck says the online monitoring system has been created in collaboration with various agencies.
“Air pollution, as you know, comes from different sources. The ones we have been suffering from in the last two months were smoke from wildfires, brush fires, cane fires and grass fires. I just want you to know that the CIMH is on top of it. We have noticed it. We have worked together with different agencies and we now have a monitoring product that we will put online for everybody to use, so that you know how bad the situation is at this time because there are things you can do to protect yourself,” he said.
Dr Van Meerbeeck was responding to a question posed by a member of the audience at a panel discussion hosted by the CIMH in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, on Tuesday night, at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management.
Senior scientist in the NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory Dr. Roger Pulwarty highlighted that individuals’ health can be compromised by the combination of various pollutants in the atmosphere.
“When you add Saharan dust, when you add smoke and you add this especially indoor combination, you’re actually compounding health risks that cannot be separated immediately and that’s something we need to address,” he said.
“The complexity of the mixed pollutants [is] really the issue.”
(JB)

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Women with mental health and addiction issues are knocking on the doors of the Substance Abuse Foundation Inc.’s (SAF) Marina House treatment facility for help.

However, many of them have had to delay the start of treatment because they do not have a support system to adequately care for their children while they are at the New Castle, St John residential facility, according to Senior Mental Health and Addiction Counsellor with SAF, Letitia Wiltshire.

“There is a 100 per cent huge demand for our services and that has actually increased post-COVID. The issues are still there with regards to our women and the child care challenges a lot of them have. Yes, they may need the help with their addiction but they also do not want to leave their children,” said Wiltshire who explained this was why Marina House has previously partnered with the Women of Purpose organisation to provide the resources to allow a mother to have her child with her while accessing treatment.

She appealed to other agencies and charitable organisations to assist women in this position who were seeking to beat drug, sex and gambling addictions.

The counsellor stressed that a significant aspect of the healing process for mothers seeking addiction counselling was having the peace of mind that their children were being well taken care of.

“The women also need the assistance of their family members and those community members who are open to fostering a child for a period of time. We know that it is a big ask of the community; a lot of people would not feel comfortable engaging children who are not their own. But at the end of the day, it takes a village to raise a child and if one of us is sick then, unfortunately, the child can also eventually be sick. When one person with an addiction is sick, it impacts several other persons within that family, so you can do the maths.

“We have a facility that houses 16 women, so if you do the maths and you multiply that by seven, you see how many people are impacted by just one woman not being able to get the help that she needs,” she said.

Wiltshire spoke about the issue during an interview with the media on Tuesday, following the launch of the Rotary Club of Barbados’ Save, Spend, Thrive: Empowering Women Through Financial Wellness initiative, at the Christies Conference Room at the Barbados Light & Power Company, Garrison, St Michael.

“We have dealt with women who have substance abuse issues, women who have challenges with sex addiction, there are women who have challenges with gambling,” she said, noting many women had reached out during the COVID-19 pandemic when they were going through “a depressive phase” and “coming out of COVID, it is still there”.

“So we also deal with self-esteem issues and we are also helping persons with depression. Whatever the need is in terms of mental health we are there to provide that assistance,” the SAF counsellor said.

Wiltshire also noted that given the reported increase in domestic violence cases during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marina House had housed several women waiting to be admitted to the shelter for battered women.

“We would never turn our backs on someone who needs assistance, regardless of what the challenges are. We are going to try to help them to fill that gap until they can get to where they need,” she said.

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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Amber Cumberbatch’s goal is to empower young women.
The former athlete turned coach believes her life’s purpose is helping athletes, especially females, to reach their greatest heights on and off the track.
“A big part of what makes me happy in life is training and coaching girls and women into becoming the athletes that they are. I believe that regardless of your age, your experience, your goals, your history, that in every person there is an athlete just waiting and wanting to be released,” Cumberbatch told Barbados TODAY in a recent interview.
“However, we all know that it takes applied effort, strength and determination for this to come alive and grow and my purpose and passion as a coach is to lift women up to that place of understanding and coach them into becoming fit, fast and strong.
“My mission is to help groom girls and women into unleashing their inner athlete and start living a more active and good life through movement and exercise,” she added.
Cumberbatch’s journey as a fitness coach began in 2014.
She said since then she had witnessed many of her clients experience a positive mind shift during their sessions.
“The feeling is so alive and refreshing and I didn’t want to keep it to myself anymore, so that’s when I stepped out of my usual set up of training alone and stepped into the life of guiding and coaching others into their journey in movement and exercise,” she added.
Cumberbatch represented Barbados at regional track and field events which earned her a full athletic scholarship to Missouri State University in the United States.
This fitness expert spoke also about how she initially started coaching and the rush of excitement she gets from working with children.
“I initially started out training adults, but recently I have been working with kids who have an interest in running or just overall fitness and to be honest, working with these kids brings so much joy to my life and I always look forward to our training sessions,” Cumberbatch explained.
“I have been told that I’m a very loving and easy person to be around and because I love people and enjoy taking care of their journey in fitness, along with my fun and variety focused programmes, many of my students remain with me over the years and we’ve built a close family connection at the same time.”
Cumberbatch admitted that seeing the results from her client’s hard work and dedication was especially rewarding.
“I enjoy seeing the results and when I see the transformation happen in my students it re-ignites the fire that I have for coaching. Sometimes, it even brings tears to my eyes in my quiet times of reflection. It really wows me when I see them improve and hit their new targets,” she said.
Cumberbatch revealed that she got involved in track and field from the age of eight and has no plans on stopping any time soon.
She said even during the Covid-19 pandemic was in-person training was prohibited, she found ways to continue her training.
“COVID-19 stole the atmosphere of in-person training and I surmounted this new way of life by being extra creative. I took my classes online and worked in the virtual world until the all clear was given to be outdoors,” she pointed out.
As for her inspiration, she says that she looks up to one “superwoman,” her mother Michelle Cumberbatch, who she described as extremely strong and resilient.
“She always motivates me to grow without any barriers,” she said putting it simply.
(MR)

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Public health authorities are stepping up their surveillance of food establishments across Barbados as the country battles a significant outbreak in the highly-infectious gastroenteritis disease.

Expressing concern at cases which have increased some seven-fold between the end of January and March this year, when compared to the same period last year, Chief Medical Officer (CMO)  The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George is pleading with Barbadians not to take any chances.

“We have surveillance systems for gastroenteritis and this is how we know what is happening. Our surveillance systems have indicated that there has been an uptick not only in the public sector, but also in the private sector. This public health issue is becoming a concern,” Dr George told Barbados TODAY on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Health has been observing over the last two to three months an increase in the number of cases of gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is an infectious and inflammatory disease of the bowels and it may include the stomach and the intestine, and the symptoms tend to be vomiting and diarrhea. Gastroenteritis is caused mainly by bacterial and viral infection,” he explained.

With cases reaching 312 so far this year as compared to 42 for the corresponding period in 2022, the Government’s chief medical advisor said while tests have not identified any single source or event for the illness, foodborne pathogens have been seen in some areas. He also noted that no corresponding increase in respiratory diseases has been identified during the past several months.

“What I will say is that we have done the appropriate culture of specimen, and that has indicated that there is no particular one organism or no particular point source for the infection. Therefore, we will continue to monitor the situation,” the CMO stated.

There were 19 reported cases at the end of January this year and 47 at the end of March.

“Gastroenteritis is a preventable public health disease. This is the time when people are preparing a lot of food and selling a lot of food…they need to be particularly vigilant to ensure that infections are not increasing,” Dr George advised.

The CMO had a special message for people who prepare food, especially those in public spaces.

“First, handwashing is critical to prevent infection. Remember these infections are termed faeco-oral…there is contamination of the food that we eat…and that leads to the multiplication of bacteria and the presentation of symptoms. Raw foods should not be mixed with cooked foods. There should not be any cross-contamination between raw foods and cooked foods,” he pointed out.

The CMO also urged food handlers to pay special attention to the cleanliness of their utensils and the equipment on which the foods are prepared.

“In addition, the rule of thumb is that hot foods are kept hot and cold foods are kept cold. Cold foods should be maintained at a temperature of no less than 40 degrees fahrenheit and hot foods should be maintained at a temperature of above 140 degrees fahrenheit. If it is not done in this way and the foods are left for a period of time, the multiplication of the bacteria in the foods becomes higher.

“You have to be more careful that when food is particularly on the outside and waiting to be served, it needs to be kept at the appropriate temperature,” the CMO recommended.

He also warned people who prepare food they must have a health certificate and if preparation is done in a restaurant, that establishment needs to have a licence as required by law.

Dr George also appealed to people who contract gastro to report to any polyclinic or their private physician for guidance on the most appropriate actions to be taken.

“Many times antibiotic medicines are not required for gastroenteritis. On most occasions, antibiotics are not required. Persons need to maintain their hydration, and try to stay away from milk products and very greasy or oily foods,” he stated.

Dr George noted that while children under five years of age have contracted the illness, most of the cases have occurred in people over five.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.

By Nicholai Peters

Self-care, self-care; self-care. The words we so often overlook. I can attest that life indeed can change in the blink of an eye. Plagued by detrimental thoughts, plagued with distrust, plagued with anxiety – these are a few things that life threw at me simultaneously. Never in my life could I have imagined being crippled by the aforementioned. During this time, it can feel like there is no one to turn to and surely no way out. This is far from the truth, but perception in this state can be overwhelming and also tainted, which leads to that thought process. 

What is mental health? It’s the thing that should be paramount in our lives. What does it mean to you? In my situation, dealing with my mental health meant hiding from everyone and everything I loved, as I was so terrified of being vulnerable. On one hand, time for yourself can be necessary and beneficial, but in the same breath there’s such a thing as excessive ‘introspection’, which can lead to darker thoughts and, subsequently, depression. I’m no psychologist, but what I do know is don’t become engulfed in your issues. Don’t shut everyone out. After all, the people around you or those who express concern cannot empathize with what they do not know. Regarding friends and empathy, another lesson is to be gentle with yourself and the process of some people understanding your situation, considering not everyone will have the same reaction or ‘lenience’ as it pertains to your situation.  

In the space of six months, I was hospitalized on three occasions. No one likes to or wants to go to the hospital, but my health had plummeted to lows I didn’t know were possible. God knows how many plans I had, how many things I wanted to make a reality. I’ve never seen so many doctors in my life, I almost thought it was an ‘episode’ of Grey’s Anatomy. In all seriousness, I never thought my brain could collapse to the point that I couldn’t walk for a period of time or even hold objects without shaking. Quite frankly, I thought I was dying on multiple occasions. All of this at the age of 20, fresh off the best/most productive summer I’ve ever had. Why was this happening to me? Why me, of all the people I know and in my age group?

From mould poisoning to this other diagnosis, to yet another diagnosis – it all felt like my world was crashing in front of my eyes. For so long, I couldn’t recognize the man in the mirror anymore. 

I thank God for placing the correct people in my life to help me recover. I’m not where I want to be, whether it be academically, socially, but most important of all, my health. Every day, I try to challenge myself to do something out of my new but temporary normal to expedite the recovery process. From not walking, talking or eating, to finally being able to do said things and pick back up the pen and paper (quite literally). I was scared, petrified really, to try again. 

The lines and my vision had gotten so blurry I didn’t know where to start. In recent times, I’d met a few people who seemed to be genuinely invested in me, but the natural self-sabotage I engaged in always led to my demise. 

I don’t want to be the boy that ‘burns down the village because they didn’t embrace him’ anymore… as I quoted in my youth parliament speech quite some time ago… Everything I’ve said thus far, whether publicly or in private, it’s been about my personal struggle to find my way from the back of society to trying to become a beacon of hope for people like me. I know relatively good times, but I also know struggle all too well. Every time I thought I was making progress, I hit a wall again. I’m trying my best to be the man God, my family and friends know I can be. The only fear I have in this life is not being able to reward my family and friends for all they have done. I have to figure this out if I’m to give them the life they deserve. 

I’ll leave you with this, check in on a friend, whether old or young. Mental health struggles are more prevalent than some of us can imagine. 

Only God and time will tell what becomes of Nicholai Peters… the boy they overlooked. 

Nicholai Peters, man of the people and for the people.

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