Black Immigrant Daily News

La crisis de salud que arropa a la isla ha hecho que el sistema pierda 500 médicos todos los años, compartió el médico internista Hiram Rodríguez, quien advirtió que “el sistema ya colapsó” y que el gobernador tiene que bajarle a su ego cuando exige se le respete cuando hay personas que pierden la vida a raíz del caos en el sistema.

Nota relacionada: Al gobernador no le gusta el tono de las denuncias del presidente del Colegio de Médicos

“Me alegra que los legisladores estén tomando cartas en el asunto, pero eso es algo que las medidas que ellos tomen van a ser prospectivas. O sea, el efecto de sus acciones se va a ver luego. Nosotros necesitamos acciones ya”, expresó el doctor al hacer un nuevo llamado al gobernador Pedro Pierluisi para que ejerza su poder ejecutivo sobre las agencias fiscalizadoras.

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Por su parte, el presidente del Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos, Carlos Díaz Vélez, destacó la gesta iniciada en la legislatura para atender la fuga de profesionales, al proponer ante la Comisión de Salud del Senado, presidida por Juan Zaragoza, para que se investigue por qué el gobierno no ha dado seguimiento a leyes que protegen a los trabajadores del campo de la salud.

Además, el galeno reaccionó favorablemente al ultimátum del secretario del Departamento de Salud (DS) a las aseguradoras para que paguen a los médicos lo que les corresponde, pero destacó que ahí no acaba el problema.

“Va a empezar el dime y direte y yo sé que Mellado va a estar insistiendo y me alegro que lo haga. Yo estoy cónsono con su preocupación, pero esto no resuelve el problema de la fuga de los médicos totalmente”, expresó.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Hundreds of Jamaicans in communities across the island will continue to benefit from free screening for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as breast and prostate cancers, hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes.

This follows the signing of contracts valued at $45 million by the National Health Fund (NHF) with the Jamaica Cancer Society, the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, and the Diabetes Association of Jamaica.

Speaking with JIS News, Chief Executive Officer of the NHF, Everton Anderson, said “we signed those contracts to have ready access to screening services whenever we have health interventions”.

This is in keeping with the entity’s community outreach to promote healthier lifestyle and early detection of NCDs.

“These entities are long-term partners of the NHF, and we have been working together for many years. These contracts will enable the quick intervention of screening activities and will aid in the push against NCDs,” Mr. Anderson pointed out.

He told JIS News that the long-term partnership with the three groups has been beneficial to the population, as they have been doing a “wonderful job” in providing screening services across the island and “we expect Jamaicans to benefit from this initiative”.

The NHF head said that the entity has resumed its community health fairs following a pause in activity due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He is calling for personal responsibility to combat the NCD challenge and for individuals to broaden their knowledge and “recognise that early detection is key in managing illnesses”.

Mr. Anderson said that the agency is committed to helping people achieve improved health by providing education on NCDs and promoting healthy behaviours through community outreach and supporting health initiatives in schools and workplaces in collaboration with its partners.

The NHF is an agency of the Ministry of Health and Wellness that provides financial support to the national healthcare system in order to improve its effectiveness and provide more affordable care for the Jamaican population.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Stopping short of calling for the immediate removal of Fayval Williams from the education and youth portfolio, Opposition Senator Damion Crawford has declared that the ministry needs greater energy and creativity ahead of the new school year.

Crawford is calling on the Education Minister to change in order to address the several issues plaguing the sector before the scheduled reopening of schools on September 5. He also said there is the option for the person at the helm of the education portfolio to be changed in order to effect change.

“We are concerned about what seems to be… the nonchalance of dealing with the education system already underperforming before COVID-19 pandemic and decimated by the decisions of the Government during the pandemic,” said Crawford.

He was speaking at a People’s National Party (PNP) press conference that centred on back-to-school preparations.

Earlier, Crawford claimed that almost every aspect of the plan to ensure the readiness of the first full face-to-face resumption of the academic year since the disruption brought on by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, was in disarray.

Aside from the migration of teachers, Crawford pointed out that schools are grappling with the late distribution of rental books and inadequate furniture.

“Equally, there is a grave concern from the Opposition benches about the great shortage of rental books going into September 2022. Indeed, communication with principals suggest that between 20 and 60 per cent of our students will not be able to get all the books due to them on the rental system,” he outlined.

“Additional interviews with parents indicate that last year, some of the children got none of their rental books because of the shortage of rental books within the system.

“Another concern is poor and insufficient infrastructure. The education system has always been plagued with poor infrastructure, and it’s a reality that is often discussed but seldom acted on,” Crawford stated.

He added: “The insufficiency of furniture, and indeed, classroom spaces, is extremely drastic going into this school year 2022.”

The senator also noted that the Sixth Form Pathways Programme will add to the infrastructure challenges in several schools come September.

Further, he informed that many principals are in “limbo” in relation to the responsiblities of each school pertaining to the mandatory requirement that each student should enrol in such a programme.

“If it is mandatory, what are the repercussions if the students do not show up? Many principals are incapable of answering this question.

“Has enough been done to motivate the parents to send children that graduated from fifth form back to school? How will schools address the additional teachers and facilitators needed for 200 to 300 additional students?” Crawford questioned.

“It is our belief, unfortunately, with no intention of disrespect, that the ministry needs greater energy and creativity at this moment in time,” he proposed.

When asked if he is calling for a change in leadership at the education ministry, Crawford said: “We are saying that the minister either needs to be changed or to be changed based on her ability to change.”

He elaborated: “There are two methods of change. You can change the person or the person can change.

“So if the minister, at current, is incapable to get greater vigour and vitality as it relates to the management of the education system, (and) if she is incapable to exert the energy and interest and excitement that it demands, then the minister needs to change,” the Opposition senator indicated.

“However, I believe that the first call is for the minister to understand and accept her need to change, and to indicate to the public that she can do better and she not just misunderstand the circumstances that face the education system,” said Crawford.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The UPP is extremely concerned about the ABLP administration’s repeated false announcements of over 26 development projects that have failed to deliver over 3,000 new hotel rooms, 6,000 construction jobs, 7,000 permanent jobs and should have pumped over US $5 billion (over EC $13 billion) into the local economy.

Since being elected in 2014, the ABLP administration has raised the hopes and dreams of many Antiguans and Barbudans with the announcement of an extensive list of development projects.

However, the ABLP has amassed the highest number of failed projects under any government in the history of Antigua and Barbuda – likely the poorest track record in the world.

In addition to dashed hopes and dreams of long-term prosperity for many Antiguans and Barbudans, the country now suffers from an unemployment and an underemployment crisis, with insufficient good paying jobs to meet the needs of our people. Having made these headline announcements the ABLP, has not provided any updates or progress reports.

The UPP considers this irresponsible and calls on the ABLP administration to explain the reasons for the apparent failure of these 26 major projects which were announced during budget presentations and by senior ABLP officials over the past 8 years.

The list of projects are:

Sunny Hill Project (Resort in Falmouth/Bethesda area)
Beaches Resort by Sandals Resorts
Half Moon Bay Hotel
Morris Bay / Callaloo Cay Project
Hotel Resort on Pelican Island and Residences on Maiden Island
Labahia Hotel Resort & Condominiums (Marble Hill Business Hotel) by WIOC
Long Bay Hotel Resort by WIOC
Valley Church Hotel Resort by WIOC/PDVSA, later Calvin Ayre Wellness Resort
Amazon Call Center at Five Islands
Marriott Autograph Hotel at Yeptons
Beach Club at Fort James by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
One and Only Hotel and Luxury Villas at Pearns Point
Port Oasis Project at Side Hill
NAMCO acquisition of Jolly Beach Hotel
Best Western Hotel at Jolly Harbour
Marriott Courtyard Airport Hotel
Cedar Valley Golf Course Hotel
Mike Tyson Hotel
Bau Panel/UNOPS Project
The Yida Project
Willoughby Bay Project
Western Imperial Special Economic Zone (WISEZ)
Brova Idea Pearl Hotel – Partly Underwater Hotel
USD $300 Million Hotel from Investors in Holland
Paradise Found (Barbuda)
Armand Hotel (Barbuda)

UPP Political Leader Harold Lovell states, “It is clear from the large list of stalled or failed ABLP projects that the administration is either failing to attract the right kind of investors or failing to properly nurture investments which have the potential for success.” He further comments, “It is clear that the ABLP’s refusal to cooperate with the experts at the Antigua Barbuda Investment Authority has contributed to this litany of failures. If even a quarter of these projects found success, we would have been more resilient in our post pandemic recovery.”

Prime Minister Browne himself acknowledges that we are in an unemployment crisis. In the Budget Presentation for the year 2021, he stated on page 9 that, “Figures from the Social Security Scheme indicate a decline of nearly 40 per cent in the number of contributors. This translates to about 11,000 fewer employed persons than when we started the year in 2020.”

The rapidly growing list of failed projects confirms that the ABLP Administration is incapable of reducing unemployment and providing adequate jobs for the thousands of school-leavers and returning graduates.

The full details on all 26 projects can be viewed at this link:

https://voteupp.com/upp-publishes-list-of-failed-ablp-projects/

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