#NASSAU, Bahamas — January 30, 2020 — Minister of Health the Hon. Dr. Duane Sands explained that as The Bahamas moves into the recovery stage after Category Five Hurricane Dorian hit the islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama recently, the Ministry will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Americares organization on February 24, 2020.
During a press conference at the Ministry, January 29, 2020, Minister Sands said the MOU will facilitate critical primary health, mental health and psycho-social support services, with a social worker and clinical psychologist, to Hurricane Dorian survivors. It will also include training to strengthen the capacity of the Bahamian healthcare system specifically through the Ministry of Health, with first responders and other stakeholders to aid the recovery from Hurricane Dorian.
He pointed out that since September 4, 2019, Americares submitted to the Ministry of Health its ability to deploy a type one mobile emergency medical team to provide support and access to primary healthcare services.
“Soon thereafter, Americares quickly went to work to conduct damage assessments on the island of Abaco to understand its needs remaining in close contact with the Ministry of Health, the Pan American Health Organization and other partners.”
Americares is a health focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves the health of people affected by poverty or disaster.
Established 40 years ago, Americares has provided more than $18 billion worth of aid in 164 countries including the United States, and each year the organization responds to approximately 30 natural disasters and humanitarian causes.
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It focuses closely on the establishment of long-term recovery projects and disaster preparedness programmes to vulnerable communities.
Minister Sands said, “Americares provided medicine, clinical and physiological support services to close the gaps made by the destruction of many of our health facilities and also addressed the medical needs of remaining residents in Marsh Harbour, Elbow Cay and Man-O-War Cay.
Hon Duane Sands, Bahamas Minister of Health
“Operations were expanded to include Fox Town, Cooper’s Town, Sandy Point, Guana Cay and Green Turtle Cay.”
He explained that on September 11, 2019, Americares started providing primary care services, medicine and mental health and psychosocial support to the shelters in New Providence to the residents who relocated from Abaco.
“Subsequently, they also provided mobile health aid to Abaco. For nearly five months on the island of New Providence and nearly four months in Abaco, Americares has provided more than 4,000 medical and more than 2,500 mental health and psychosocial support consultations to persons impacted by Dorian.”
The Health Minister stated, “Americares provided these services in New Providence alongside our hardworking Ministry of Health staff from the community clinics and public hospitals.”
He said with the forthcoming MOU, Americares has also agreed to provide medicine and to collect data to assist the Ministry of Health to track diseases, referrals and health service utilizations during the recovery and also on joint efforts on public relations and communications.
It will also foster a collaborative partnership and allows for Americares to expand its clinical services for Hurricane Dorian survivors in New Providence.
Moreover, Americares will continue to provide health and mental health, psychological services in Abaco.
Americares Hurricane Dorian Response Team Leader, Cora Nally noted that her organization has delivered medicine, medical supplies and relief items valued at more than $2.6 million to support the health needs of survivors.
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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.
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.
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 DelthiaMisick.
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.”