Caribbean News

JAMAICA: Hundreds to benefit from visit of US Navy Hospital Ship

Published

4 years ago

October 29, 2019

#Kingston, October 29, 2019 – Jamaica – Hundreds of Jamaicans are expected to benefit from the nine-day medical mission of the United States (US) Navy Hospital Ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) from October 28 to November 1.

It is anticipated that 150 surgeries will be conducted on board the ship, which is currently docked at Victoria pier, downtown Kingston. These include ophthalmology, orthopedic, oral maxillofacial, wound care, urology, and plastic and general surgery. Basic medical services will also be provided at walk-in sites at Sabina Park and the Greater Portmore Health Centre.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, toured the ship on Monday (October 28), where he spoke with the doctors, nurses and other professionals who are offering their service, and thanked them for their partnership with Jamaica on this initiative.

“I am very impressed with what I saw. This is a facility that has nearly 900 beds, 100 intensive care unit (ICU) beds, over 1,000 staff members covering medical staff to support team. It’s a self-sufficient vessel producing its own oxygen, water, etcetera, and, of course, critical to all of this, are men and women, who are from different countries throughout the world, who are professionals, who go around the world and provide medical care to citizens of the world,” Dr. Tufton said.

“The facilities are very modern and the care is top-notch; it’s excellent care and I want the opportunity to thank those who are managing this process as well as the support staff,” he added.

Senior citizen from Kingston, Hylton Gordon, who was brought by family members to Sabina Park for free medical assessment and treatment after complaining of various ailments, said he was pleased with the treatment given to him.

“My eyes are not seeing well. I was tested right through. I got some tablets for my weakness. I trust that when I take the medication, I will start to feel much better,” Mr. Gordon told JIS News.

Another patient, Nadine Tucker, also expressed pleasure about the care received. I thank them for it. This is a good thing for Jamaica,” she said.

USNS Comfort has been on a five-month deployment since June to countries in Central America, South America and the Caribbean in support of humanitarian and partner-building efforts as part of the US Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative.

For this deployment, members on the ship and crew will be providing medical assistance to Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as conduct logistics and liberty port visits to Panama and Curaçao.

The administrators of the ship are working with health and government partners in the beneficiary countries to provide care on the ship and at land-based medical sites, while helping to relieve pressure on the local medical facilities.

Since 2007, personnel involved in USNS Comfort deployments have treated more than 488,000 patients, performed 5,500 surgeries, completed over 100 engineering projects, and conducted countless other assistance activities. It is the ship’s third mission to Jamaica.

Contact: Ainsworth Morris

Release: JIS

Photo: Michael Sloely

Photo Captions:

Header: Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right), is being briefed by Lieutenant Commander Gustavo Lores (right), during a tour of one of the operating theatres inside the United States (US) Navy Hospital Ship, USNS Comfort, on Monday (October 28), which is docked at Victoria pier, Kingston. Director of Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Nicole Dawkins-Wright (left); and Director, Risk Management, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Lambert Innis, were also on the tour.

1^st Insert: Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (right), speaks with senior citizen Hylton Gordon, who received treatment by doctors from the United States (US) Navy Hospital Ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) at Sabina Park, Kingston, on Monday (October 28).

2^nd Insert: Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), engages with little Cimanda Tucker (right), while she waited with family members to see doctors from the United States (US) Navy Hospital Ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), at Sabina Park, Kingston, on Monday (October 28).

Caribbean News

CARICOM pushes need for Reparations Tribunal at Forum in Geneva

Published

5 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Rashaed Esson
Staff Writer

Words are in circulation in support for the establishment of an international tribunal, geared towards seeking reparations for centuries long transatlantic slave trade, after a CARICOM official made calls at the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD) in Geneva, Switzerland.

During day two of the gathering held from April 16 to 19, 2024, David Comissiong, Barbados Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, stated there is a need for the tribunal as there is currently no international court to deal with the issues of reparations.

Commision, like the other members that support his view, according to reports, are aware this won’t be an easy feat, as he expressed that establishing the tribunal would require a “positive decision” by the UN General Assembly, further calling on the officials at the Forum and the UN, to come together through international collaboration and “make this happen.”

The idea creation of the tribunal was born last year 2023, suggested by the PFPAD, now reiterated by Comissiong.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, in a video, addressing the opening of the forum, supported the ongoing calls for respiratory efforts, a sentiment not shared by many.

Mentioning that racism is still an issue in today’s society, Guterres said, “ now we must build on that momentum, to drive meaningful change by ensuring that people of African descent enjoy the full and equal realization of their human rights; by stepping up efforts to eliminate racism and discrimination, including through reparations.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM sends warning as Oil prices creep higher in the Israel v Iran conflict; 14 regional states import energy

Published

6 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

Garfield Ekon
Staff Writer

The recent attack on the Sate of Israel by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has delivered growing uncertainty across the Caribbean region, and the rest of the global economy.

Chief among the many concerns, is the free flow of oil from the Middle East, which stands at 31% of daily production for the global economy. At minimum, shipping costs are likely to increase based on the increased risk of military action in the Persian Gulf.

Pressure is also building on US and European insurance clubs to avoid any transaction, including those with China, that involve Iranian crude and additional rerouting of oil and gas shipments in response to Houthi threats, or Allied responses.

According to the Caribbean Community Council of Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), “these developments not only exacerbate the already tense situation but also pose significant threats to regional stability and international peace,” the group warned in a media statement.

It added that the continued cycle of retaliation, including the recent attack on Israel by Hamas, Israel’s “disproportionate response” in Gaza, and the “alarming new dimension of direct confrontations between Israel and Iran, leads to an untenable situation fraught with potential for greater regional conflict and global instability.

“The human toll of this conflict, highlighted by tragic incidents such as deaths and injuries to children, demand an immediate and empathetic response from the global community. It is imperative that there be no further escalation that can lead to more suffering and instability,” it said.

While calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between Israel and Iran, the regional body underscored that it strongly urges both nations to halt any further military actions that could worsen the situation, endangering not only their own populations but also the broader international community.

“We implore all parties to consider the severe consequences of further conflict and to commit to diplomatic solutions that ensure the safety, sovereignty, and dignity of all people involved,” the CARICOM statement said.

On October 6, 2023, the day before Hamas attacked Israel, the international benchmark Brent crude was trading at $85 per barrel and has been fluctuating at up to $96.

On Thursday, it traded at $91 per barrel. With the exception of gas-rich Trinidad and Tobago, the 14 other countries of CARICOM, are energy importers.

Approximately 93 percent of the region’s energy needs are met by oil imports, which average 13% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Caribbean News

Gov’t Committed to Seeking Reparations for Chattel Slavery – Minister Grange

Published

6 hours ago

April 19, 2024

Shanieka

KINGSTON, April 16 (JIS):

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, says the Jamaican Government remains committed to seeking reparations for the prolonged period of chattel enslavement endured by the African forefathers on the country’s plantations.

Minister Grange said that the historical events of the transatlantic slave trade continue to have a lasting impact on Black communities to this day.

She contended that the ongoing struggles to finance education and healthcare, address poverty and housing issues, respond to economic shocks and climate change impacts, and foster peaceful societies are all rooted in the historical legacy of enslavement.

Minister Grange was addressing a church service on Sunday (April 14) at the Webster Memorial United Church in St. Andrew, where an apology was issued on behalf of the United Reform Church (URC) in the United Kingdom (UK) by Moderator of the Assembly of the URC, Reverend Tessa Henry-Robinson, for the church’s historical involvement in slavery.

“We, the general assembly of the United Reform Church, mindful of our own history and that of our antecedent bodies, wish to confess and apologise for our role in transatlantic slavery and the scars which continue to blight our society, our church and the lives of Black people in our midst and around the globe today,” the apology read.

Minister Grange, in accepting the apology, urged UK churches, particularly those whose representatives were present for the historic apology in Jamaica, to communicate to their government the ethical imperative of admitting culpability through an apology and working with Jamaica to discern the potential avenues for reparations.

She said that the church’s role in the transatlantic slave trade has had significant and enduring effects on Black communities, impacting society, the church itself, and the lives of Black individuals worldwide.

“It is this complicity of the church that gave solace and comfort to the citizens and governments of UK and Europe as they endorsed and defended with their military project, that saw the capture, the torture, the dehumanisation, and devaluation of African people, legacies of which we experience today as racism, white supremacy, and discrimination,” she stated.

“We struggle to build peaceful, stable societies because of the perpetration of violence which was the platform on which enslavement was executed yet, in spite of this, we have been good converts to these same religions. Our people have adopted and adapted the doctrines and rituals of these new religions and in many instances have energised and revitalised them with cultural practices of African spirituality,” the Minister emphasised.

The URC is a community of Christians gathering in local churches across England, Scotland, and Wales, and is part of the global family of Reformed Churches, comprising more than 70 million Christians.

With approximately 42,000 members in around 1,200 congregations, supported by more than 600 ministers, the URC plays a significant role in the spiritual and communal life of its members and the broader community.

CONTACT: BRITNEY STEVENS