Caribbean News
JAMAICA: UHWI working on project to assist persons in rural areas
#Kingston, December 3, 2019 – Jamaica – The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is working on a project to facilitate remote access to its health system by persons in rural areas, using telemedicine consultation.
This was disclosed by Medical Chief of Staff at UHWI, Dr. Carl Bruce, at a recent ceremony for the presentation of funds to the hospital’s Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department by the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North.
According to Dr. Bruce, healthcare is evolving, and the hospital is taking the necessary steps to embrace the changes.
“We’ve been working with the Minister of Health on this project to try to get people in deep rural areas who are unable to access the UHWI readily, to get an online or telemedicine consultation,” he explained. He said the hospital has been working on the project with the help of Professor Archibald McDonald, who was instrumental in developing the emergency medical system at the health facility.
Dr. Bruce said that development included the construction of the building that currently houses the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, along with the several other expansions.
“We thought that would have solved all of our problems, but as we move forward, we will have to continue to expand,” he said.
Dr. Bruce was speaking against the background of a donation of US$3,000 by the Rotary Club under its major project initiative for the Rotary year 2016-2017. Under the initiative, the Club had committed to making a contribution towards equipping the lecture theatre at the A&E with state-of-the art multimedia equipment to aid in the training of emergency personnel at the hospital.
Dr. Bruce pointed out that the technology would assist with keeping the staff up to date with the ever-changing profession.
“We need to know what the latest treatment is and the standard of care. With this technology, we will have access 
to many of those standards by logging in worldwide. For example, we can find the latest on a particular poison by going on and checking. That information is readily available without delay,” he noted.
“We are very grateful for this donation. We will incorporate it into what the University has been doing since 1948, and we look forward to a continuous partnership with the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Club’s Past President (2016-2017), Glenroy Williams, who made the presentation to Head of the A&E Department, Dr. Simone Ffrench, said the Club was very happy to be able to make good on the commitment that was made to the Hospital in 2016.
“We are pleased to be able to follow through on our pledge to assist the Accident and Emergency Department in this tangible way,” he said.
Release: JIS
Contact: Peta-Gay Hodges
Photo: Contributed
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 17, 2023 – Revenue from the Turks and Caicos’ Financial Services Sector will more than double in the next few years, if E Jay Saunders, Deputy Premier and Finance Minister gets his way. It ‘s one of the reasons the country is investing so much capital into getting off of the EU blacklist and becoming a secure trustworthy financial destination.
“The FSC’s revenues for 2020/21 was $10.5M— the figures for 2021/22, would be about similar,” he said. He further explained that $10.5 million from the FSC represented about 2.6 percent of the country’s 408.5-million-dollar
revenue. Though it increased to $14 million in the 2021/22 financial year, finance is still a small fry compared to tourism or even stamp duties but that will change, says Saunders.
“My revenue goal for the Government by the year 2029 [or] the election after the next election – is $500M. By that time, I want the financial sector (FSC) revenues to represent at least 5% ($25M). So that’s my goal for the financial sector by 2029.”
This goal, should it be met, would increase the Government’s revenue by 100 million dollars, a significant increase in spending power for local upgrades and improvements for Turks and Caicos residents and visitors.
Saunders says it’s time for the TCI to diversify its sources of revenue to make sure that what happened in the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw residents out of a job for months, will not happen again. Tourism now makes up around 80 percent of the country’s GDP. The Minister of Finance wants to push that down to 60 or even 50 percent.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#Haiti, March 17, 2023 – When a CARICOM delegation visited Haiti earlier this month, conspicuously absent was the Turks and Caicos Islands despite being one of the nations most directly affected by the multi-dimensional crisis there. There is no comment, as yet from the Premier, to say why this was the case.
Still, from the expedition, CARICOM heads of Government have informed that there will be lobbying in Africa for assistance in Haiti. They say they have decided that the best course of action for the Caribbean country is to bolster the Haitian National Police and act as intermediaries with Africa and the world. The decision follows a one day visit on February 27th, and a March 5th meeting chaired by the Bahamas.
CARICOM says during the trip delegates ‘met with a broad range of Haitian stakeholders to hear their views on the
way forward to a Haitian-led solution’. With that in mind it has made a decision on how to proceed.
“The Heads of Government agreed to support the Haitian National Police in their efforts to address the security situation. The focus of the Community will be the provision of training for the HNP and the provision of humanitarian assistance to HNP and the wider Haitian society, taking into account the challenging humanitarian and security situation”
It’s not clear yet where and how this training will take place. Also distinctly absent from the report, no more mention of boots on the ground from other countries despite CARICOM Member States indicating they were ready and willing should it come to that.
In addition, recognizing ‘the common historical experiences and the strong African-Caribbean relationship’ CARICOM says,
“Heads of Government also agreed to seek support from African countries for Haiti. They also agreed to work with the Governments of Canada and the United States as well as the UNDP”
Magnetic Media has reached out to the Premier’s Office to get a full debrief of the February 27th visit (led by Jamaica; including The Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago) to learn of Turks and Caicos’ posture following the critical sessions.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, March 17, 2023 – Musicians from the New World Symphony will be in the Turks and Caicos in concert next month and residents are invited to attend in support of the future of Ashley’s Learning Center. 
A fairly young orchestral academy based in Miami, the New World Symphony was launched in the 1980s by 1987, Michael Tilson Thomas and Ted Arison,Carnival Cruises founder. From the 1500 applicants who vie for a spot each year, the symphony accepts around 35 music graduates annually for training fellowships.
A select few of those graduates will be in country on April 8th headlining at the Ashley’s Learning Center concert ‘We’re all in this together’. The concert which also feature local artistes will be held at Brayton Hall on Venetian Road from 6 pm to 8:30 pm
Tickets are available ON ISLEHELP $75 PER GENERAL SEAT $125 PER PREMIUM SEAT $195 PER GALLERY SEAT – with /FREFRESHMENTS.
For TICKET RESERVATIONs you can call: 649-341-2304 or email EVENTS@ASHLEYSLEARNINGCENTER.ORG
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