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Barbados Underground

Bringing News and Opinions to the People

image-thumb.pngWe have accepted the suggestion from a BU family member to facilitate discussion on medical matters which is a topic area that should interest us all. Based on exchanges with and between BU family members posted over time, many of you work in the medical field or possess information on various medical issues acquired based on personal circumstance or otherwise. Medical Corner seeks to encourage ANYONE to submit views on medical experiences, new developments in the industry or any related matter which readers feel can serve to educate the BU family.

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583 responses to “Medical Corner”

  1. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Uncaring? …
    Or is it incompetence at the highest levels of policy and management?
    Are our leaders ALL stupid?
    Is it a curse?

    It is only OBVIOUS that such cases will exist in a society where government offers every shiite for ‘free’, and where the concept of EARNING privilege via MERIT is disdained.

    So ANY hospital should expect, and plan for such eventualities.
    This can be done by creating a basic care facility that is paid for by patients via their families, pensions, properties or any insurance as appropriate.

    In ANY case, there should be a daily CHARGE for the use of critical and limited hospital resources AFTER patient discharge, that makes it UNATTRACTIVE to hang around Martindales Rd…

    But to just sit back DECADE AFTER DECADE complaining about an obvious problem and hoping that it will somehow go away on its own ….is asinine.

    What a place!!

  2. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    There is a growing practice in Barbados where the elderly are being fleeced of property, pension and anything of value. We have a ministry of elder affairs.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    In a country where the rate of NCDs and diabetes especially is high, why would the government not prioritise ‘diseased donor’ legislation?


    Renal failure crisis amid rising lifestyle diseases

    By Shanna Moore

    Barbados is grappling with a mounting kidney failure crisis, with over 400 patients now living on dialysis, as health experts warned that soaring rates of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are driving the surge in end-stage renal disease, a top medic warned on Monday.
    Dr Margaret O’Shea, transplant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and lecturer in surgery at the University of the West Indies, highlighted the alarming rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as a key factor behind the growing number of patients suffering from kidney failure.
    “The numbers of patients ending up with renal disease is going up and up, and hence the numbers ending up with endstage renal disease is increasing year on year,” she told the hospital’s Pulse Radio Show.
    Dr O’Shea revealed that dialysis now consumes 12 per cent of the QEH’s budget. While acknowledging that this cost is unsustainable, she stressed that kidney transplants could significantly reduce expenses.
    “The expense for donation and then probably the add-ons, which would be medication after having the kidney, compared to years and years on dialysis, is substantially lower,” she explained.
    “The upfront cost for a transplant is about $50 000 for the first year, and that drops to about $20 000 annually after that.
    Meanwhile, dialysis costs about $60 000 to $70 000 per patient per year. So, you can see the savings—about $20 000, $30 000, even $40 000 per patient annually.”
    But Dr O’Shea admitted that a lack of donors remains a significant obstacle to increasing transplant numbers.
    “The big challenge is you need somebody to give you the kidney, and a lot of times you have patients who don’t want to ask, or nobody’s offering,” she said.
    “It’s a big ask, but I would emphasise that the donation process is safe for the donor, and we do full investigations to make sure they are healthy before moving forward with surgery.”
    Since 2015, Barbados has performed 16 kidney transplants with a 100 per cent donor survival rate. Yet Dr O’Shea stressed that without more living donors, the country must establish a deceased donor programme to meet rising demand.
    “In other countries where they have the legislation, there’s something called deceased donation,” she explained. “Patients who have had a sudden tragedy and are declared brain dead— which is in fact dead because there is no chance of recovery— can become donors. That would allow us to help far more people without the stress of finding a living donor.”
    Dr O’Shea noted that legislation for a deceased donor programme is already before Parliament but emphasised that public awareness campaigns will be critical to changing perceptions about organ donation.
    “In countries like Spain, they invest heavily in marketing and public awareness. It’s in the schools, on the radio; there’s constant public relations. We need to do the same here,” she said.
    If implemented effectively, such a programme could more than double annual transplant numbers in Barbados while easing pressure on QEH’s dialysis services and saving millions in healthcare costs.
    “The more we do, the more positive outcomes people see, the more donors will come forward.
    “This is not just about reducing hospital costs—being able to free yourself from dialysis is a huge change, and studies show that patients live longer and enjoy a better quality of life after receiving a new kidney.”
    shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb

  4. David Avatar
    David

    UWI Cave Hill signs milestone deal

    The University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus has signed its first-ever licensing agreement to manufacture a product.

    The agreement with Barbados Dairy Industries Limited will see the production and distribution of locally developed, diabetes-friendly nutritional shakes.

    The announcement was made during the launch of the Cave Hill Impact Research in Action website and research forum, where Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor R. Clive Landis highlighted the significance of this milestone.

    “We have never had a licensing agreement to manufacture anything. So this is a first,” Landis said. He noted that while other UWI campuses have manufacturing initiatives, such as Trinidad’s roofing compound and plans for locally made chocolate, this was Cave Hill’s first entry into product manufacturing, particularly in the food and beverage sector.

    The licensing agreement centres on two nutritional shakes called Taste The Caribbean and Tropical Green Fig, developed at UWI Cave Hill as part of the Barbados Diabetes Remission Project. These plantbased shakes feature locally sourced ingredients and tropical flavours that diverge from the traditional chocolate, strawberry and vanilla offerings typically found in the market.

    Landis said the products would be sold in Barbados and across 20 Caribbean countries.

    “We want to conquer Barbados first, then the Caribbean and then the world,” he said, expressing his ambition for the products’ reach.

    The journey to this licensing agreement began in 2015 with the Barbados Diabetes Reversal Study, which demonstrated that diabetes could be reversed in Barbadians using low-calorie shakes as part of a six-week diet programme. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the supply of imported shakes used in the programme, the university saw an opportunity to develop its own alternatives.

    Eden Augustus, a public health doctoral candidate and qualified chef, led the formulation of these new shakes. Augustus said the shakes were developed with two main goals: to be comparable to competitor products in terms of nutritional content while ensuring they were tasty and visually appealing.

    A key differentiator of these UWI-developed shakes is their sugar content.

    “Our levels of sugar is consistently lower. In fact, our additional sugars to the product itself is zero because the sweetness of the shakes come from the natural fruits,” Augustus explained. The shakes include ingredients such as mangoes, pineapple and sweet potato, all locally sourced.

    The development process involved multiple rounds of reformulation and testing, with feedback from various stakeholders, including social media influencers, medical officers, researchers, supermarket representatives and people with diabetes.

    Landis emphasised that the shakes were not just for medical purposes, noting they also appealed to “young people who like to have shakes on the go”. Market research conducted by UWI indicate that such products were popular across all age groups.

    While the primary application of these shakes relates to diabetes management, with the original study showing remission rates of 60 to 90 per cent based on HbA1c and fasting blood glucose levels, the university retained the intellectual property and plans to develop additional products, including solid food items.

    The shakes are expected to hit shelves before the end of the year.(DDS)

    Source: Nation

  5. David Avatar
    David

    “SCREEN SAVER
    BARBADOS RANKS EIGHTH IN GLOBAL COLON CANCER RATES

    By Shanna Moore

    Barbados has one of the highest colon cancer rates in the world, but a lack of screening and early detection is putting lives at risk, according to Colorectal Surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) Dr Shabier St John.
    Speaking on the Pulse Radio Show on Monday, St John revealed that the island ranks eighth globally for colon cancer incidence alongside Japan.
    However, he pointed out, unlike Japan, Barbados does not have a strong screening programme.
    “Seven out of ten cases here are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when the cancer has already spread,” St John said. “And once that happens, the survival rate drops significantly. Two-thirds of patients die within three years.”
    The colorectal surgeon shared that though colon cancer is normally seen in older adults, more cases are appearing in people under 50, describing this as a “worrying trend”.
    “Ten per cent of cases are now being diagnosed between the ages of 39 and 50. That suggests a genetic or familial link, and it means we need to start screening people much earlier,” he said.
    Colon cancer begins with small growths, or polyps, that take 10 to 15 years to develop into cancer.
    This long development window, according to St John, provides a crucial opportunity for early detection and prevention, stating, “We need people to go to their polyclinic, their doctor, or any healthcare provider and ask, ‘How do I get screened?’ or ‘What is my risk?’”He further warned that too many Barbadians dismiss early warning signs, delaying diagnosis until it is too late.
    “If you notice a change in your bowel habits—whether it’s constipation, diarrhea, blood in the stool, bloating, or feeling unusually tired—you need to see a doctor,” he stressed.
    He also pushed back against the cultural reluctance to seek medical attention, noting, “In Barbados and the Caribbean, people tend to say, ‘Leave it alone, don’t bother it,’ but that ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
    “By the time they finally go to the doctor, they’re at an extreme stage, and our hands are tied.”
    St John noted that while the most effective screening test for colon cancer is a colonoscopy, access remains a challenge at the QEH.
    “We only have one unit, one set of equipment, one team. At best, we do ten colonoscopies a day, Monday to Friday. Let’s say with 100 000 people over 50 needing screening, there’s no way we can get through everyone at this rate,” he said.
    He, therefore, urged Barbadians to take advantage of the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), which he said is a simple stool test that can detect microscopic blood, an early sign of colon cancer.
    “The test is available privately for under $100, but the Ministry of Health has been procuring kits that are free at polyclinics. If your FIT test is positive, then we push to get you a colonoscopy,” St John explained.
    To raise awareness, the Caribbean Colon Cancer Initiative (CCCI) is hosting a Colon Cancer Awareness Walk & Run on March 23 at Golden Square. Participants are encouraged to wear blue in support of the cause.
    St John stressed that colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in both men and women, yet it does not receive the same level of attention as breast or prostate cancer.”Breast cancer awareness is fantastic, and I love to see people out in pink for walks. Prostate cancer is finally getting more recognition too,” he said. “But colon cancer kills just as many, and we need to start the conversation before more lives are lost.” shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb”

    Source: BT

  6. David Avatar
    David

    Public dental care is lacking, says senator

    INDEPENDENT SENATOR DR CHRISTOPHER MAYNARD is worried about the state of dental care.

    Deeming it to be “atrocious”, he called on Government to do more to make dental care and emergency services available to all Barbadians as more people, including children, were presenting at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) with dental abscesses almost on a daily basis During the debate in the Senate on the Appropriation Bill, 2025, Maynard said yesterday the health of a nation was related to teeth and “it says that we are in a terrible, unhealthy situation”.

    “I have not admitted any of the big earners and it’s usually those who are less affluent and it’s because they have no recourse. There is no public emergency dental service and the worst part of it is that we are not admitting children with dental abscesses,” he said.

    “I am far closer to the end of my career and my specialty than I was at the beginning; after almost 40 years. I’ve never seen a child admitted with a dental abscess before, but what it says is that people just cannot afford to seek private dental care . . . So then the preventive care is not in place and when there’s a problem, it gets bad enough that the child has to come to the hospital.”

    He urged Government to reactivate its dental programme. He said the amount of money spent on treating these abscesses could be put up front to pay dentists, but recognised it was difficult finding dentists willing to work in the public service.

    Maynard also called on Minister of Health, The Most Honourable Senator Dr Jerome Walcott to ask hospital administrators to cease with the message telling Barbadians not to come to the QEH. He said there was a problem with flow which was never addressed and it worsened with the expansion of the Accident & Emergency Department.

    He said one would never go anywhere in the world and hear anyone telling people not to go to a hospital unless it was bombed or something of that nature.

    “It is at best idiotic; because no patient in the middle of the night who wakes up with chest pain will be skilled enough to say this is not a heart attack if you’re in the right age group and have the right predisposition. So to tell people not to come, and you tell them repeatedly, then they will not come until they’re at death’s door.” ( SAT)

    Source: Nation

  7. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    OB/GYN testifies to US Senate: C-19 vax acts like a Chemical Abortion Drug in pregnant women.

    Top Doctor Testifies on Surging Miscarriages: Covid ‘Vaccines’ Are ‘Chemical Abortion Drugs’

    by Frank Bergman

    Dr. James Thorp, a highly respected obstetrician and gynecologist, has testified before the United States Senate on the surging miscarriages he’s seen among women who received Covid mRNA “vaccines.”

    Thorp testified that the number of miscarriages has now spiked so dramatically that he likens the Covid injections to “chemical abortion drugs.”

    The doctor had been called to testify as an expert witness on the adverse events caused by mRNA “vaccines.”

    Thorp is a board-certified OB-GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist with over 44 years of clinical experience.

    As a U.S. veteran and widely published physician, he has testified internationally and served as a peer reviewer for leading medical journals.

    He is a board member of the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine and an examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

    In an opening statement before the Senate, Thorp asserted that it is “difficult to conceive of a more egregious breach of medical ethics by the government-controlled medical-industrial complex than the promotion of COVID-19 vaccines to pregnant women.”

    “This campaign was not accidental,” said Dr. James Thorp.

    “It was calculated. Pregnant women were targeted deliberately.”

    He explained that this was done to persuade the American people that the Covid mRNA “vaccine” was “safe and effective.”

    If pregnant women “could be convinced that the vaccine was safe and effective, it would imply that it was safe and effective for everyone,” he noted.

    “From the outset of the pandemic, this vaccine campaign was never grounded in biological science, but rather in behavioral science, specifically the manipulation of public perception through influence, fear, and persuasion,” said Thorp. (My emphasis /GM)

    “The federal government outsourced much of this psychological operation to NGOs, which disseminated emotionally-charged and misleading messaging.

    “These entities falsely assured pregnant women that the vaccines were proven safe and essential for maternal and fetal newborn health despite the fact that early evidence indicated quite the opposite.”

    Dr. Jay Winston, an initiative director at Harvard’s School of Public Health, expressed the same view in a 2020 CBS News interview.

    More at: https://slaynews.com/news/top-doctor-testifies-surging-miscarriages-covid-vaccines-chemical-abortion-drugs/

  8. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    One wonders where all the vocal and ‘in-your-face’, pro-vaccine advocates – who took great pleasure in shaming and insulting those who warned of the DECEPTION, have gone off to…
    Not a SINGLE press conference from ‘health authorities’…
    Not a word from the CMO, PM, MoH, Dr Lorde, …who are ALL ON RECORD – in the Press and on Social Media – a short while ago ranting and raving against COMMON SENSE…

    Most amazingly, not a word from the lotta BBs who were misled, tricked, bamboozled, and compromised – like guinea pigs in a long-term, global medical depopulation scheme…

    But then again we have been subjected to EVEN GREATER deception via our unrelenting dedication to albino-centric brassbowlery – in the form of MONEY and material possessions.

    No wonder the Creator must be SADDENED with such idiocy…. particularly among his CHOSEN black BBs.

    Steupsss!

  9. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    Pandemic response – coordinated by national security agencies and public-private partnerships – followed a biodefense/counterterrorism playbook

    ‘The Deep State Goes Viral:’ The Real Covid Story
    By Rebekah Barnett

    What if the pandemic response was run by national security agencies according to a biodefense/counterterrorism playbook, rather than by public health agencies according to public health guidelines?

    This is the question at the core of a new book by friend and Brownstone Institute colleague Debbie Lerman.

    Debbie’s contention is this: If it had been a regular public health response, covid would not have differed that greatly from any of the viral epidemics or pandemics of the last century.

    The public would have been told to remain calm, wash hands frequently, and stay home if sick. Public health agencies would have tracked clusters of severe disease and treated them accordingly. This would have happened at different times, in different locations. Most people would barely have been aware that there was a novel virus circulating among them.

    Instead, the response to covid was the exact opposite. The media and public health agencies whipped the population into levels of panic massively disproportionate to the threat actually posed by the virus. Everyone was convinced that the only way to “beat the virus” was to lock down the whole world and wait for a never-before-tested or manufactured vaccine. (My emphasis /GM)

    Why?

    As a former science writer with a knack for deep investigative thread-pulling, Debbie is well-placed to attempt an answer to this question, in her new book, The Deep State Goes Viral: Pandemic Planning and the Covid Coup.

    While readers may have come across Debbie’s articles before on her Substack or on the Brownstone Journal, the book ties everything together in a way that reading disparate articles across time (and platforms) cannot quite.

    I had the privilege of working on this book in its final stages and, having read it from start to finish, can attest that this is recommended reading for anyone with an interest in the bigger, “network level” picture. Debbie also deep dives into the weeds when required to demonstrate with forensic detail the degree to which the official covid narrative simply does not add up.

    Following is my interview with Debbie Lerman.

    RB: Congratulations on finally publishing your book Debbie, and on hitting #1 in Amazon’s Public Policy reads in the first week of the Kindle edition launch!

    DL: Thanks Rebekah – your help was invaluable!

    RB: What is the main thing you want people to know about the worldwide covid event – and why does it matter?

    DL: To quote the ‘COVID Dossier’, which I published with independent researcher Sasha Latypova, covid was not a public health event, although it was presented as such to the world’s population. It was a global operation, coordinated through public-private intelligence and military alliances and invoking laws designed for CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) weapons attacks.

    This is so crucial because it shifts the focus from the false narrative of public health to the real story: the underlying global powers whose networks of control were at least partially revealed during the covid operation.

    When we think about all the terrible totalitarian actions that were taken by nearly every government around the world during covid, we need to realise that it was not a series of misguided or mistaken public health decisions. It was an intentional, coordinated global project run by a huge public-private partnership network.

    Realising this means that we cannot blame any individual (e.g. Fauci) or government or company for what happened. We have to address the much bigger and less easily solvable problem of how power and control are shifting away from national governments and into the hands of global cartels.

    Here’s the global cartel that ran covid, presented both on the US and on the global levels:

    (Go to source at link below for the chart of the global COVID cartel members /GM)

    The implications are so disturbing that most people don’t want to face them: Our national governments are not working on our behalf. They are working for the global cartels that are amassing more power and resources and working on ways to surveil, censor and propagandise us so we do not see or oppose what they are doing.

    It’s had to wrap one’s mind around this, but I believe it is essential if we are to move toward any kind of solution: We have to stop focusing on the short-term political “fixes” in each of our countries (all political parties are just different sides of the same global technocratic control coin), opt out of the completely corrupted political systems, defend ourselves against control and surveillance operations (of which covid was one), and build alternative systems on a local level that are based on real community and human values.

    More: https://expose-news.com/2025/05/20/debbie-lerman-exposes-the-real-covid-story/

  10. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Help from China.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/05/31/chinese-lifeline-major-medical-donation-toast-barbados-beijing-ties-at-48/

  11. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    “Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George has confirmed that it is “a dermatological condition”.

    Scabies.

  12. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Good news.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/06/18/bayview-lab-launches-full-service-laboratory-in-the-new-bayview-urgent-care/

  13. David Avatar
    David

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/fda-approves-powerful-hiv-drug-with-the-potential-to-end-the-epidemic-in-the-u-s/ar-AA1GYsAe

  14. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    New study adds to evidence that glyphosate weed killer (e.g. Roundup) can cause cancer

    By Carey Gillam

    A new long-term animal study of the widely used weed killer glyphosate find fresh evidence that the herbicide, introduced by Monsanto in the 1970s, causes multiple types of cancer, and may do so at doses considered safe by regulators.

    The results of the two-year study, which were published June 10 in the journal Environmental Health, add to an ongoing global debate over the safety of the pesticide, which is commonly used by farmers to kill weeds in fields and pastures. The chemical is also used widely to manage weeds on golf courses, in parks and playgrounds, and in forestry management.

    “Our study provides solid and independent scientific evidence of the carcinogenicity of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides,” said Daniele Mandrioli, director of the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the Ramazzini Institute in Italy. Mandrioli is the principal investigator for the study.

    Weighing the science
    Germany-based Bayer, which bought Monsanto in 2018 and inherited the glyphosate-based Roundup brand and other glyphosate-based herbicides, is currently embroiled in litigation in the United States brought by tens of thousands of people who allege that exposure to the company’s glyphosate herbicides caused them to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.

    One trial is underway now in Missouri, not far from Monsanto’s former headquarters. The company has already paid out billions of dollars in settlements and jury awards, and the new study comes as Bayer warns that if it cannot put an end to the litigation, it may shut down its glyphosate operations in the US, and possibly place its Monsanto businesses in bankruptcy.

    Continued at:
    https://www.thenewlede.org/2025/06/new-study-adds-to-evidence-that-glyphosate-weed-killer-can-cause-cancer/

    Note that the agri-chemical producers in the US are now lobbying the US government to use the same trick for them as it used for the US vaccine manufacturers, i.e. provide them with immunity from lawsuits seeking compensation for damages caused by their potentially dangerous products. I know Roundup (the most well known, but not the only glyphosate based weed killer) is widely used in Barbados. I have to wonder if our local government authorities have ever tested our local water supply for its glyphosate content.

  15. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    “rashes, sores, and peeling skin”

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/07/04/school-closed-for-cleaning-amid-uncertainty-over-source-of-problem/

  16. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Another.

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/07/09/classes-suspended-at-gordon-walters-primary-after-child-hospitalised-others-fall-ill/

  17. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    scarlet fever

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/07/10/health-officials-confirm-rare-illness-at-primary-school/

  18. Cuhdear Bajan Avatar
    Cuhdear Bajan

    What is scarlet fever?

    Scarlet fever is a contagious infection that mostly affects young children. It’s easily treated with antibiotics.
    https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/scarlet-fever/

    Source: UK National Health Service

  19. David Avatar
    David

    Harrison Point prospects ‘fall through’

    by Maria Bradshaw

    mariabradshaw@nationnews.com

    The multi-million dollar Harrison Point Medical Facility used during the COVID-19 pandemic and which was supposed to be transitioned into a site for medical tourism has been leased by Government to Pendry Development, the entity constructing Pendry Resorts at Six Men’s, St Peter.

    Dr William Duguid, Senior Minister responsible for Planning and Development, confirmed this state of affairs to the Weekend Nation pointing out that Pendry was leasing the St Lucy base property, for 18 months to two years, which was the main isolation medical centre during the pandemic, to house its workers and construction equipment.

    The company has imported several foreign workers.

    Late last year this newspaper had reported that Government was in discussion with about five local entities which had shown an interest in acquiring the property for medical purposes.

    Duguid reported that the deal for such had not materialised.

    “That didn’t pan out in the end so we have a tenant there – the people who are building Pendry – they are housing their equipment and their people there,” he said.

    In terms of the state-of-the art medical equipment which was purchased during the pandemic he said the equipment had been moved out by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

    Asked for details about the lease arrangement which this newspaper understands was a substantial sum, Duguid further directed the team to the Ministry of Health.

    However, he said Government was still opened to proposals for the property and when asked what would happen if the country was faced with another situation which required persons to be isolated he said: “That possibility has been taken into account and measures are in place”.

    Likewise, Minister of Health The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott also confirmed the leasing of the property.

    He too said that the majority of the equipment had been moved out by the QEH.

    And while he also could not say how much money Government was realising from this agreement he stated that the funds collected would go to the hospital.

    A source told this newspaper that some persons in the medical field were not pleased that Government had leased out Harrison Point to a non-medical entity.

    “There is a real need for a medical facility in the north. Harrison Point was being operated as a mini hospital with oxygen concentrators, surgical equipment, beds and laundry. I believe there was a great opportunity to continue to provide medical services there.”

    An official has pointed out that no infrastructural changes had been undertaken at the facility.

    “The property will remain the same it is just getting retrofitted but all the areas remain the same. If it has to be returned at any time for a medical emergency the facility would be converted quickly as there are no major infrastructural changes,” the source said.

    Back in 2022, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley indicated that the Harrison Point Isolation Centre was to become a site for medical tourism once it was no longer needed for COVID-19 patients.

    She also said she had instructed the relevant authorities to identify investors to transform the 80acre property into a facility that would form part of the island’s medical tourism product as she noted it would not be abandoned or be allowed to fall into a state of disrepair.

    In the past, the site has been used as the United States Naval base and following the burning down of Glendairy Prisons in 2005 it was outfitted as a temporary prison to house hundreds of inmates. The site was unused until the pandemic when it was stood up as an isolation centre.

    Source: Nation

  20. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    The question is who are the people building Pendry, one guesses reference is to SixMens and I believe that is AECON? How many people, do they have? Surely they are using local sub trades.
    The word ‘Pendry’ feels like a plaster for every sore.
    Anyways, I’m unsure the whole dental college was anything more than an excuse to acquire land from “friends”. The Canadian who was supposedly involved, always denied involvement.

  21. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Everything involving Dooshiite is a scam.

  22. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Back to the future.

    United States Naval base ?

  23. David Avatar
    David

    It is a questionable decision on the surface at best given how that medical facility was promoted during the pandemic as boosting health care services. The opaque nature how public information and decisions are taken leave a lot to be desired.

  24. David Avatar
    David

    $10m cancer treatment machine still in storage

    By Maria Bradshaw

    mariabradshaw@nationnews.com

    Nine months after the state-of-the-art $10 million cancer treatment machine arrived in Barbados, it is yet to be installed and commissioned at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

    Sources told the Sunday Sun that the linear accelerator machine, which is used in radiation therapy to treat cancer, was still in storage.

    Contractors Hackleton Construction Inc., which was chosen through a tender process by the hospital’s board of management to rectify the area to accommodate the machine, was still carrying out the construction work.

    Highest bid

    A source said the company, which presented the highest bid during the tender process, was originally slated to complete the job in six to eight weeks.

    So, urgent has the situation now become that, according to sources, hospital personnel have been approved to work with the company to complete the job in a new schedule which is the end of August.

    The linear accelerator, which replaced the old Cobalt machine, is a powerful device used in radiation therapy to treat cancer. It produces high energy x-rays or electron beams that target tumours with precision, minimising damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

    Government is said to have been paying about $7 million a year since 2023 for Barbadian cancer patients to go to Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia for treatment, after the old machine was decommissioned.

    A source said the overseas treatment was between $50 000 to $60 000 per person and about ten patients were being sent overseas monthly.

    However, the source revealed there was still a long list of cancer patients waiting for the green light from the Medical Aid Scheme to be approved for the life-saving treatment overseas.

    A concerned patient told this newspaper that there was a long list including children and people with various cancers waiting for approval.

    “I understand a meeting was held a few weeks ago to discuss the cancer machine. They are telling the patients that they do not know when the machine will become available. It is really hard and adding to the stress that cancer patients already have to endure,” she said.

    When contacted, Minister of Health Senator Dr The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott confirmed that the machine was still to be installed as he revealed that the matter was being dealt with by the engineering department at the hospital.

    While he did not go into details pertaining to what sources are calling an excessive delay in getting the machine up and running, Walcott said all systems were being put in place to accommodate the installation and functioning of the machine.

    “The linear accelerator was ordered and arrived in November last year, and it is in storage and they are waiting for the area where it is supposed to be installed for the remedial work on that to be completed,” he said.

    Medical bill

    Walcott confirmed that Government was footing the bill for cancer patients to be treated in Colombia, adding that those with insurance coverage were also going to Trinidad and Tobago.

    “We have a new oncologist on board and we are hoping to recruit another one shortly,” he said.

    The Sunday Sun was unable to reach Neil Clark, the Chief Executive Officer of the QEH, but chairman of the board, Nigel Whitehall, also confirmed that the machine was still to be commissioned.

    He explained that the machine arrived on November 25 and a team from Global Medicals where the machine was purchased had already visited the hospital to work with the team on its installation and usage.

    Addressing the delay in getting the construction work completed, Whitehall, who publicly stated last year that the current bunker space used for the Cobalt machine could accommodate the linear accelerator with minimal civil works, said it was not a cost overrun situation but a time overrun.

    “There were some variations. There were some issues between the contractor and the subcontractors and both were blaming each other for the delay,” he said.

    He said initially the machine was supposed to arrive in Barbados in May 2024 and the hospital had received a project plan indicating it would receive its first patient in November. He said this did not materialise due to delays in shipping.

    When asked about hospital personnel working with the contractor, Whitehall directed this newspaper to the hospital’s CEO on that matter.

    However, he said management was hopeful that the machine would be finally installed by the end of August.

    Speaking about the machine, he explained: “It provides better treatment and better patient outcomes. That is the direction that we are going in and we would save money from sending people overseas.”

    Source: Nation

  25. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    One cannot make this shit up lol

  26. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    New documentary “Inside the Vaccine Trials”, shows how in the abbreviated testing phase for the C19 mRNA vaccines, people who suffered serious complications and vaccine injuries were discounted and dropped from the trials, so their serious injuries could not be counted in the official trial statistics (or someone with a serious injury would be counted as having only a minor reaction).

    Also shows an example of how sub-contractors running the trials on behalf of Pfizer, Moderna etc. were not held to high standards and were very poorly supervised by the FDA. When one whistleblower came forward to expose flagrant failure to follow correct protocols in the vaccine trials she was supposed to supervise, her superiors ignored her complaints and refused to fix the problems. After getting no results from management in her own organization, she then went and reported the problems and protocol violations directly to the FDA, only to be almost immediately fired from the job for her trouble.

    This film offers an intimate look into the lives of vaccine trial volunteers. These individuals came forward with hope and trust, only to encounter serious, lasting health complications.

    Now, navigating a system that offers little support, their stories shed light on a larger concern: post-vaccine injuries are often ignored, and voices are suppressed under intense censorship,

    1hr 10min video:

  27. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    Trini takes legal action after wife, who took COVID-19 Vaccine for work, became paralyzed and then died by suicide (Trinidad)

    THE husband of a 27-year-old woman who became paralysed, allegedly after taking a Covid-19 vaccine and later died by suicide, has through his attorneys initiated legal action against the State.

    A pre-action protocol letter dated April 16, 2025, was sent to the Attorney General and the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) by attorneys Alvin Ramroop, Kingsley Walesby, and Stephanie Rajkumar of San Fernando law firm Kingsley Walesby and Associates on behalf of the widower of Alisha Kanna Seebaran.

    Seebaran, who received the Pfizer Covid- 19 vaccine on October 6, 2021, took her life two years later on May 25, 2023, after her health deteriorated, leaving her paralysed and dependent on her husband to take care of her.

    The Express received a copy of the pre-action protocol letter, which seeks damages from the State and the NCRHA for what is described as a series of systemic failures.

    It claims negligence, breach of statutory duty, and a violation of Seebaran’s constitutional right to life.

    According to the letter, Seebaran worked as a waitress at One Restaurant and Bar in Curepe and was directly informed by her employer that vaccination against the Covid-19 virus was required to continue her employment, in accordance with Government policy.

    Seebaran received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine at a mass vaccination site at Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima on October 6, 2021.

    The next day, she felt a sudden sharp pain on the left side of her neck that lasted for several minutes and then partially subsided.

    ‘On 8th October, 2021, at about 1 a.m., the deceased awoke again with a sharp pain in her neck. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the pain did not settle down. Instead, the pain extended into a rapidly developing state of paralysis together with urinary and faecal incontinence and the deceased also developed vomiting. The deceased was unable to move the left side of her body including her fingers, her left hand and her left foot. The deceased was also struggling to breathe and her face was turning red then blue in colour,’ the attorneys’ letter stated.

    She was taken to the Arima Hospital and then transferred to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) at Mt Hope.

    The letter stated that medical assessments, including MRIs and evaluations by specialists, diagnosed her with vaccine- induced transverse myelitis, a serious neurological condition.

    More: https://makismd.substack.com/p/mrna-injury-stories-husband-takes?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1385328&post_id=162799810&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=o3ikk&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

    If you have not yet done so, watch the documentary Inside the Vaccine Trials, in the post directly above this one to see how psychopathic, profit-driven drug companies and slack-ass medical regulators minimized vaccine injuries during the abbreviated COVID-19 vaccine trials to get their Emergency Use Authoriztion for the COVID-19 vaccines approved.

  28. David Avatar
    David

    Renewed push to curb NCDs

    The fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Barbados has once again taken centre stage, with health advocates emphasising the urgent need for collective action to curb the rising toll of unhealthy lifestyles.

    At the recent St Philip Ideas Forum town hall held at Princess Margaret Secondary School, representatives from the Heart and Stroke Foundation called for strengthened efforts to combat the NCD crisis that claims 80 per cent of lives annually.

    Ddjata Massiah, a third-year university medical student and youth advocate, highlighted alarming statistics: one in five adult Barbadians has Type 2 diabetes while one in three children is overweight or obese, putting them at increased risk for future NCD-related health issues.

    Overweight

    Furthermore, 66 per cent of adults are overweight, with 33 per cent classified as obese.

    Massiah emphasised the severity of the situation, noting that “80 per cent of all deaths in Barbados are caused by NCDs”, describing them as a “silent killer” comparable to other major health threats.

    He pointed out that Barbados spends about $375 million annually on NCD-related health care costs, with $65 million allocated specifically for diabetes and heart disease.

    “NCDs are just as serious as the communicable diseases that often receive more public attention,” Massiah stated.

    Khrystal Walcott, also from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, addressed the impact of marketing on unhealthy eating habits, especially among children.

    She noted that aggressive marketing at sporting events and tours fostered poor dietary choices, contributing to childhood obesity and related health problems. She called for legislative measures to give binding authority to existing policies, making them more enforceable and ensuring greater accountability for violations.

    The forum also featured discussions on broader community concerns.

    Jerome Davis suggested implementing staggered opening hours for Government offices to ease traffic congestion, while Guy Wiltshire proposed revitalising the dilapidated Ragged Point Lighthouse area into a scenic park to attract tourists and locals alike.

    In the realm of arts and culture, Alexei Charles, an arts teacher, urged the development of more creative spaces in St Philip and advocated for the establishment of a national art gallery.

    His mother, educator Dr Denise Charles, emphasised the importance of parenting and family programmes to strengthen community resilience.

    Farmer Francis Ifill raised concerns about “brown water”, calling for water tanks and rebates to assist farmers.

    Minister of Agriculture Indar Weir announced a new programme for small farmers that would provide them with 12 000-gallon tanks and financing options. (HH)

    Source: Nation

  29. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    Whistleblower: Merck ignored evidence linking Gardasil vax to autoimmune disease
    New court filings reveal a clinical trial investigator tried to warn Merck of autoimmune injuries from Gardasil—but says the company shut him down.

    By Maryanne Demasi, PhD
    Aug 4, 2025
    ∙
    Newly declassified court documents reveal that Merck ignored internal warnings that its HPV vaccine, Gardasil, could cause autoimmune disorders in young women.

    The report—part of the record in the ongoing Robi v Merck case—details how Dr Jesper Mehlsen, a Danish physician and former Merck trial investigator, alerted the company to signs of autonomic dysfunction following vaccination.

    According to Mehlsen, those warnings were “discarded.”

    He alleges that Merck blocked adverse event reports, misled regulators, and downplayed real-world injury signals—including evidence of elevated autoantibodies in hundreds of young women.

    Mehlsen’s report details clinical evidence suggesting that Gardasil can trigger serious autoimmune reactions in a genetically or biologically vulnerable subgroup.

    That evidence is now before the court.

    SNIP

    EMA relied on Merck’s data
    Mehlsen criticised the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) failure to uphold independent safety scrutiny. Rather than critically evaluating the evidence, the regulator relied heavily on Merck’s own data and interpretations.

    Most concerning, EMA did not consult the WHO’s Uppsala Monitoring Centre—a global authority on drug safety monitoring—which had raised concerns about POTS and autonomic dysfunction following Gardasil vaccination.

    “The fact that the WHO’s centre was not consulted is remarkable,” Mehlsen wrote.

    He also challenged Merck’s claim that its trials were “placebo-controlled,” noting that most participants received aluminium adjuvants or active comparators like hepatitis vaccines—undermining any meaningful comparison with an inert placebo.

    By ignoring these design flaws and deferring to the manufacturer, EMA allowed Gardasil’s safety profile to go largely unchallenged.

    EMA declared in 2015 that there was no link between HPV vaccination and serious autoimmune or neurological adverse events.

    A government response—and a flood of injuries
    But that same year, amid growing public concern, the Danish government took a different approach—establishing five regional clinics to investigate possible Gardasil-related injuries. Mehlsen led the largest centre in the Capital Region.

    By 2016, the Danish Medicines Agency had received over 2,300 adverse event reports related to the HPV vaccine—more than 1,000 of which were classified as “serious.”

    Full article: https://blog.maryannedemasi.com/p/exclusive-whistleblower-says-merck

  30. David Avatar
    David

    Important to follow medical advice

    By Dr. Colin V. Alert

    About one year ago, a newspaper interview with a senior hospital official stated that noncompliance with medication was the cause of increased patient visits to the Accident and Emergency (A& E) Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

    This, the official explained, was the reason why the A& E Department was being overwhelmed with patients. This claim was made without supporting data, and no solutions to this problem were offered by this official. While I also do not have any national data on this I offer a different vantage point, one who works at the front line of our health care system.

    In medicine, compliance – also referred to as adherence – describes how well patients follow medical guidance, including medication regimens, diet, exercise and other therapies. By necessity, most of this occurs without the direct scrutiny of medical officials, but inappropriate behaviours often have health consequences. While following medical advice may seem straightforward, non-adherence is a complex issue with serious consequences, especially for chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Poor adherence can lead to emergency room visits, strokes, heart disease, dementia, and even death. Skipping your medications is like ignoring the warning light on your car.

    If, in fact, non-compliance is the main reason that patients flock to the A& E Department and to the emergency clinics, it seems that a philosophy of “health promotion and disease prevention” has been replaced by “we can patch you up once you get damaged”.

    Our nation’s health depends on shifting from emergency care to everyday wellness. Healthy living must become the first line of defence.

    Non-communicable diseases Many people believe that going to a doctor should be reserved for situations when they are sick. This should be the designated role for the emergency physician. Unfortunately, many of the illnesses that dominate our health landscape, specifically the chronic non-communicable diseases and many cancers, are “silent” for long periods. They quietly do their damage in the background, and only “break the silence” when the disease process is advanced, such as when a heart attack, stroke or advanced cancer “shows itself”.

    The silent phase of many conditions often offers the best (and sometimes the only) opportunity for early detection and successful intervention. An ounce of prevention is better, and generally much cheaper than a pound of cure. When one “feels sick”, it is often too late to reverse the disease process. Our health services, perhaps, need to focus on health promotion and disease prevention, rather than on emergency care. Emergency care depends on you getting sick, and rarely offers the opportunity for a complete disease reversal.

    The promotion of healthy eating and healthy exercise are included in the main list of risk factors for the chronic diseases, the NCDs. While the appointment of a National Physical Activity Commission a few years ago suggested that a national “Action Plan: was about to be rolled out, instead the commission went into early onset demise, even after research data from the Health of the Nation Study suggested that 75 per cent of our adult population did not get sufficient exercise to preserve health, and this seemed to be a major contributor to the NCDs.

    Chronic disease risk factors

    Also on the list of chronic disease risk factors is the use, if not the abuse, of alcohol. We lament the victims of motor vehicle accidents triggered by drunk drivers. We lament the people who’s mental acumen has been permanently degraded by prolonged alcohol use. On the other hand, we embrace the recognition that comes with the international recognition of locally producing one of the finest alcoholic beverages. The national drink of Barbados is rum. We also note the large number of calypsos that promote alcohol consumption – every year – as we look forward to our national festivities.

    We are concerned about the rising number of mental health cases (and the consequences, including the violent ones) that may have reached epidemic proportions. At the same time, we are embracing a medical cannabis industry, with limited safeguards and, at best, a promise that more mental health officials will soon be employed.

    At best, these represent official ambivalence to chronic disease and mental health prevention. With this background, it is no surprise that the A& E Department, as well as our Psychiatric Hospital, is over-run with patients.

    The progression of the NCDs and mental illnesses can be slowed, if not reversed, by focusing on the “risk factor” stage, rather than the “disease complication” phase, as the A& E Department and the emergency clinics do. The nation’s health status should not be held hostage by people who decline (for whatever reason) to follow appropriate medical advice, particularly in taking medications and limiting drug use; instead the focus should be on preserving health so there is a reduced need for medication and emergency treatments in the first place.

    The American Heart Association describes “Life’s Essential 8”, as key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for heart diseases, strokes and other major health problems. The Health of the Nation study said that 90 per cent of adults in Barbados do not consume nutritionistrecommended quantities of fruits and vegetables.

    Red meats

    More recent medical research suggest that we should limit our consumption of red meats – both from a cancer prevention point of view and to reduce the ecological damage associated with meat production – and try to eliminate trans fats from our diets. Even though small amounts of trans fats occur in foods such as meats and dairy products, most trans fats are found in a variety of processed and fried foods that fill our supermarket shelves. They are often present in baked goods, and some types of margarines and shortenings. Unfortunately, from a health point of view, manufacturers make the processed foods addictive, to generate more sales.

    Other measures include getting regular exercise; avoiding smoking; limiting (or even better, eliminating) alcohol; getting healthy sleep, controlling your weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. The latter measures can be more effectively done with the periodic supervision, as they can (and often do) silently lead to the deterioration of person’s health and a collection of serious diseases.

    Staying healthy is thus an individual choice, complemented by a periodic health evaluation (“check-up”) to mitigate any disease “risk factors”, before they progress to full-blown disease. Each individual should make an effort to embrace healthy lifestyle options, and follow the advice of his/her family physician.

    Since many people rarely see a doctor, by choice, or are turned off by long wait times at the Government health centres, they may not be fortunate enough to get medical advice, and hence cannot be accused of being non-compliant. This provides fertile ground for “silent diseases” to ferment, and may be part of the explanation why we have such a high prevalence of NCDs.

    Ultimately, building a healthier nation requires more than diagnosing illness – it demands nurturing wellness. When individuals engage in preventive care and consistently follow sound medical advice, we shift the focus from crisis response to proactive living. This transition will not only alleviate the burden on emergency services, but foster a culture of vitality, resilience, and personal responsibility. The future of public health depends not on how well we treat disease, but on how deeply we commit to preventing it.

    Dr Colin V. Alert is a family physician.

    Source: Nation

  31. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    “Our health services, perhaps, need to focus on health promotion and disease prevention, rather than on emergency care.”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    No ‘perhaps’ about it… But money gotta mek!!
    Benz gotta get paid for…

    Bushie is a fan of Dr Alert.
    Perhaps the main reason for this is that he is clearly NOT a real-real doctor.

    Our WHOLE SYSTEM of medicine is built on BBs ignoring their health, and then paying for it – for the rest of their lives. The Doc is therefore back-raising his professional calling.
    We actually BIG UP fast food health-destroyers – with their addictive poisons and unhealthy ingredients – with government incentives, popular patronage and national honors.
    The REALLY RICH doctors THRIVE on the fact that brass bowls care little about their health – until too late…
    Except for Simple Simon, few Bajans know how to mek a conkie – except from a Massy store…. or even to bake a piece of cake…

    In order to follow the Doc’s EXCELLENT advice therefore, we would need to COMPLETELY INVERT our approach to nutrition, health, and wellness…. starting with wise and competent LEADERSHIP, that sets proper examples themselves….

    -There would be incentives to have pre-emptive medical checks to monitor progress WHILE STILL HEALTHY…
    -There would be penalties for promoting / selling / eating shiite…
    -Doctors would be rewarded for PREVENTING NCDs in their patients – before they occur…and penalized when their patients get ill…
    -National Sports would be a Health item – with COMPULSORY aspects for school children, retirees, and special classes of citizens (Check out Cuba)

    Dr Alert is 100% right, but he is preaching to empty brass bowls without the CAPACITY to absorb his wisdom.
    He is talking about a completely DIFFERENT world. (one that is coming REAL soon though , thankfully)

    What a time!!

  32. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    CDC Crisis: How to Admit Vaccine Harm Without Sparking Total Chaos!
    Why acknowledging harm and rebuilding trust may be our only path forward

    By Dr Philip McMillan (MD from UWI, Mona & now based in the UK)
    Aug 14, 2025

    This is a difficult time for public health. In some ways, I feel deeply sad, because I’m one of those people who still asks uncomfortable questions. Many would prefer that the scientific and medical community stick to the narrative, stop talking about pandemic-related controversies, and simply move on. That’s certainly the easier path—but I’m not convinced it’s the right one.

    The recent shooting at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta has brought these concerns into sharp focus. The U.S. is unique in its gun laws, so anger can manifest in the most tragic of ways. A life was lost trying to protect others. And yet, what troubles me most is that silence—especially around contentious issues like vaccine safety—may be pouring fuel on the flames.

    I took to the X platform to get a sense of public sentiment, using AI to help analyze the discussion. The results were sobering:

    40% expressed grief for the fallen officer and support for law enforcement.

    35% voiced concern over misinformation and its link to violence.

    15% justified the shooter’s grievances or predicted more incidents.

    10% remained neutral.

    That 15% figure cannot be ignored. It represents a meaningful portion of the public who, while not condoning violence, can understand the anger that drove it. When trust in doctors has already fallen 30% in four years, and when people who believe they have suffered vaccine injuries feel ignored or ridiculed, we have fertile ground for resentment.

    This is why the CDC shooter’s story matters—regardless of whether one believes his claims. His father told police that his son believed the COVID-19 vaccine had made him ill, depressed, and suicidal. Imagine experiencing new health problems after following official guidance, only to be told it’s unrelated, with no investigation and no empathy. For someone already struggling, that can be enough to break them.

    We cannot afford to simply “move on” from the pandemic without addressing unresolved questions.

    More: https://philipmcmillan.substack.com/p/cdc-crisis-how-to-admit-vaccine-harm?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=604377&post_id=170910968&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1eq64c&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

  33. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    ‘We cannot afford to simply “move on” from the pandemic without addressing unresolved questions.’
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Boss…
    Yes we can ….and we do!!
    You are not even touching the HALF of the dilemma that we face…

    It is bad Enuff that ordinary, LAW ABIDING, citizens would have been so BADLY advised with respect to the Covid 19 plandemic – PARTICULARLY the savage assault on those who questioned the FORCED INJECTION of experimental shiite into healthy, young citizens – for NO SENSIBLE SCIENTIFIC REASONS.

    But what is MUCH, MUCH WORSE is the MIS-EDUCATION that universally condemns brass bowls to UNDERVALUE their phenomenal life POTENTIAL, …and to instead focus on the shiite albino-centric, materialistic trinkets that currently drive this world.

    Imagine persons who are actually potential KINGS and ROYALTY – but who have NO IDEA of this reality – but are encouraged to just “move on” with BB life DESPITE its clear lack of direction and focus….
    …AND ALMOST ALL OF US DO…!!!

    What a world!!
    What demonic influencers…

  34. David Avatar
    David

    Isn’t your comment riddle with some contradiction Bush Tea?

    How we think is anchored to how we educate ourselves. And therein lies the problem.

  35. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    “How we think is anchored to how we educate ourselves. And therein lies the problem.”
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Probably no one could have said it better…. Certainly not stinking Bushie.
    But it is EXACTLY what the bushman has been TRYING to articulate now for EONS.

    So picture a people who were SPECIALLY selected by the CREATOR himself, to REFLECT his characteristics of LOVE, community spirit, peace, contentment, and commitment to a life of increasing godliness…
    BUT…
    …who are ‘eddykated’ to see themselves as cursed ex-slaves, losers, and unfortunates… in vital need of reparations…

    …who have become CONVERTS to the albino-centric philosophy of selfishness, hate and greed

    …who focus their efforts – NOT on refining their godliness, but on accumulating shiite trinkets and other FALSE items of worship – like bling, luxury items etc…

    …whose idea of ‘joy’ is not contributing POSITIVELY to their various communities, but drunken and drug-fueled feting, eating and drinking, and transient, animalistic pleasures of the flesh.

    Can you see the PROBLEM?

    Shiite Boss…
    It is like you GIFT a child a brand new Benz … and he hauling sand wid it like shiite!!!
    What a place
    What a curse
    What a contradiction indeed….

  36. David Avatar
    David

    Bush Tea, education is not intelligence.we have not done enough as a society to nurture intelligence.

  37. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Two completely DIFFERENT concepts Boss..

    …and the REALITY is that education TRUMPS intelligence most of the time.

    Intelligence relates to our ability to logically use one’s knowledge, experience and beliefs to make rational decisions.
    Unfortunately, where the BASE EDUCATION PLATFORM is flawed, mis-guided or corrupt, ‘intelligence’ WILL be seriously compromised.

    This is our current status quo.

    Lotta brass bowls with a stupidly mis guided eddykashun in their heads, trying to make sense of a world on the brink of unprecedented chaos….

    If you spend your whole life being ‘eddykated’ that we ‘evolved’ from apes and that the whole experience resulted from statistical probabilities of unimaginable ratios…
    How are you able to use ‘intelligence’ to understand that there is a CREATOR – who has a PLAN and that everything that you THOUGHT that you knew …is shiite?

    Indeed, it is probably our modern ‘eddycation’ that best represents the mental slavery of which the prophet Robert Nesta spoke…

  38. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    A plan.

    ” With an increasing loss of nursing talent to higher-paying overseas markets, Barbados is moving to strengthen retention efforts while expanding domestic training.”

    https://nationnews.com/2025/08/15/plan-to-stem-nursing-exodus/

  39. David Avatar
    David

    @Hants

    This is a tired narrative.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    QEH 60 years ago (Part1) by SIR ERROL WALROND

    SIXTY YEARS AGO, two years before Independence, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) was opened. Patients, staff and systems were transferred from the Old General Hospital, and the public at all levels took pride in its hospital and were quick to declare that it was one of the best in the Caribbean.

    Since then the staff at all levels of its operation has expanded considerably, advanced facilities such as intensive care units and modern investigative techniques have been added; it is a training facility for both undergraduate and postgraduate medical personnel; there are up-to-date medical and surgical services, including cardiac services, neurosurgery, renal dialysis and transplantation, none of which existed 60 years ago. Nevertheless, we do not hear the pride of 60 years ago being expressed by either the public or its staff.

    This paradox has occurred in spite of the population of the island decreasing; people are living longer; additional facilities having been added in the country in the form of polyclinics for primary care provision and private facilities have expanded outside of the QEH for most levels of care.

    Teaching hospital

    The QEH, for 57 of those 60 years, has been a teaching hospital for undergraduates and for postgraduates for 47 years. The disconnect between public perception now and then would require a look at several factors, both at and outside of the QEH, and in Barbados and the wider world in which we live.

    However, such comparisons will make little sense without knowing how the QEH functioned 60 years ago. I may be one of a few persons in a unique position to do so, having returned to Barbados in early 1965 after my undergraduate and postgraduate training in the United Kingdom (UK).

    The staff at the QEH had been transferred from the Old General Hospital and consisted of some junior doctors (recent trainees from UWI in Jamaica), general practitioners who worked as casualty officers and as “visiting” specialists in surgery and anaesthesia, and one or two qualified specialists in each department. It was unusual to have someone with specialist qualifications recruited to the junior staff.

    I was “obligated” under the terms of my scholarship to return at the end of my training, and because of certain events during my training, I decided to complete specialist training before doing so. When my specialist qualification was completed, I advised of my readiness to return and after some hiccups over accommodation, I returned and was assigned as registrar to the visiting surgeons.

    There were three visiting surgeons, none of whom had any specialist training. They each did a day’s service in the hospital, which consisted of an outpatient clinic, an operating session and 24-hour emergency call starting at 8 a.m. They were also on weekend emergency calls in rotation with the head of surgery. Emergencies for the surgery department included all gynecological emergencies, for there was only one O+G specialist at that time. These arrangements meant that without experienced assistance, some emergency admissions to a visiting specialist may have had to wait for a week when their “specialist” was available again.

    Cases admitted to visiting specialists went to two (male and female) wards on one floor while the head of department had four wards available for his admissions. This meant that the wards assigned to the visiting surgeons were overcrowded with additional beds in the corridor between the rows of beds, and occasionally two people were assigned to one bed.

    In contrast, there were usually empty beds on the wards assigned to the head of surgery. Attempts to stop two patients being assigned to sleep in one bed by admitting them to an empty bed on the head of department’s wards were stoutly resisted by the nurses in charge of the wards. This was broken by the collusion of the registrars to the head of department and to the visiting surgeons having to get a trolley and wheel the patient themselves and put them on the empty bed. The anticipated anger from the head of department never materialised.

    Two in a bed/cot was also seen in the children’s ward with an overflow of severely malnourished children from December into the early months of the year. This coincided with the sugar cane crop season and was reportedly due to women unable to continue breast feeding as they went out into the fields to work.

    The surgery suite had a recovery room and a separate minor operating theatre and recovery room for day cases; these were innovations which had not yet reached some of the hospitals that I had worked at in Britain. The anaesthetic department also had one specialist qualified head of department, two GP “visiting” anaesthetists, a junior staff member with a diploma qualification and a theatre nurse who had been apprenticed as a nurse anaesthetist.

    The surgical work was voluminous and varied, and the most common emergency admission was for incomplete abortion. Abortions were illegal and were allegedly carried out by persons who worked both in and outside of the hospital. Young women would be admitted in various states, including some with torrential bleeding or with severe sepsis which carried a high mortality. There was the occasional scene where the police and a magistrate were brought to the bedside to try and get a dying declaration of who the perpetrator of the abortion was.

    Specialist posts

    The expansion of specialist posts seemed to be on the agenda, for I was told within my first two months that there were two consultant posts being advertised. I put in my application and was told that I was not eligible as I needed to have two years’ experience after my specialist qualification.

    A British woman was recruited and after arrival, said that when she was offered the post she told the Colonial Office that she had no experience in orthopaedics but was told to go and do what she could. Her performance echoed her lack of orthopaedics experience. The ENT surgeon, also a British national, who was appointed, had been a fellow student of mine in the UK and had just got his specialist qualification just after I did. I decided then that after my year of service I would seek other opportunities and successfully applied for a further training Fellowship and a position at the University Hospital in Jamaica.

    I was summoned by the Head of Department to discuss my reported leaving, and was told that there would be an additional surgery consultant’s post in the future and if I stayed on I would be able to compete for it with another doctor who was in the government service before me, and who was now in Britain studying to get his specialist qualification.

    Sir Errol Walrond is a retired surgeon and was the founding president of the Caribbean College of Surgeons. His two-part article was submitted as a Letter to the Editor. The second part will be published in the DAILY NATION tomorrow.

    Source: Nation

  41. David Avatar
    David

    QEH 60 years ago (Part 2)

    by SIR ERROL WALROND WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s (QEH) operation, junior staff in surgery and anaesthesia worked closely together to tackle their most common patient problem of incomplete abortions.

    Contraception was discussed but many of the women were afraid that their boyfriends would not approve. Over the protestations of some staff who maintained that contraception could not be offered without the consent of the boyfriends, written consent was obtained from more than 50 women to insert an intrauterine device at the time they had the D&C (dilation and curettage) procedure.

    Follow-up proved difficult and the help of a well-known social worker was elicited. He arranged for us to seek out the women in their homes on a Sunday morning.

    When we arrived in the district, the social worker restrained us from going directly to the houses and said that we had to go and talk to the boyfriends first. We were redirected to the local rum shop and heard some interesting comments as we sought permission to go and see the women.

    “But doc if you make she safe for me, she would be safe for everybody” and “A mule is no good to anybody” were among the comments.

    Casualty (Accident & Emergency today) was used as a public health clinic by the proprietor of a well-known “nightery”, who brought his “girls” en masse for examination and any necessary treatment once a month. The casualty officers who attended them were reputed to have free admission privileges to the nightery.

    I once witnessed an astonishing feat of efficiency on a patient with an incomplete abortion. In doing long surgery lists (15 to 20 cases) no time was wasted in between cases. By the time the notes of a patient had been written, the next patient would have been anaesthetised and the scrub nurse and trolley ready to go.

    All the surgeon needed to do was to check and make sure they were dealing with the right patient and the right operation. There was a woman in stirrups and a nurse scrubbed with a D&C trolley.

    I protested that this was not the right patient and there was no such patient on the list. I was cajoled by everyone to do the case as she was anesthetised already. The patient had been properly clerked and investigated; the only thing missing was that I knew nothing about the patient. I vowed to get to the bottom of the matter and discovered that the patient’s abortion had allegedly been done by one of the hospital personnel and the patient had been given instructions that if there was worrisome bleeding to contact the person and go to Casualty, give the porter her name and say that she had started bleeding after a fall. She did as instructed and was ushered past other waiting patients and, within 15 minutes, had been admitted to the ward.

    Life-threatening emergency

    In the next hour she was seen and investigated, and the nurses had arranged with theatre for her to be added to the theatre list. Two hours from arriving at Casualty the patient was in stirrups in the operating theatre. This efficiency was achieved in some life-threatening emergency cases before the days when the hospital had a blood bank, and ultrasound or CT scans had not been invented yet.

    Patients diagnosed with internal bleeding and in shock were admitted straight to the ward or sometimes the operating theatre, rather than wait for staff to come to Casualty to make that decision.

    Sometimes such cases were dealt with by the first available surgeon if the person on duty was not immediately available. Auto-transfusion of the patient’s blood was frequently employed in cases with internal bleeding, and one such case formed the basis for the first contribution to the medical literature from the QEH.

    That case of a ruptured spleen was challenging because with continuing bleeding due to a coagulation defect, we could not get any family or suitable donors. In fact, when the anaesthetist and I went to see the patient and made arrangements to move him immediately to the operating theatre, there were a lot of relatives at the door of the ward, and the anesthetist said he would go and get them to give blood.

    Next thing I heard were loud shouts of “STOP! STOP!” and I went to see the relatives disappearing down the corridor and the anaesthetist running after them. One of them was collared but was just screaming “NO! NO!”

    I did get to ask one of the relatives why they ran away, and he explained: “If you give blood to someone who dies you would be dead next, and he sure looked like he was dead for sure.”

    I would conclude that that first year as a doctor in the newly opened QEH was one where pride was tempered by the reality of the colonial system with its built-in race and class prejudices. Some categories of staff appeared to accommodate these more than the young doctors coming out of the University of the West Indies. However, in spite of such issues, all staff worked tirelessly and broke down barriers to treat as many patients as possible.

    Clearly, the changing expectations of the population have not been met, for in spite of the provision of many up-to-date services, there is a glaring gap in that accommodations on the wards and other facilities have hardly changed, and are now out of step with the improved conditions and expectations of the population.

    Source: Nation

  42. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    https://nationnews.com/2025/09/20/three-new-mpox-cases-confirmed-in-barbados/

  43. David Avatar
    David

    Differing trends in health care

    by SIR ERROL WALROND

    ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE health care is a basic human right along with the right to food and shelter. This right is achieved in varying degrees by people living in both developed and underdeveloped countries.

    Reading the medical news outlets from both the United Kingdom and the United States, one gets the impression that the lower income group in both these developed countries are experiencing increasing difficulty in accessing high quality medical care for which both countries have an international reputation. The unfortunate trend for low-income groups appears to be the same in spite of different organisational models of health care delivery.

    In one system [the UK] access to the most expert of medical personnel and facilities is guaranteed irrespective of income through the National Health Service. However, access can be gained to the same expertise in a more timely manner by an ability to pay those same personnel.

    In the US there is no guaranteed access to care if one is unable to pay, and most people seek medical insurance provided on a for-profit basis, or that provided by government on the basis of age, some indigent people or having been a member of the armed services. People without any such insurance or inadequate insurance can, when they become ill, be faced with crippling medical bills. These different systems have become the subject of partisan political battles which leave many of the problems of access to care unresolved.

    Universal systems of access have resulted in some instances in long waiting lists for operations or other procedures, or to see specialists in various fields for those who chose not to pay outside the system. In the system with third-party payment through insurance or out-of-pocket expenditures, access is more easily gained but there are limitations on what services can be available depending on the expenditures involved.

    In the “insurance” system some very low-income people may have some access to services through charitable organisations which may or may not get some support through government grants.

    ‘Universal access’

    Comparisons of these two systems of provision of care at a country level have been carried out for developed countries by reputable organisations in those countries and there are two outstanding conclusions. One is that the system without universal access and dominated by third party insurance payments spends three times as much per capita to deliver the technical care that all the “developed” countries are known for and expected to deliver.

    The other conclusion is that countries with “universal access” have better outcomes in terms of common diseases, population life span and the indicators of population health such as maternal mortality and infant mortality. However, in spite of these country outcomes, private insurance and its better access to attention remains the preferred choice for most people in many communities, even those with underdeveloped economies. This is best explained in “underdeveloped” countries by the “advertising” of such services and the poor accommodation offered in “public” services.

    Such accommodation often harkens back to the origins of “public” care as a charitable gift rather than as an essential service that every individual should have. Thus, public outpatient services may still have benches rather than individual chairs, and appointments may be made in blocks that may allocate each patient a five to ten-minute consultation. In [hospital] patients are still often accommodated in barracks-like conditions with little or no provision made for privacy in the communication with caregivers or family members. In addition, budgeting in “public” institutions may undervalue essential needs such as sanitary items and basic items of care such as dressings.

    In Barbados, a small less-developed country, a philosophical and at the time a disputed political decision was made that its development depended on universal access to health care as well as education. However, there was always the contrarian view that all development is better achieved by individual business development.

    Without going into details on the political pull and push of these two systems of development, we have seen where some governments have favoured the development of the private sector more than others. We have seen where the expansion of public facilities have either been shut down on “economic” grounds or have been left to wither on the vine whilst private facilities of every kind have been welcomed with various degrees of fanfare, economic incentives and regulatory mis-steps.

    Through all of these changes the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and its facilities such as its intensive care units, has remained the facility of rescue for the private facilities unable to cope with some serious illnesses or the complications that arise during care in private institutions. At the same time, both public and private facilities in the QEH have become difficult to access mainly because of outdated administrative procedures.

    The staffing contracts for consultants at the QEH, forged at a time of a need for change, are now disrespected by some consultants in the provision of care to public patients. In some instances, long waiting lists force public patients to become private patients.

    One must question whether the central role in the development of universal access to education and health care has been lost in the country. I fear that it has been lost on the economic doctrine of free market forces fighting against the spectre of the doctrine of the socialist state. Just as our society has been forced for its own “peace” to accept the rights of individuals to their own religious doctrines [Christians, Muslims, Rastafarians, Hindus, Jews and those without any such affiliation] we should accept that both capitalism and socialism can only survive and thrive together and that both must work to serve the least among us rather than to exploit those less fortunate when we see fit.

    Public medical care in any society must evolve with the community and the expectations of its citizens. The least fortunate in the Barbadian community in 2025 expect more than a bench and a whole day of lost wages to access a service they have paid for with their taxes, which now extend to most of life’s essentials. Every member of the Barbadian community in 2025 should expect on admission to its taxpayer-funded hospital a minimum of privacy and not have to provide the minimum essentials of care such as clean bed linen, dressings or sanitary needs. No patient should have to endure long waiting lists for care only to be told that if they could raise the money, their care could be undertaken the next day in the same facility by the same staff.

    Addressing the issues

    The role of governments and governance are pivotal in addressing the issues that the public faces at its public facilities. The public service contracts for consultants at the hospital changed 50 years ago should again be reviewed to determine whether they meet the current situation and the needs of the institution and the country. The hospital administration should carry out annual assessments on all staff in relation to their work as it pertains to public patients and ensure that the contractual obligations of all staff are being fulfilled.

    Public facilities administrations should ensure that there are department reviews of work undertaken, particularly as it relates to individual patient care and outcomes. Such reviews should be used as learning exercises and not as a disciplinary measure nor as a cover-up to avoid bad publicity or legal liability. In doing such reviews it must be emphasised to all involved that in-patient care perfection cannot be guaranteed but negligent conduct is unprofessional. Staff should be reminded that what is guaranteed in both professional practice and in the law is that the worker/professional should have discharged their duty of care within current knowledge and standards and within the facilities available to them.

    The law also demands that every person has the right to know and understand what treatment is being offered or applied, as well as the risks and anticipated benefits of any treatment. Upholding such mutual contracts of respect would go a long way to restoring the faith of the community in its public health care institutions.

    Sir Errol Walrond is a retired surgeon. This article was submitted as a Letter to the Editor.

    Source: Nation

  44. David Avatar
    David

    Safety of Panadol/ Tylenol in pregnancy

    THE INACCURATE and inappropriate pronouncements from the White House last Monday have reverberated widely, with a combination of surprise, shock and rebuttal from experts on drugs and medical institutions as well as widespread distress among medical practitioners, mothers and the general public.

    The assertion was made in a major media event that use of acetaminophen (also known by the other generic name paracetamol and the trade names Tylenol and Panadol) during pregnancy, may be a cause of autism. This was stated in spite of very limited evidence; there was only a suggestion of an association between acetaminophen/ paracetamol and autism, in some smaller studies which tend to incorrect assumptions.

    Given the impact of these pronouncements and the confusion created among the public, I feel obliged to point out the facts and to reassure mothers, patients, health care providers and the general public of the safety of acetaminophen/ paracetamol/Tylenol/Panadol – all the names of this valuable medication for pain and fever.

    This drug is one of the safest painkillers and anti-fever drugs, when used as prescribed and is one of the most studied drugs ever. It is certainly far safer than allowing pregnant women to experience fever or pain syndromes in pregnancy. In the largest systematic review of paracetamol use in pregnancy, with 185 000 children, the drug was unequivocally not associated with autism and the researchers found what is known as a reduced hazard ratio for autism . . . in other words, a slightly reduced risk of autism.

    Conflicting results

    The problem has been the fact that autism has been increasingly diagnosed in recent years, for complex reasons, including a wider definition and greater awareness. As a result, in looking for causes of this condition, many studies of variable scientific quality have been done and often with conflicting results.

    Reasons for taking the drug have not always been considered – from fever due to infection to the extremely common frequency of migraine in women, and these reasons may introduce confounding (alternate explanations) for the findings. It is impossible to review the large literature here but suffice it to say that the United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jnr promised his public to find the cause of autism by September and therefore was likely to accept the results of small studies which often conflicted.

    Medical leaders worldwide have responded. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) strongly rejected the claim, calling it “highly concerning,” “irresponsible” and “not backed by the full body of scientific evidence”. “Acetaminophen is one of the few options available to pregnant patients to treat pain and fever, which can be harmful to pregnant people left untreated,” said Dr Steven Fleischman, president of ACOG.

    20 years of research

    The group emphasised that more than 20 years of research show no link between acetaminophen in pregnancy and autism, attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder or intellectual disability, specifically pointing to two high-quality studies. The statement went on: “The conditions people use acetaminophen to treat during pregnancy are far more dangerous than any theoretical risks and can create severe morbidity and mortality for the pregnant person and the fetus.”

    Similarly, the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) reiterated a recommendation that acetaminophen/Tylenol is an “appropriate medication” in the prescribed dose to treat pain and fever during pregnancy.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), referred to the claims as “dangerous” and bound to be confusing for parents. Dr Scott Hadland, chief of adolescent medicine at Mass General Brigham Hospital for Children said via email: “This new surge of misinformation on Tylenol and vaccines is clearly already heightening parents’ guilt, and going to leave kids vulnerable. Once more, what seems settled in science is being questioned by those who appear to have gone down the autism rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.”

    Wes Streeting, the United Kingdom Health Secretary, was even more blunt in his criticism. “I trust doctors over President [Donald] Trump, frankly, on this,” he said. “I’ve just got to be really clear … there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol [acetaminophen] by pregnant women to autism in their children. None.”

    Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the UK’s health care regulator, released a statement within hours of the White House announcement, disputing the link, and warning that “untreated pain and fever can pose risks to the unborn baby,” which contradicts Trump’s encouragement that pregnant women should just “tough it out”.

    The European Medicines Agency also stood by its advice, saying its guidelines were “based on a rigorous assessment of the available scientific data”.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated on September 24: “There is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy.”

    So, pregnant mothers of Barbados and further afield and for all those for whom paracetamol/ acetaminophen use is indicated, be reassured. – SIR HENRY FRASER, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Clinical Pharmacology on behalf of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners.

    Source: Nation

  45. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    From the past to the future.

    “The system will also allow patients to share records safely with private doctors. “Your private medical physician may also even have that facility once we can verify that he is that person that is taking care of you,” Dr Greenidge added. She noted that this will be especially useful for patients travelling abroad.”

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2025/10/07/qeh-begins-transition-to-digital-medical-records/

  46. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    New Docunentary An Inconvenient Study

    The video documentary “An Inconvenient Study” reveals that a recent scientific study comparing the health outcomes of vaccinated vs. unvaccinated children was withheld from peer review and publication by its author Dr. Marcus Servos after the study determined that the vaccinated children suffered more NCDs and chronic health problems than the unvaccinated children.

    In the documentarty it’s revealed that Dr. Servos believes the science behind his report is legitimate and follows accepted scientific principles (furthermore its claimed the study was completed strictly adhering to the 2015 guidelines and recommendations published by the CDC specifically for just such vaccinated vs. unvaccinated studies).

    However, Dr. Servos explains to the documentary producer that his findings are so contrary to the well promoted and commonly accepted narrative by pharma and health authorities that all childhood vaccines are “safe and effective” his reputation and career as a health scientists would be tarnished and his job at the celebrated, medical research institution, Henry Ford Health, would likely be at risk should he submit the study for peer review and publication.

    It’s also explained in the video that Dr. Servos had an unfortunate experience when during the COVID-19 pandemic he published a study showing the off label drug Hydroxychloroquine used appropriately could have a significant, positive effect on relieving COVID-19 symptoms. Apparently, he received much calumny and castigation in the mainstream media and by his peers for publishing that “contradicting the accepted narrative” position, so in the case of his vaccine study, it could now be an example of, “once bitten, twice shy.”

    You can view or download the documentary for free at https://aninconvenientstudy.com .

    FYI, here is a list of 9 previous, peer reviewed studies which came to the same conclusion as Dr. Servos did in his own recent vaccine study, i.e. unvaccinated children are generally in better states of health than vaccinated children. To date, there are no known published studies demonstrating the contrary notion that vaccinated children actually have better overall health outcomes than unvaccinated children.

  47. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Surprise! Surprise!!
    There is NO UNIVERSE in which any ‘man-made solutions’ are able to improve on the NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS as prescribed by Mother Nature (AKA the Creator).

    Lotta shiite!!
    Brass bowls who are not even yet able to properly define the CONCEPT of ‘life’… but who tinker around in the intellectual dark with rudimentary concepts that they BARELY grasp. These clowns with ‘Nobel’ prizes, then come to convince even DENSER brass bowls that they can actually IMPROVE on Mother Nature…??!!
    Steupsss!!

    Common sense dictates that our best talents ought to be directed towards trying to GRASP the overall CREATOR INTENT of this temporary project called ‘Life on Earth – Phase 1’ …and then acting accordingly…

    Instead, BBs are focussed on extending and materializing their fleeting period in the project by all means possible…
    What a lotta jobby!!

    …and yet we NEVER seem to learn from our folly.

  48. David Avatar
    David

    Is Minister Jarome Walcott an investor in Sandy Crest and has other private medical interest? He is well laced to address the issue one must concede.

    https://youtu.be/LJ9MArbJWkg

  49. David Avatar
    David

    $390 Millions QEH Upgrade

    GOVERNMENT YESTERDAY SIGNED a $390 million agreement with a Chinese consortium to expand the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

    It will include a new oncology facility, a burns unit, new laboratory, additional outpatient space, a helipad, staff gym, day care and administrative offices.

    A bridge will also be constructed across Martindale’s Road to the old Enmore Clinic where the expansion is taking place.

    Minister of Health The Most Honourable Senator Dr Jerome Walcott, and Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ryan Straughn, signed the agreement along with Jiao Cui of China Sinopharm Int. Corp, and Dong Sheng Li and Kai Shi from China Railway (Caribbean) Construction Ltd.

    Walcott explained that the process began with an “unsolicited proposal” in 2023 from the Chinese consortium.

    “We thought best practice required that we go through the procurement and in spite of that, we did a request for information. This was in February last year. Out of that came two expressions of interest from the consortium and another company, I believe it was out of Canada, and thereafter we did a request for proposals.”

    He said a number of entities did not complete the process while the Chinese consortium partially completed but did not finish in time.

    “We subsequently sought and obtained from, through the procurement department and through the director of finance, [the] consent to pursue a single-source procurement and we then thereafter entered into negotiations with this consortium.”

    Deferred payment agreement

    Straughn said it was a deferred payment agreement and while it will be for BDS$390 million, “we are borrowing in Chinese currency at an interest rate of 3.5 per cent over 11 years, which in the current circumstance, represents the best concessional financing that the Government of Barbados could have received, given the mandate with respect to the expansion and the urgency that is there”.

    In terms of the facilities, Walcott pointed out that the QEH comprised about 50 000 square metres and the expansion would provide another 19 320, an increase of about 40 per cent.

    “It is expected that this construction will comprise of two towers linked to the present building by a bridge over Martindale’s Road. So there’ll be a bridge over the road linking to the first block which would be one that will comprise of the lab, the additional wards, the burns unit, the outpatient department. The other building, which should be just across Enmore, would be the oncology centre and the administrative block which will house IT (information technology) and so on,” he stated.

    He said the oncology department will be state-ofthe-art with another linear accelerator machine for cancer treatment, while there will be provision for brachytherapy, a gamma CT facility, PET gamma and the cyclotron.

    “So you’re taking oncology to a different level in Barbados,” Walcott said, adding that these will all be available in that facility.

    He said the burns unit was necessary given the push towards electrical vehicles which were known to have issues related to spontaneous combustion.

    “So this is like planning ahead that we will have a burns unit, of course recognising how expensive it is to treat persons who’ve had major burns and that we normally have to ship, transfer them overseas at quite expensive rates. Obviously, there is need for more outpatient space and in one of these buildings there would be provision for additional outpatient space.”

    The Senior Minister pointed out that the new laboratory, which will replace the old lab which was the focus of recurrent issues and environmental problems, will also be state-of-the-art.

    The estimated time for construction is 42 months and there will be a 60/40 Barbados to Chinese ratio of workers involved.

    Asked about the medical facility at Harrison Point and the possibility of its inclusion in the health care process, he said access to health care needed to be centralised and that the facility had already been leased.

    Straughn stressed that the expenditures to undertake such were critical “with respect to how we see our future”.

    While anticipating a smooth execution of the works, he stated: “I want to give the country the assurance that we have looked at our debt profile. We have prioritised within that debt profile these loans to be able to deliver better health care for citizens and therefore rest assured that the rates that we’ve been able to borrow at are more than sustainable.” (MB)

    Source: Nation

  50. David Avatar
    David

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