Caribbean News

Cancer Care Equipment Commissioned into Service at National Public Health Laboratory

Published

9 months ago

January 18, 2025

Kingston, Jamaica, January 18, 2025 – A new state-of-the-art immunohistochemistry (IHC) machine, installed at the National Public Health Laboratory in Kingston, was commissioned into service on Wednesday (January 15).

The unveiling of the VENTANA® BenchMark GX, valued US$419,584.38, is intended to strengthen the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ capabilities in managing breast cancer analysis, diagnosis and treatment.

The Ministry partnered with Roche, one of the largest biotechnical companies globally, for the undertaking.

Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the acquisition marks a major step in further enhancing Jamaica’s diagnostic capacity, and will support the Ministry’s efforts to improve breast cancer care in the health system.

“The need for diagnostics is a big one in our public health system, and I am prepared to say we are not where we want to be. We have acquired a few mammograms over the last year and there are others that are supposed to be coming in. We… want to ensure that the initial screening, even before lab testing, is easier to assess as we encourage more persons to access,” he stated.

While acknowledging, “We are better off today than we were [approximately] five years ago”, the Minister maintained that “it’s a journey that has to continue if we are to stem the late detection and, unfortunately, the mortality rates in terms of late detection”.

Dr. Tufton emphasised that early diagnosis is critical in providing the necessary treatment and saving lives, noting data indicating that one in 21 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Dr. Tufton indicated that through the ‘Know Your Numbers’ Initiative, more than 100,000 tests were conducted. The initiative aims to encourage more Jamaicans to get screened for lifestyle diseases.

“We are going to be doing a lot more of that as part of the policy initiative to get more in,” he said, adding that through the Ministry’s mobile health centres, more persons will have access to healthcare services in small towns and communities.

Additionally, Dr. Tufton said more will be done to normalise the concept of screening for lifestyle diseases in order to support early detection and, by extension, a longer and better quality of life, particularly through the Ministry’s primary healthcare reform programme.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tufton said the work undertaken at the National Public Health Laboratory is crucial in providing diagnostics for the tests that have been undertaken through various programmes.

“Right now, on a monthly basis, some 40,000 samples are collected [and] some 200,000 tests are conducted… using approximately 20 machines which essentially provide the critical diagnosis for Jamaicans right across the length and breadth of the country as to their health status, and that is done by 250… employees,” he informed.

Dr. Tufton also indicated that the Ministry is moving towards having adequate diagnostic equipment within all the necessary health facilities as part of “helping or supporting the screening and the determination process as to what the status of the health of an individual is”.

Additionally, he said the Ministry is introducing a policy that will result in the long-term engagement of service contractors to repair and maintain equipment at health facilities.

Meanwhile, Consultant Haemato-oncologist at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), Dr. Joye Taylor-Houston, said accurate and early cancer diagnosis is essential in the fight against the disease.

“By improving access to tests, we can enhance patient care and outcomes through early diagnosis and, therefore, reduce the risk of the disease’s recurrence,” she stated.

Dr.Taylor-Houston said the oncology community is committed to the cause of providing comprehensive cancer care that meets the needs of patients.

“This new immunohistochemistry equipment will assist us in providing this level of care,” she added.

Disease Area Strategy Director, Roche Caribbean, Central America and Venezuela, Juan Cruz, said the equipment’s provision will enable Jamaica to optimise the national breast cancer testing regime and improve biomarker testing and diagnosis.

“This collaboration is another important step in the country’s commitment to having the required diagnostic capacity for a personalised approach to breast cancer, continuing the work that we began since 2015,” he said.

General Manager, Roche Caribbean, Central America and Venezuela, Alvaro Soto, acknowledged Jamaica being one of the first Caribbean countries to commence local IHC and continue this process to ensure precise cancer diagnostics.

“This milestone underscores the country’s commitment to enhancing healthcare outcomes through advanced technology. Achieving precise and early cancer diagnosis is crucial in the fight against this disease. With this new equipment, we are optimistic about the significant improvements in patient care,” he said.

Roche’s investment in the installation, maintenance and provision of test reagents for the equipment represents 86 per cent of the total cost.

The remaining 13.52 per cent allocated by the Health Ministry is for test reagents.

CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON

Release: JIS

Photo Caption: Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right), listens as Senior Medical Technologist at the National Public Health Laboratory in Kingston, Lincoln Fisher (second left), explains the functions of the new state-of-the-art VENTANA® BenchMark GX immunohistochemistry equipment, which was installed at the facility and commissioned into service on Wednesday (January 15). Also listening (from left) are Disease Area Strategy Director, Roche Caribbean, Central America and Venezuela, Juan Cruz; and Director, National Laboratory Services, Dr. Marline Tapper.

Photographer: Michael Sloley

Related Topics:#magneticmedianews #nationalpublichealthlaboratory

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Guyanese Scholar and Olympian Arrested in Iowa ICE Crackdown

Published

6 days ago

September 27, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

September 27, 2025 – In a shocking breach of public trust and institutional oversight, Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, who is a citizen of Guyana, was arrested on September 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a string of serious offenses that raise troubling questions about hiring practices, accountability, and public safety.

Roberts, born in Georgetown, Guyana, is a former Olympian and accomplished scholar. According to online reports, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University after transferring from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, where he played soccer. He holds two master’s degrees—from St. John’s University and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business—attended an Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management and earned a doctorate in education with a focus on urban educational leadership from Trident University.

Despite these accomplishments, Roberts was living and working without legal authorization. ICE reported that he fled a traffic stop and abandoned his school-issued vehicle. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash. He also has a prior weapons-related charge.

ICE officials questioned how Roberts could hold such a prominent role while subject to a final deportation order issued in May 2024. The school district said they were unaware of his immigration status, noting that he had undergone background checks and completed an I-9 form confirming work authorization. Roberts was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

This case highlights vulnerabilities in systems meant to safeguard public institutions and underscores the challenges ICE faces in identifying individuals operating outside U.S. immigration laws while in positions of authority.

For many, Roberts has become a near-literal poster child for these enforcement gaps.

Caribbean News

Bermuda Shaken by Targeted Murder as Crime Returns After a Decade of Calm

Published

2 weeks ago

September 21, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Bermuda is reeling after the brazen murder of 37-year-old Janae Minors, a mother of two, who was gunned down in her own beauty supply store on Court Street, Pembroke. The attack, which police describe as “targeted,” has rattled the island, not only for its brutality but for what it says about the state of law and order in a country that less than a decade ago was celebrating a dramatic fall in violent crime.

The Attack on Court Street

According to police, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, a lone gunman pulled up on a stolen black motorcycle, walked into the Beauty Monster shop Minors owned, and shot her multiple times. Despite the rapid response of emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to hospital.

Detectives say the killer was thin, tall, dressed in dark clothing with a full-face helmet, and wearing bright gloves. CCTV shows him fleeing north on Court Street, down Tills Hill toward TCD, before turning onto Marsh Folly Road. Investigators are pursuing all leads, with a focus on recovering evidence from nearby cameras and eyewitness accounts.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons confirmed the attack bore the hallmarks of gang-related violence, a chilling indicator that Bermuda’s gang rivalries — long simmering beneath the surface — may once again be spilling into broad daylight.

A Vibrant Life Cut Short

Minors, remembered as a hardworking entrepreneur with “a vibrant, beautiful personality,” leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 18. Her murder has ignited outrage across Bermuda, not just for its senselessness but for its timing: the island had once prided itself on virtually stamping out gun violence.

Then: Near-Zero Murders

Back in 2014, Bermuda made international headlines for reporting zero firearm murders — a remarkable achievement given the small island had endured a spate of gang-related shootings in the early 2010s. Police credited intelligence-led operations, tighter firearms interdictions, and aggressive prosecutions of gang leaders. Community programs and mentoring initiatives also played a role, giving at-risk youth alternatives to gang life.

By 2015 and 2016, gun crime was at historic lows. That period was hailed as proof Bermuda could beat back the tide of violence with coordinated policing, social investment, and political will.

Now: Alarming Resurgence

Fast forward nine years, and the picture looks starkly different. In 2024 and 2025, Bermuda has recorded a rise in gun-related deaths. Rival gangs such as Parkside and 42 have resurged, fueled by a new generation of recruits. Economic pressures, high youth unemployment, and the easy flow of smuggled firearms through maritime routes have undermined earlier gains.

Community trust in the police has also eroded, making investigations harder and retaliations more likely. Opposition MPs and neighborhood leaders warn that without sustained focus, Bermuda risks sliding back into the violent cycles of the early 2010s.

Public Alarm and Political Pressure

Premier David Burt condemned Minors’ killing as “an escalation of community violence that cannot be tolerated,” promising stronger enforcement and deeper engagement with residents. The Bermuda Police Service has appealed for CCTV, dashcam, and doorbell footage from the area, urging residents that even the smallest detail could break the case.

Yet among the public, frustration is growing. People remember the calm of 2014 — when zero murders were recorded — and cannot understand how the island has returned to headlines dominated by gun violence. The contrast is stark: from celebrating the elimination of gun murders to confronting the targeted execution of a businesswoman in broad daylight.

A Test for Bermuda’s Future

The murder of Janae Minors has become more than a single case; it is now a symbol of Bermuda’s struggle to hold on to the progress it once made. The question facing the island is whether the successes of a decade ago can be replicated and sustained in today’s harsher climate of economic pressure and gang rivalries.

For Minors’ family, nothing can erase the tragedy of losing a mother and daughter so violently. But for Bermuda at large, her death is a wake-up call — that the island cannot afford complacency when it comes to crime.

As one community leader put it: “Nine years ago, we had beaten this. Now, we’re back to fearing what happens when the sun goes down. That is not the Bermuda we want to live in.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM-Africa Summit Yields Draft Pact on Trade, Travel and Reparations

Published

2 weeks ago

September 19, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent

Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.

At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.

The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.

Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment. With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.

Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.

CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”

For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.

For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.