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PM says Free Access to Healthcare a Right for Every Jamaican

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#Jamaica, October 10, 2017 – Montego Bay – Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, says the policy of free access to healthcare is a right that every Jamaican should be able to enjoy regardless of financial status.   Addressing St. Ann business leaders and medical practitioners at the opening of the expanded operating theatre and the renovated male surgical ward, as well as the handover of an ambulance at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital on October 6, Mr. Holness said he is aware that the policy has brought added pressure on the public health system with more persons now seeking treatment at hospitals.

“I know the difficult circumstances our doctors, nurses and other staff members encounter.   I have also taken note of those who have said that this policy cannot work.   Indeed, the figures have shown that persons seeking healthcare have increased since the policy was put in place.   It has also shown that, by virtue of this, our health facilities have come under stress,” he noted.

Mr. Holness said that while he understands both sides of the conversation, “this is not a reason to abandon the policy”.

“In fact, we have had introspective discussions within our Cabinet regarding the policy, because we don’t want to burden our Jamaican people purely because we had made a political commitment.   But, when we examine the policy, it is the right thing to do,” the Prime Minister said.

He further argued that an increase in waiting time at health facilities is not a reason or an excuse to abandon the policy, adding that Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, should be commended for his thorough approach in trying to find a balance.

“What we are discovering is that the issue of waiting time, though it may have been triggered by an increased number of Jamaicans seeking healthcare, is not totally a resource problem,” Mr. Holness pointed out.

“In many instances, it is a management problem.   It is also an information problem as well as a business process problem.  So, the programme that the Hon. Minister has put in place to quantify and to measure the issue of waiting time, so he can better manage the process, is a sound one,” he added.

Mr. Holness said that some persons have not been exercising the correct options when trying to access the proper health facilities.

“Part of this is to get people who use the health facilities to find the appropriate ones.   Some are going to facilities where they could get the same treatment elsewhere at places designed to treat their problems,” he noted.

Mr. Holness  said persons who are in need of primary care are erroneously going to secondary and tertiary institutions, adding that “by just changing the information flow by educating the user has resulted in a reduction in waiting time”.

Release: JIS

 

 

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Bahamas News

Bahamas economic growth

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Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

The Bahamas’ economy is in good standing according to reports from the Bahamas National Statistical Institute which released the Quarterly Gross Domestic Product Series. They indicate that quarterly GDP trends for 2023 saw increases compared to 2022, a sign of recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic.

The most significant increase was 9.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and the industries responsible for the growth include Accommodations and food, construction and Arts.

 

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Bahamas News

RBC appoints new Country Manager and Area Vice President for Turks & Caicos 

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RBC Royal Bank (Bahamas) Limited (“RBC”) is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kerryl-Lyn King-Henry as Country Manager and Area Vice President (“AVP”), Personal and Commercial Banking, Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI).

In her new role as Country Manager and AVP, King-Henry will take on full responsibility for the bank’s operations, strategy, and development in the TCI market, with a strong focus on solidifying partnerships with the Government, regulatory bodies, and the local community.

King-Henry brings to the role a dynamism influenced by nearly 25 years of industry experience. Prior to her new appointment, she served as AVP of Business Banking in Trinidad and Tobago. She has held progressively senior roles within both personal and commercial banking, as well as various functional units.

King-Henry holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, with a specialization in Leadership, FinTech and Big Data Analysis, in addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Further enriching her professional profile, Kerryl-Lyn is a certified John C. Maxwell Coach, Trainer, Teacher, and Speaker. Her passion for leadership and development is matched by her commitment to community service, as she actively volunteers her time and leverages her professional expertise to mentor and support others. “

Kerryl-Lyn’s extensive experience and proven leadership capabilities make her the perfect choice to lead our operations in the Turks & Caicos Islands,” said Ericka Rolle, RBC’s Managing Director and Vice President, Personal Banking, The Bahamas and TCI.

“Her commitment to excellence, combined with a genuine passion for community engagement, aligns perfectly with our Bank’s purpose of helping clients thrive and communities prosper. We are excited to see the positive impact she will undoubtedly bring to her new role,” she added.

 

 

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Get your laugh on, March On show coming to Turks and Caicos with box office at IGA Friday and Saturday

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Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

After resounding success in the Bahamas, hit play ‘March On, The Story of Us’ has been inundated with requests to take their show on the road, and the first location they’ll be hitting is Providenciales Turks and Caicos with tickets on sale this weekend from May 3 to 5.

Magnetic Media spoke to Gea Pierre, playwright, who told us the TCI was a natural first choice for the cast and crew. 

“We started ‘March On’ in November 2023 and it was really an opportunity for us to tell a story, the story of the Bahamas and to encompass the nations that we have an amazing relationship with like the Turks and Caicos,” she continued “We really got a lot of people calling [for the play] from [the TCI], so much so we really had to pay attention.” 

The response to ‘March On’ at home and abroad was overwhelming.

“To say it went well is an understatement, even before we opened we got calls from Canada, from all over the US with people wanting us to come and perform.” 

And take the show on the road they did! Gea and her team have launched “March On: The Tour” and will be in Providenciales to perform on May 10th and 11th. It’s the first of a number of stops which include Nassau and several US locations. 

A ticket booth will be set up from today, Friday May 3 in the foyer of IGA grocery store beginning at 1 p.m. Friday and then again all day on Saturday, allowing residents to purchase with cash. 

Online tickets are available for purchase with credit cards. Then the full team returns on Friday, May 11 for the actual showing at 8 pm and their two showings on Saturday at 4pm and 8 pm. The venue is Brayton Hall, Providenciales under the patronage of Washington Misick, TCI Premier and First Lady Delthia Misick.

Describing the close familial relationships between the TCI and the Bahamas, for many on the crew it will be like coming home Gea told us, for others it will be a treat to visit for the first time, the places that their grandparents described. 

Tickets are only $60 for general seating and $75 for VIP seating. 

Gea maintained that the team wanted to keep the show as accessible to residents as possible.

As for why you should come out and see the play, other than the great price point:

“The way that people have responded to it is non stoplaughter, people have been moved to tears because there’s some emotion. It does not only lend to Bahamians. It’s a family drama, and anyone who’s ever been a part of a family is going to get something out of it, and something moving.”

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