Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Davidson Ishmael, officially opened the facility on Wednesday, stating that it was also open to members of the public for a nominal fee.

“I want that as soon as we cut this ribbon that people can actually start utilising the space. It may not be a Surfside gym, but it is still a premium facility and of very high quality in terms of equipment, infrastructure and space.

“As we have invested . . . in you [the staff] and your wellbeing, I want to encourage every member of the Psychiatric Hospital team and those at the rest of the healthcare facilities, in addition to the public of Barbados to make good use of this space,” Ishmael said.

The minister added that if “we are going to be talking about health and wellness as a Ministry of Health and Wellness, we have to make sure that we’re providing as many avenues and opportunities for our staff or team members to be at their optimum”.

“Part of being at your optimum is being able to have access to healthcare facilities and also gym facilities that would allow you to be able to function at your best. We believe that everyone has a right to good healthcare, mental health as you guys are part of this whole mental health system and infrastructure that we have placed in Barbados to be able to provide this service to our people. We understand that you, too, have to be at your best level and at your best quality of mental healthcare . . . ,” he said.

Ishmael explained that the reopening of the facility was another prong in government’s efforts to ensure that the island’s healthcare service providers are given access to spaces that would allow them to be at their best.

“Therefore, you can then provide that service, that excellent service that you’re already doing [and] continue to provide that excellent service to the patients who are here at the hospital as well.”

He urged members of the public to utilise the facilities which will be made accessible to them at a “minimal” fee.

“We want persons to be able to come into the actual environment of the Psychiatric Hospital, understanding that this is a safe space. It is a safe space, just like any other space in Barbados, and we therefore want people to be able to traverse through understanding that they can come to this gym.

“They can exercise within the environs of persons who are seeking assistance and seeking care, but this is not a place that they can run from or should run from, but this is a place where we can embrace holistically as a society,” Ishmael said. (BGIS/FW)

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The Barbados Drug Service (BDS) has advised that persons should expect

increased wait times at some polyclinic pharmacies, until further notice, due to the implementation of a new Pharmacy Management System.

These include the pharmacies at the Winston Scott Polyclinic, David

Thompson Health and Social Services Complex, St Joseph Out-Patients Clinic, and the St Andrew Out-Patients Clinic.

The new system is expected to result in an improvement in patient records

management, treatment, and pharmaceutical health care and safety.

Management of the BDS regrets any inconvenience this temporary increase in wait times may cause and encourages members of the public to arrange their business accordingly. (BGIS)

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A number of communities in St Michael and Christ Church will be fogged by the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Vector Control Unit this week.

The Unit will begin its fogging exercise on Monday, April 15, in the following St Michael districts: Brittons New Road, Rolling Road, Taitts Road, Eastmond Road, Gunsite Road, Bonnetts Housing Area, and surrounding districts.

It will then visit Thomas Road, Club Morgan Road with avenues, Plantain Walk, Clapham Drive, Simmons Road, and Rendezvous High Ridge with avenues, on Tuesday, April 16.

On Wednesday, April 17, the team will spray Fordes Road with avenues, Clapham Heights, Clapham Road, Clapham Park, Adam’s Road, Observatory Road, Clapham Ridge, Laynes Road, Clapham Close, and neighbouring districts.

The next day, Thursday, April 18, the Unit will go into Christ Church to fog Rendezvous Road, Rendezvous Ridge, Rendezvous Garden, Amity Lodge, Worthing Main Road, Bamboo Road, Craigg Road, Beckles Road, and Harmony Hall with avenues.

The fogging exercise for the week will conclude on Friday, April 19, in St Michael in Bridge Gap, Upper Goodland, Gills Gap and avenues, Browns Gap, Alkins Road, Wilkinson Road, Richmond Gap, Thomas Gap, and Lower Richmond Gap.

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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In its most recent update, the Ministry of Health and Wellness stated that since the outbreak began in October 2023, four deaths have been recorded. It added that a number of people were referred to hospital with warning signs and some were hospitalised with severe dengue.

The predominant serotype identified has been type 2, followed by type 3. 

Up to the week ending April 6, 2024, there were 2 915 clinically suspected, and 1 059 laboratory confirmed cases of dengue fever in Barbados. This compares to the same period in 2023, when there were only 158 suspected cases, and 105 confirmed cases. 

The ministry reported that the current outbreak peaked in January, this year, and continued to decline in March. Although lower than February, numbers are still above the outbreak threshold for March. 

Health authorities have advised members of the public to implement measures to avoid contracting the illness, such as using repellent and wearing protective clothing; eliminating breeding sites by keeping their surroundings clean; and using protective window and door screens as well as mosquito nets, at home.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Wellness disclosed that there has been an increase in gastroenteritis cases in the past two weeks, in persons five years and older. It stated that this may be due to more people eating food which is prepared outside of the home. However, cases in children under five years old have not surpassed the threshold of the expected number during this time period. 

“Persons choosing to purchase ready-prepared food are encouraged to check for cleanliness and tidiness of the establishment, including the presence of handwashing facilities if the vendor is itinerant or at a wayside stall.  Patrons are reminded to wash or sanitise their hands prior to eating, after coughing or sneezing into tissues, and after using the toilet facilities,” the health ministry stated.

The public is reminded that hot foods are to be served hot, at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and cold foods should be at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and below. Additionally, cooked and uncooked foods should always be separated.

As for respiratory cases, reports indicate that there was an increase in cases in persons five years and older up to April 6, this year, but levels in children under five years old continue to be low from the beginning of the year.

Influenza and other cough and cold viruses not confirmed may be contributing to the increase, the ministry said. COVID-19 infections remain very low, with no deaths recorded within the last month.

Health authorities encouraged Barbadians to practise stringent respiratory hygiene with use of hand washing, hand sanitising and mask wearing by those with symptoms or those vulnerable to severe disease. (BGIS)

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The designation, initially announced in October 2023, was celebrated on Monday in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the Caribbean’s WHO regional office.

The laboratory, which opened in 2018, has been playing a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic response. One of the first Caribbean labs to acquire test kits and reagents for COVID-19 detection, it has processed over 800 000 COVID-19 tests in the last three years. It also features programmes for global salmonella and influenza surveillance, HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections examinations, and water and air quality monitoring.

PAHO’s representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr Amalia Del Riego, said the lab’s new role will help Barbados better understand the flu, track its changes, and protect the population through more effective vaccines and treatment.

He said: “The laboratory is recognised for its highest standards and its ability to perform specialised diagnostics, contribute to global flu surveillance and provide critical data that helps in the fight against influenza and pandemic.”

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health Davidson Ishmael highlighted Barbados’ longstanding commitment to excellence in flu testing, calling the recognition “a culmination of years of hard work, perseverance, and collaboration, not just in relation to influenza but to public health on a whole”.

“As the Ministry of Health and Wellness expands its capacity to monitor non-communicable diseases, including and arguably chief of which is cancer, surveillance and enhanced diagnostics will be key to addressing early detection and monitoring,” he added.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley expressed gratitude to all involved and underscored the importance of national investment in healthcare infrastructure, emphasising the laboratory’s capability to uphold standards worthy of global recognition.

The Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory at Enmore is named in honour of two former health experts who pioneered the development of Barbadian laboratory services and technologies – senior laboratory technologist Cecil Best and senior consultant pathologist Wilfred dos Santos. (SM)

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The announcement came at a ceremony to celebrate the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recognition of the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory as a National Influenza Centre and a member of the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS).

Mottley emphasised the inevitability of another pandemic and the need to learn from the COVID-19 experience.

“Pandemics are usually a cycle of panic and neglect and it is up to us as a government and as an institution, or as institutions like PAHO and WHO, to ensure that that panic and neglect is removed from our experience in preparation for the next pandemic and we, as a government, are choosing to walk the walk and not just talk the talk,” she said.

The prime minister highlighted the country’s recent investments in public health infrastructure, including the Best-dos Santos Lab and the upcoming Barbados Living Lab, which will provide enhanced research capabilities in various areas.

“The continued investment in the Barbados Living Lab, which carries us outside of the narrow confines of only monitoring and diagnosis, but looking also at research, is important to us because we do not believe that our people are just drawers of water and hewers of wood, but our people have the capacity also to be at the cutting edge of the research capabilities that we need in this world to make lives better,” she said.

Mottley also revealed ongoing conversations with pharmaceutical producers to build a regulatory framework for the industry, with the aim of positioning Barbados as more than just a “fill and finish” hub, but a key player in pharmaceutical research and development.

These efforts, according to the PM, are not only aimed at pandemic preparedness but also at preventing brain drain by creating local employment opportunities in the growing healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.

She said: “This country cannot continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in ensuring that our citizens can be the best that they can be by studying at the University of the West Indies and then not have opportunities for them to remain in the land of their birth, simply because we do not have the opportunities for them to work.

“The Best-dos Santos Lab immediately presented an opportunity for us to create employment for dozens of persons who have contributed to their own development by making the effort of studying and providing themselves with the skills, only then to be topped up by the international partnerships that we have.”

Prime Minister Mottley added: “We have to continue to see this as an area not just of social stability that is necessary for public health excellence, but also as an investment opportunity so that regulation can become part and parcel of Barbados’ competitive advantage over other countries in the region and the hemisphere.” (SM)

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The deceased, a 51-year-old Guyana national who resides here and whose name has not yet been released, was impaled on a piece of steel when he fell off the 30-40 feet scaffolding. The other man, a 50-year-old, was transported to the hospital via ambulance with complaints of pain to his back and lower extremities.
Police say investigations are continuing into the incident.
Here, emergency officials leave the scene where the incident took place.

(Photo by Haroon Greenidge)

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“Every patient matters, every staff member counts, and every day we should do something that would improve the services or situation,” said Clark, whose appointment took effect on Tuesday, at a QEH Town Hall titled New CEO, New Financial Year, New Mission.

In his first speech to senior management and staff, he highlighted the pivotal role of compassion and empathy in healthcare delivery, stressing the importance of aiding individuals who may be tired or frustrated. “When you see those people [patient or staff], help them,” he continued.

The CEO spelt out a vision of key essentials to healthcare excellence, emphasising safety, care, and efficiency.

“When I think about healthcare services, I think that it has to be safe. Everybody expects it to be safe. Everything should be as safe as it possibly can be, it should be caring. These are human beings who need our help, it has to be caring,” he said.

Clark, who holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Development with about 30 years of healthcare planning and senior management experience, stressed the need for an efficient hospital as he warned against wasting doctors’ and patients’ time.

Emphasising the critical role of patient focus in healthcare delivery, he suggested that services align seamlessly with patients’ needs. He also stressed the importance of effective leadership at all levels of the organisation.

“It has to be well-led not just by myself but by the directors, managers, supervisors,” he said. “We have to make sure that we have the right structures and systems in place to allow everybody to contribute.”

The new QEH boss also spoke on the significance of teamwork, highlighting the collective effort required for organisational success.

According to a QEH press release, Clark’s appointment followed a rigorous selection process including a representative sampling of management and staff input into profiling their expectations of a CEO, and psychometric leadership and emotional intelligence tests of a dozen candidates who were shortlisted. It added that Clark has a track record as a results-driven healthcare leader with a focus on patient-centric strategies and outcomes.

(SM)

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Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Arthur Phillips said the health ministry was monitoring the development, while Chief Veterinary Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Mark Trotman disclosed that his ministry is setting up its own surveillance system.

A poultry facility in Michigan and an egg producer in Texas both reported outbreaks of bird flu  — also known as the highly pathogenic avian influenza — this week. The latest developments also include infected dairy cows and the first known instance of a human catching bird flu from a mammal. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the human case in Texas. The infected person, who reportedly had exposure to dairy cattle presumed to have the bird flu virus, complained of eye redness and is currently recovering, the CDC said.

Although US health officials say the risk to the public remains low, there is rising concern, emerging partly from the news that the largest producer of fresh eggs in the US reported an outbreak.

Dr Trotman said the flu is of concern to Barbados because the virus is “maintaining itself” not only in the US but globally. Of particular concern to him is the virus’ unprecedented animal-to-human transmission.

“This is an alarming development which we still have to analyse and do some risk analyses and see what the implications are. Not only was it seen in a human, but there was also an outbreak in some dairy cattle in Texas not too long ago,” the chief vet told Barbados TODAY.

“So, the nature of the virus seems to have mutated slightly. We are not yet seeing any evidence of direct transmission between animals or between people, which is really the measure that would cause us to think about taking more actions.

“We are detecting bird flu now in species that have never been detected before. So, we are watching it very closely to see how that develops and also trying to put our own preparedness in place in the event it does get to Barbados,” he added.

While Dr Trotman acknowledges that there is no evidence yet of the virus being passed from human to human, he is not ruling out the possibility.

“It is such a new development in this particular strain of virus, that it is something we are obviously watching very closely for any human-to-human transmission. As far as I can find, and the information that has been sent to me and that we have also looked at, there is no evidence of that happening.

“But we are still watching it very closely and taking our own precautions. [But] you never rule that out. COVID-19 was a big call for us in the medical field . . . . How something can spread so rapidly and so severely from humble beginnings is something that we are now very, very acutely aware of.

“So, it’s certainly not something we will rule out, but something we will consider when we are watching the development of the disease if it further changes or mutates,” he said.

Dr Trotman also gave an assurance to Barbadians that poultry imports from the US would be flu-free.

“We are not concerned about the risk of importation of commercial poultry as a result of it, because we have an agreement with the USA to make sure that all the poultry that is brought in commercially is certified by them as free from bird flu and from premises that don’t have any outbreaks,” he declared. “So, we have been able to maintain the supply chain where that is concerned. However, many countries across the world are still experiencing outbreaks.”

He pointed out that the means by which the disease is being transmitted now is mainly through wild birds.

“So, we are still on the alert, we are developing our own surveillance and we are also monitoring very closely all outbreaks that are going on, not only in the US but also in most of our trading partners,” he added.

Some flu viruses mainly affect people, but others chiefly occur in animals.

Avian viruses spread naturally in wild aquatic birds like ducks and geese, and then to chickens and other domesticated poultry.

The bird flu virus drawing attention today — Type A H5N1 — was first identified in 1959. Like other viruses, it has evolved over time, spawning newer versions of itself. Since 2020, the virus has been spreading among more animal species — including dogs, cats, skunks, bears and even seals and porpoises — in scores of countries.

In the US, this version of the bird flu has been detected in wild birds in every state, as well as commercial poultry operations and backyard flocks.

Nationwide, tens of millions of chickens have died from the virus or been killed to stop outbreaks from spreading.

US officials said it had been found in livestock last week and by Tuesday, it had been discovered in dairy herds in five states — Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico and Texas — according to the US Department of Agriculture.

The virus, which is highly contagious among wild birds and poultry, has now spread to dairy farms. The American Veterinary Medical Association said that not only is this the first time that bird flu has been found in dairy cattle but this is also only the second time a human has contracted the virus in the US.

Symptoms are similar to that of other cases of flu, including cough, body aches and fever. Some people don’t have noticeable symptoms, but others develop severe, life-threatening pneumonia.

The vast majority of infected people have received it directly from birds, but scientists are on guard for any sign of spread among people.

emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb

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There has also been important discussion about social, economic, and institutional access of families and their need for support in these spheres. While this can certainly help families cope, it does not directly address autism as a condition.

Autism is diagnosed under guidelines from the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is diagnosed based on social, emotional, and cognitive behavioural deficits and impairments. However, researchers across the globe are searching for testable biomarkers for autism. Autism is therefore a medical-psychiatric/psychological, and mental health diagnosis. It is not an educational diagnosis.

Autism is diagnosed by developmental paediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists, or neurologists. Speech and language therapists can assess and contribute to an autism diagnosis, usually as part of a multidisciplinary team. Autism cannot be diagnosed by an educational psychologist. Autism is not a learning disorder, but it is a condition that can have implications for learning. Additionally, people with autism may have learning disorders like dyslexia, dysgraphia, and others, along with their autism diagnosis.

There is an unquestionable need for a comprehensive education policy for children with autism. There is also a need for an approach to lifelong learning with continuous intervention support across the lifespan of all people with autism, of any age. However, some of the most significant contributors to the experience of autism from birth to old age, are matters related to health and mental health. There is therefore a need for a comprehensive autism health policy in Barbados.

How we generally think about autism

When we speak about autism, the focus is usually on the outputs of behaviours and learning and not the inputs to behaviour and learning. That is, we do not focus on what causes behaviour, we tend to look at the behaviour as the starting point and try to stop problematic behaviours. All human behaviours are rooted in functions of the brain and its development – the central nervous system and sensory experience, neurotransmitters, hormones, metabolic processes, motor control and several other integrated biological factors. Behaviour is also influenced by social and emotional factors, but they too are influenced by the workings of the brain as we engage with the physical and social world around us. Doctors, psychiatrists, and psychologists know this but the conversation in Barbados about autism only focuses on teachers and the education system. It is time for the conversation to include health and medical issues in autism intervention, care, and management.

Notably, whenever things reach an emergency point for a child, adolescent or adult with autism, the response is usually a health or mental health response, not an educational response. When people must be hospitalised for gastrointestinal disease, or psychological/psychiatric crises and emergencies, or children medicated to manage their behaviour in classrooms, the response is within the health and mental health systems. So, what happens to create a gap between the moment of diagnosis within the medical-psychiatric-psychological fields and the situations of emergency requiring hospitalisation? How is it within the health fields at the start and in the worst-case scenarios, but in between there, it is treated as an educational matter?

Therapies and education are the engagement tools to stimulate brain plasticity for change and learning to occur. The focus of every therapy is to use an external tool, method, or approach to stimulate an internal change in the brain. The indicator of change is a new output of expected behaviour. But even before we get to therapeutic interventions, even before we get to new learning, there must be consideration of what the child starts with, from the time of conception and development; the state of their health as the foundation for learning; and the early exposures to factors that affect their health and developmental trajectory.

A missing piece of the autism puzzle that we are never speaking about in Barbados is health. Thus, we are only barely touching the surface of the potential autism support that could be available here. There is so much more that needs to be done to optimise the lives, well-being, and full potential of persons with autism.

Health status of women prior to conception and the relationship to autism

For years, it was thought that autism had a genetic basis. However, the most current research on autism recognises the interaction of a combination of both genetic susceptibilities and environmental factors, or epigenetics, as contributing to the development of autism. Epigenetic factors related to autism consider the link between exposure to chemical and environmental toxins and pollution, medications, viruses, bacteria, etc. and the genetic profiles of some individuals. Susceptible people may have difficulty with detoxification and a decreased capacity to reduce the inflammatory responses that exposure to certain environmental factors may trigger.

Recent research, like Association Between Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matters and Risks of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children: a Systematic Review and Exposure-response Meta-analysis, in the Journal of Environmental Research Letters 2021, and other similar research, have identified exposure to and bioaccumulation of toxins within women’s bodies prior to conception. In multiple studies, toxins which have been found in the placenta and cord blood of pregnant women, the breastmilk of mothers, and within some infant formulas, have been identified as related to autism. This means that exposure to environmental pollutants and toxins like heavy metals, pesticides, and many other pollutants may be occurring from conception within the mother-to-be, throughout pregnancy, very soon after birth and in the early infant and toddler period.

Therefore, if we really want to look at making a difference with autism in Barbados, we need to address pollution and toxic chemical and environmental exposures. We need to examine gardening and farming practices that are pesticide, antibiotic and hormone free, rearing animals for consumption that are organically raised and grass fed. It is also necessary to seek to reduce exposures to air pollution and other sources of pollution, so that pre-pregnancy exposures are reduced and developing infants and children are protected from exposure from conception to birth and beyond. There must also be encouragement of breastfeeding by mothers who are eating an organic, non-toxic diet, and provision of safe organic baby foods and infant formulas for our infants and toddlers, as other research has found toxins in some baby food. These types of considerations are a preventative health matter.

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