Black Immigrant Daily News

The Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Health & Wellness, has signed a letter of intent for a technical cooperation agreement with the Government of the Republic of Cuba for the continued provision of a medical brigade of health professionals to Jamaica.

A similar letter was signed for the renewal of an agreement for the operation of an Ophthalmology Centre, which has, over the years, facilitated greater access to high-quality and timely vision and eye health services for Jamaicans.

The signing was done by Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton and the Minister of Public Health of Cuba, Dr Jos? Angel Portal Miranda on the sidelines of the IV International Convention “Cuba Salud” 2022, held in Havana, Cuba.

“Thank you, Minister, on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica, for this signing for two very important agreements. The first is the continuation of the medical brigade that comes to Jamaica, primarily nurses who are very important to helping our local nurses treat Jamaicans who need help in our public hospitals. The second is eye care, a long-term agreement which had to be suspended, primarily because of COVID,” Dr Tufton noted.

“I am very excited about the second agreement because we intend, hopefully, to expand the services, not just to the curative measures, but also to prevention in our schools,” the Minister added.

According to Dr Tufton, the Jamaica/Cuba cooperation reflect Cuba’s commitment to serving public health as a public good.

“I want to commend you and the people and the government and the leadership of the Republic of Cuba for this tradition, a tradition that we in Jamaica appreciate and have benefitted from and which I believe the world has benefitted from,” he said.

In response, the Cuban health minister noted that Jamaica would continue to enjoy his country’s support.

“These two letters of intent will help us to deepen even more the relationship of our two countries. You can always count on the solidarity of the Cuban people,” he added.

The letters of intent lay the foundation for the negotiation and implementation of the full terms of the technical cooperation agreements.

The first Bilateral Agreement of Cooperation for the establishment of a Centre of Excellence was signed between the Governments of Jamaica and Cuba on July 28, 2009. On January 10, 2010, Jamaica welcomed the first of four medical brigades from Cuba, who were entrusted to provide eye care services to the people of Jamaica.

The Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care Programme was launched on January 27, 2010, with the official opening of the Ophthalmology Centre by the Hon. O. Bruce Golding, then Prime Minister of Jamaica, and His Excellency Yuri Gala Lopez, then Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica.

Between 2010 and 2019, more than 35,000 patients were examined.

8,491 had laser therapy for Diabetic Retinopathy; 8,837 had cataract surgery; and4,084 had Ptergium Surgery.

At least 17,000 persons have had avoidable blindness averted through the programme.

The cooperation agreements have, over time, also allowed for the interweaving of Cuban medical professionals into all levels of Jamaica’s health system, helping to ensure the best possible health outcomes for patients.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Union Officials visit Jolly Beach Resort

Deputy General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union, Chester Hughes, and President, Kem Riley, visited the Jolly Beach Resort on Wednesday, where extensive renovation work is underway ahead of the hotel’s planned reopening in December.

Members of the hotel’s new management team were also on-site.

Chief Strategy Officer, Gerard Lee, and Managing Director of Development, Brian D’Ornellas used the opportunity to engage in talks with the Union Officials.

Earlier this month, the Government announced that it had secured a management deal with hotelier, Rob Barrett, for the reopening of the Resort.

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The ruins of the Bhim Street, Chaguanas home of attorney Keil Taklalsingh which was destroyed by fire on Friday. Photo by Lincoln Holder

THE home of attorney Kiel Taklalsingh was gutted by a fire at Bhim Street, Chaguanas in the early hours of Saturday.

Taklalsingh narrowly escaped death as he kicked open doors to escape the flames.

Preliminary reports said Taklalsingh and his mother who lived at the property off Ramsaran Street were at their home when the fire ignited.

Police are looking into the possibility that the fire may have been deliberately set and are looking into cases in which he appeared as the defending lawyer, to establish any links.

In an unrelated incident, an elderly man who has been identified only as Seepersad, died in a fire which razed his home at Delhi Road, Fyzabad.

Inquiries into both fires are continuing.

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The Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Carissa F. Etienne, asserting that disease knows no borders, has called for partnerships in health amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Disease knows no borders. So, as we turn to the task of rebuilding from this pandemic, we must do more to improve the health of our people by working in partnership and building equity as a core value,” a PAHO release quoted Etienne as saying.

She spoke at the fourth edition of Cuba Salud 2022, an international health convention that ended on Friday in Havana.

According to the PAHO release, Etienne noted that the COVID-19 pandemic further set back limited and uneven progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda.

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She said that the world, including the Region of the Americas, is not on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3 on health and wellness.

Dr. Etienne said it was vital to place equity at the center of government agendas to build back better and fairer.

She also spoke of the need to help groups in situations of vulnerability “attain optimal physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being,” leaving no one behind regarding receiving care.

Among the health consequences of the pandemic, the PAHO Director mentioned the sharp decline in routine vaccination rates over the past two years, increasing the risk of polio, measles, and other disease outbreaks in the region.

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