#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – Sunday April 18, 2020: The Turks and Caicos (TCI) Hospital wishes to confirm that a patient who was recently transferred back to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in Jamaica on April 16th 2020 for advanced critical care later tested positive for COVID-19.
The patient was admitted to the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre for an emergency surgical re-operation, which was life-saving and required a transfer overseas for Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
and other tertiary level support not currently available in the TCI. An overseas referral was therefore generated and forwarded to the TCI National Health Insurance Board.
The overseas medical facility was contacted by the TCI National Health Insurance Board and was provided with the required clinical information on the patient. This information was reviewed,
and the patient was accepted by the overseas medical facility. The same process was followed to engage the Air Ambulance companies.
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The Ministry of Health in Jamaica in consultation with other relevant authorities granted the standard approval to accept the critical and time-sensitive medical transfer via the treatment
abroad program (TAP). There was an obvious reason for the patient’s medical condition and the patient did not meet the case definition for suspected COVID-19 in the Turks and Caicos Islands or Jamaica.
Based on the UHWI’s pre-screening form, there were no clinical suspicions related to COVID-19. The patient was fully isolated shortly after arrival and tested within 12 hours out of
an abundance of caution. The results returned as positive for COVID-19 and all parties involved in the delivery of medical services to the patient have been notified.
The patient remains in stable condition in the COVID-19 ICU. TCI Hospital, the TCI Ministry of Health and TCI National Health Insurance Board wishes to extend best wishes to the affected
patient for a speedy recovery given the diagnosis. Due to patient confidentiality, no further details can be released.
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While medical teams across the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre and Ministry of Health continue to operate with elevated IPC precautions, the TCI Hospital in collaboration with the TCI Ministry
of Health is currently reviewing the timelines leading up to the patient’s diagnosis. In addition, contact tracing was immediately activated in collaboration with the public health team to identify anyone who require screening and/or quarantine based on their
risk level for exposure.
The overwhelming majority of patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 locally and globally present with symptoms in accordance with the case definition established by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, there is increasing scientific speculation into the occurrence of atypical presentations as the global pandemic evolves. TCI Hospital continues to monitor the latest evidence-based findings related to COVID-19 case definitions, conduct risk assessments and adjust infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures accordingly.
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#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – Following the announcement that several women had been robbed and assaulted in Blue Hills in the past weeks, Magnetic Media queried why the Police would wait until they had a man in custody to release an alert.
TCI’s newest addition to the top brass Detective Superintendent Dean Holden, Head of Crime, Safeguarding and Public Protection, told us that it initially appeared to be an isolated offence and not part of a series of incidents.
“The full circumstances needed to be investigated to ascertain the facts before a public alert could be considered. Misinformation in such a case would only cause unnecessary public concern and confusion and could adversely impact the investigation and the safeguarding of persons involved—” he said. “Even now there is no definitive information that these offences are linked, and investigators remain open-minded.”
Holden claimed an early alert with limited information could have hindered the investigation and they were trying to protect the women who may not have wanted to be identified based on where they lived.
As it turns out, the public concern was very much warranted, because there have been more violent sexual attacks, and more victims got hurt, forcing their hands.
“When further similar offences were committed, the overriding principle of sustained public protection was considered, hence the alert/release issued,” he said.
That alert was coupled with the news that a man had been arrested. Whether those further similar incidents could have been prevented if the public was informed earlier and taken extra precautions, is the underlying question. To date, we don’t know how many victims there are.
Police have increased patrols in the Blue Hills area and condemned the crimes as unacceptable. They have not indicated if anyone was charged for the offences yet.
#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – After a festive three days of competition, the TCISS Inter-High Track & Field Championships 2023 have concluded with the A. Louise Garland Thomas High School reigning as Champions. Featuring a great turnout, eleven schools from across the Turks and Caicos Islands met to compete at the National Stadium March 9-11, 2023.
The competition was stiff among athletes, who were all competing for top spots and by extension a spot-on Team TCI’s CARIFTA 2023 team. From high-spirited invitationals to entertainment by DJ Shakes, spectators enjoyed the best Nationals competition yet.
Overall results:
1st Place: A. Louise Garland Thomas High School
2nd Place: Clement Howell High School
3rd Place: Marjorie Basden High School
Twenty athletes have been selected for Turks and Caicos Islands National CARIFTA Team, some who would have competed in the TCISS Inter-High Track & Field Championships 2023 and some living abroad.
#TurksandCaicos, March 27, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos recently hosted the head of the British Army who has now been made a member of the local regiment.
Patrick Sanders, Chief of the General Staff (CGS) spent a mid-March weekend in the country and it’s a visit Governor Nigel Dakin hopes will be rewarding for the TCI Regiment in the future. The Governor said as much in the Instagram post announcing the visit.
“He is now an Honorary Colonel of our Regiment. That’s an enormously important step for us because it gives our Regiment a champion working at the very top of UK Defence,” Dakin said.
The visit also included Lord Mark Lancaster, Former Minister for UK Armed Forces who Dakin acknowledged had championed the petition for OTs to even have their own military forces.
The men met cordially with the Regiment and then saw them in action officially. The Premier was also part of the meetings, so too the Maritime Police and Radar, the Tactical Firearms Unit and National Security Secretariat Dakin explained. The top man was impressed with the regiment as he told Dakin how proud he was to be associated with the troupe.
One stop in the tour was Dockyard, the Providenciales community where so much grief was felt and caused over the past year. Also a suspected have for illegal migrants and contraband.
“Very pleased to see this relationship established before leave. It says much about the distance already traveled and it bodes very well indeed for the Regiment’s future.” He said. Fitting that Dakin’s last guests should be Britain’s security experts considering his investment in Border security in the TCI during his tenure.
Dakin will bid the country farewell by the end of March.