TCI News
TCI Hospital pursues Accreditation to offer Medical Internships
#Provienciales, February 13, 2019 – Turks and Caicos – Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital has received significant interest from medical interns locally and worldwide in recent years. In an effort to further improve the quality of care and create a pipeline of future medical talent, the private health care management company has officially applied to become a facility, which is accredited to deliver medical internship programs.
The University of the West Indies (UWI) Accreditation process involves the submission of an institutional self-assessment report by the interested facility. The request is reviewed by the UWI Accreditation Committee and where suitable, a team is selected to conduct an on-site assessment to verify the information provided in the report.
Four members of the UWI Accreditation Committee conducted the on-site assessment at TCI Hospital on February 8th and 9th 2019. The visiting team comprised of Professor Trevor McCartney – Chairman of UWI Accreditation Committee and former Chairman of Caribbean Association of Medical Councils (CAMC), Professor Howard Spencer – Registrar of CAMC, Dr Tomlin Paul – Dean of Medical Sciences UWI Mona Campus and Dr Lenroy Bryan – Lecturer, UWI Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
During the on-site assessment, the team participated in multiple stakeholder meetings and conducted a tour of Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and Cockburn Town Medical Centre. Chief Executive Officer of InterHealth Canada – TCI Hospital, Daniel Carriere gave remarks on past and present certifications pursued by the health care facility. The hospital has acquired three successive Diamond rankings by Accreditation Canada International in 2012, 2015 and 2018.
In addition, the hospital is currently seeking to become a Baby Friendly Hospital (BFHI) and Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO). The latter program is delivered by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO). Governance certifications were also successfully acquired from the Organization of Information Security (ISO) to bolster security practices for hospital information systems.
Chief of Medical Services, Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant underscored the value of strategic alliances in health care and the broad range of internal training programs during her presentation. These programs are designed to foster a culture of continuous organizational learning and development, which paves a strong foundation for an internship program.
These include mandatory training programs, code drills, AHA certified courses and continuing medical education (CME) sessions, which are conducted by in-house and international facilitators. InterHealth Canada TCI is also contractually mandated to provide physicians with access to overseas medical conferences to keep academically up-to-date.
Under the internship program, participants are required to undergo a one-year paid rotation across four of the major disciplines. These are general surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology. These programs are carefully structured in accordance with robust standards to ensure participants acquire the clinical competence necessary to meet the requirements for medical licenses upon completion.
TCI Government has issued several educational scholarships within the field of medicine. Correspondingly, remarks were delivered by Edgar Howell, Director of the Ministry of Education, Youth, Culture and Library Services, and President of the TCI Community College (TCICC), Dr Hugh Fulford. Several local medical students have expressed challenges for the internship component of their studies, said Howell. TCICC has also commenced a nursing program, which will benefit from locally accessible internships. Both education representatives expressed hopes that the medical centres will satisfy the requirements of the surveyors.
Health Registrar for the TCI Government, Dr Derrick Aarons, provided an overview of the role of the health registrar with reference to the relevant ordinance, which makes provision for medical internships. Chief Executive Officer of the Health Regulatory Authority (HRA), Pierre Richardson provided insight into the agency’s role and responsibilities. The HRA was established under the Health Regulations Ordinance 2016 and shall serve as an independent regulatory agency of public and private health care facilities in-country.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Board, Dr Terese Maitland gave remarks on the collaboration between TCI Hospital and the National Health Insurance Board (NHIB), which is responsible for the management of the contributory social health care scheme. The NHI Plan is the health financing mechanism for the delivery of health services in the country, which includes overseas tertiary level and catastrophic care.
Leader of the UWI assessment team, Professor McCartney commended InterHealth Canada for the comprehensive nature of the meetings and other stakeholders for the effort to maintain high standards and regulations. The Canadian company was also commended for the introduction a Public Private Partnership health care model in the Caribbean. The Minister of Health, Honourable Edwin Astwood also attended a portion of the sessions in support of the internship pursuit. The findings of the on-site assessment will be reviewed in the next UWI Accreditation Committee meeting in April or March 2019 and later released to the hospital.
Release: InterHealth Canada
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TheBahamas, December 2, 2023 – The golden ribbon is cut and the Nassau-based Turks & Caicos diaspora office is officially unveiled. The opening ceremony, held at the new office, was attended by high-level delegates including Washington Misick, TCI Premier.
“I’m very proud and very privileged to be able to stand here and speak to you and I would especially like to thank someone who has become a friend in the person of the honorable Prime Minister of The Bahamas,” he said.
Bahamian support was critical in the venture, which sprung up as an answer to the TCIs desperate employment and immigration crisis. With hundreds of vacancies open across the public and private sector, and no one to fill them, the country needed more people but immigration rates were already far too high, posing a risk of disenfranchisement of
islanders.
In order to fix both issues the government introduced a migration scheme allowing third-generation islanders with bloodline connections to claim citizenship. They quickly partnered with The Bahamas, one of the closest and the largest parts of its diaspora
Philip Davis, Prime Minister of The Bahamas was on hand while the Premier spoke and also brought remarks. The strong bond between the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas was emphasized by Davis, as he spoke
“The Turks and Caicos’s islands were part of the Bahamas, they even had a representative in our parliament. We were one nation,” he said.
Bahamian parliament has been supportive of the diaspora plan, which could see TCI-Bahamians migrating away from the Bahamas and into the Turks and Caicos, since its inception in early 2023.
The colors of the Turks and Caicos islands were on proud display in the newly office. Attendees were allowed to tour the building during the Grand Opening on November 28th.
Bright white and modern meeting areas with turquoise accents and TCI logos will be the backdrop for immigration negotiations
Also present at the event, a strong proponent of the grafting in third generation plan, Immigration Minister Arlington Musgrove, and Deputy Governor Anya Williams. The officials have now concretized a journey they started together in February when the idea of a Diaspora office was announced.
The office is the first of its kind established by the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is located on the 2nd Floor of The Bahamas Financial Center, Shirley and Charlotte Streets.
#TheBahamas, December 2, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) Government earlier this week proudly inaugurated the Turks and Caicos Diaspora Office in Nassau, New Providence in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, on Tuesday, November 28th, 2023, in the presence of the Prime Minister, Hon. Philip “Brave” Davis, Premier Hon. Charles Washington Misick and the Deputy Governor of TCI, Her Excellency Anya Williams.
Deputy Governor Her Excellency Anya Williams expressed her sincere appreciation to The Bahamas government for the outstanding collaboration between the two countries, particularly in national security. She asserted, “The opening of this office here in The Bahamas will undoubtedly strengthen our ties with The Bahamas and create opportunities for even greater partnerships that will benefit the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Premier Misick emphasized that The Bahamas and TCI have always had a strong bond, and the benefits of this relationship have been felt for many years. He declared, “The establishment of a Diaspora of the Turks and Caicos
Islands Office in The Bahamas is a crucial initiative that will restore links with the diaspora and open up a productive line of communication to gauge interest in employment opportunities, investment and contributing to the development of the Turks and Caicos Islands.” He further added: “Whether in national security operations, education (many of our students have studied here), health care, or even cultural enthusiasts who partake in junkanoo, we must continue to learn and lean on each other.
Minister of Immigration and Border Force Hon. Arlington Musgrove, who initially led the establishment of the office, stated: “This evening signifies a significant and timely accomplishment in the long history of our two nations. Progressive relationship building is the term I use to describe the establishment of this office today. Beyond a diaspora office, we hope to foster closer ties through business, investment, education, and training to benefit our two countries. I am proud of my government taking this bold, progressive step and proud of the vision of our Premier, who has worked so assiduously to make this evening a reality.”
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas brought remarks on the evening and joined the other dignitaries for the ribbon cutting.
The office is a part of the government’s broader diaspora policy, which aims to aid in the creation of programs to capture, connect and harness contributions and connection from the TCI citizens residing outside of the TCI, increase the representation of the number of persons in the population with connection and roots in the TCI and lastly, to provide opportunity and incentive for eligible members of the diaspora to invest and have access to investment and philanthropic opportunities in the TCI.
The office is now open at The Bahamas Financial Centre. Two Liaison Officers have been appointed; Canon Curtis Robinson is based in Freeport, Grand Bahama, and A. Vernay Mills is based in Nassau, New Providence.
News
Energy & Utilities Commissioner says new legislation will help to stabilize energy costs in Turks & Caicos Islands
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Thursday, 30th November 2023: The Energy and Utilities Department (EUD) of the Turks and Caicos Islands, today reminds the public that the comprehensive Renewable Energy Legislation is currently before the House of Assembly and that the Legislation not only addresses the existing challenges posed by fuel price volatility but also lays the foundation for a sustainable and resilient energy future for the TCI.
In a recent press release, FortisTCI cited global factors such as production cuts and increased demand for fuel, leading to a surge in market prices. The EUD acknowledging these challenges thanks our power supplier for its proactivity when it comes to informing consumers of any changes in the cost of electricity. Further, the Government of Turks and Caicos wants residents and guests to know that it is committed to taking proactive measures that will transform the energy landscape through robust Renewable Energy Legislation.
In that vein, Delano Arthur, the new Energy and Utilities Commissioner looks forward to working with FortisTCI in the upcoming days to find innovative and collaborative solutions to reduce the cost of Fuel and Energy in the Turks
and Caicos Islands. This initiative aims to not only mitigate the impact of volatile fuel prices but also secures a sustainable, reliable and affordable energy future for all of us.
Key components of the Renewable Energy Legislation include:
- Integrated Resource Plans: A formal planning process to prioritise renewable energy in addressing evolving energy needs.
- Competitive Tendering Process: Government-run initiatives to promote healthy renewable energy competition, achieve low-cost energy, and meet Paris Agreement goals.
- Administrative and Regulatory Measures: Establishing clear processes and responsibilities for all players who are in the renewable energy market.
- Licensing and Safety Standards: Comprehensive licensing provisions to ensure accountability and safety standards for renewable energy systems.
- Net Billing Program: Allowing building owners to self-generate and sell surplus electricity back to the grid.
The Renewable Energy Legislation serves as a mitigation against volatile fuel prices. By transitioning to cleaner energy sources and fostering a diverse renewable energy infrastructure, these Islands aim to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. The competitive tendering process introduced in the legislation ensures the selection of the most cost-effective renewable energy solutions, contributing to energy affordability and stability.
As the Islands invest in renewable energy, the increased share of clean, locally produced electricity provides a stable alternative to fluctuating fuel prices. The Net Billing Programme further incentivises distributed energy generation, offering a predictable path for building owners to contribute to the grid and receive compensation, thus reducing reliance on traditional fuel sources.
For further information, please contact:
Delano R. Arthur
Commissioner
Energy and Utilities Department
Turks and Caicos Islands Government
649-338-3514
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