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Just a few more days now for the Cuban Medical Brigade as Health struggles to find and keep staff

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By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

 

#TurksandCaicos, July 15, 2022 – After two years the Cuban Brigade is nearly ready to exit the island and will be leaving in a few days’ time; July 19 was revealed as the final day for the medical team from nearby Cuba which bolstered local medical staff during the earlier days of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Medical staff members are a hot commodity right now and small island states are struggling to keep nurses and doctors at home in the face of larger, richer countries dangling extremely lucrative salaries and career options in attempts to lure the professional out of the region.

It is working and the Turks and Caicos is no different.

“As soon as we recruit a new nurse we have a nurse that is leaving us,” said Dr Denise Braithwaite-Tennant, CEO of InterHealth Canada.

Minister of Health Jamell Robinson explained that while they had been recruiting it was a difficult process and they were hopeful that they would be able to fill their positions.

“Hopefully we do get the responses we need because there is a significant competition across the world for these types of professionals. Hopefully we’ve pitched the jobs and remuneration packages at a level that we will attract the persons we need to be able to fill these roles.”

He explained that people rescinding offers at the last minute was a problem for the Turks and Caicos as well.

“The deal is not done until the person is on the ground because we’ve made offers to people and then weeks before they are supposed to get on the ground they rescind.”

Dr. Braithwaite-Tennant explained why it was so difficult not only to get nurses specifically on-island but to keep them in the Turks and Caicos.

“Mainly they are leaving to be travel nurses in the United States which is commanding access to green cards and higher remuneration. Travel Nurses can earn between $4,000 to $5,000 a week so we are competing with that.”

Braithwaite-Tennant, who is native to Turks and Caicos thanked the soon to depart Cuban Medical Brigade for its service to the TCI during the pandemic. To replace them the TCI Hospitals is seeking 10 more full time specialty nurses.

“What this pandemic has shown us is that the capacity to access specialist nurses in the [local] community is not there.”

Dr. Braitwaite-Tennant said this could be dangerous in times of emergency, as the TCI uses overseas personnel to step in when their doctors go on leave.

“What happened during the pandemic is everyone held on to their specialists so we had doctors going months and months and months without being able to get leave. That’s not sustainable.”

She said to fix it they wanted to introduce medical interns to offset the workload and were recruiting aggressively to fill advanced posts as well.

In mental health at least things are looking up, Robinson explained most of the required staff for the Grand Turk Mental Health clinic had been sourced.

“A number of the personnel, I think about 80 percent of the people we wanted to hire, we’ve identified and they are in-country.”

Additionally the minister said they had good prospects for the Port Health Authority and recruitment was now closed. Describing it as a priority for the Health Ministry Robinson said.

“The next time we have a pandemic event we will have the personnel in place beforehand as opposed to trying to catch up to it after.”

The CEO of the hospitals thanked the community for its patience and reminded that some of the long wait times were a direct result of the staff shortages.

Caribbean News

CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Health

Ministry of Health and Human Services Launched Electronic Patient Care Report (Ambpro)

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The Ministry of Health and Human Services proudly announces the successful launch of the Electronic Patient Care Report (ePCR), marking a historic milestone in emergency healthcare services. The official unveiling ceremony took place on March 12, 2024 at the Atrium conference room.

In attendance were distinguished dignitaries, including  Deputy Premier and Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, Honourable Jamell Robinson; Minister of Health and Human Services, Honourable Shaun D. Malcolm; Minister of Tourism, Environment, Maritime, Culture, Heritage and Religious Affairs, Honourable Josephine Connolly; Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Library Services, Honourable Rachel Taylor; the Minister of Immigration and Border Services, Honourable Arlington Musgrove; and the Permanent Secretary of Health, Mrs Desiree Lewis, who recognized the significance of the ePCR system in promoting public health and safety. Their presence underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to investing in healthcare infrastructure and technological advancements to better serve the needs of the population. Thus reaffirming their support for initiatives aimed at improving emergency healthcare services and strengthening the National Emergency Medical Service’s capabilities.

During the launch event, the Minister of Health and Human Services highlighted the transformative impact of the ePCR system on patient care and emergency response efforts. Emphasizing the importance of innovation in healthcare, the Minister expressed gratitude to the dedicated team of professionals who contributed to the development and implementation of the ground breaking technology. The Deputy Premier praised the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of the ePCR system, affirming its potential to revolutionize emergency medical services especially the pre-hospital management of citizens and visitors across the country.

The Director of Emergency Medical Services, Mr. Andy Brijmohansingh, spoke passionately about the importance of embracing technology to advance patient care. “The introduction of the Electronic Patient Care Report marks a new chapter in our commitment to providing high-quality emergency medical services,” said Mr Brijmohansingh. “This innovative system empowers our teams with the tools they need to deliver swift and effective care, while ensuring that patient information is accurately captured and securely shared.”

The Electronic Patient Care Report (ePCR) represents a significant advancement in the National Ambulance Service’s mission to deliver efficient and high-quality emergency medical care to citizens across the nation. Developed with cutting-edge technology and meticulous attention to detail, the ePCR system streamlines the documentation process, enhances communication, and ensures the seamless transfer of patient information between emergency responders and healthcare facilities.

The launch of the Electronic Patient Care Report marks a new chapter in the evolution of emergency medical services, promising enhanced efficiency, accuracy, and patient outcomes. With its implementation, the National Emergency Medical Services reaffirms its dedication to providing timely and effective care to individuals in their time of need.

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Caribbean News

Haiti Food Insecurity Rising

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

 

#Haiti#FoodInsecurity, March 25th, 2024 Half of Haiti’s population or nearly 5 million people are classified as food insecure for the period March to June 2024, a projected 50 percent increase up from 45 percent from August 2023 to February 2024. This is according to the Haitian Government in a March 23rd report, as informed by an update from an IPC1 analysis. The factors contributing to the continued decrease in food security, the report says, include the increase of the food basket by 22 percent as of February 2024 and the worsening Violence which disrupts food supply chains.

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