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Santo Domingo, DR
In the “Great Forum,” a total of 18 speakers and panelists reflected on the approach to the pandemic, with the mistakes and successes experienced by the country, moderated by Eddy Perez Then, director of the Research Center and presidential advisor for COVID-19.

Chanel Rosa, former director of the National Health Service (SNS), in explaining the context in which the virus struck, pointed out that “the worst thing that happened to us was that the pandemic occurred in the middle of an electoral process, because we all become more petty, more denigrating… and this is transversal to the political class of the Dominican Republic, unfortunately, these are things that happen”.

Rosa emphasized that the good things done in both governments and continuity should be recognized. “It was not easy to manage a pandemic for two governments, however, the fact that a new government took office did not prevent us from continuing with public policies and I feel very proud,” he said.

Among the measures taken, he pointed out the declaration of the State of Emergency and social protection, such as the FASE program, as well as the creation of a national commission for the management of Coronavirus; while among the lessons learned, he listed the strengthening of the Provincial Health Directorates, the Collective Health Programs and the training of health professionals.

Mario Lama, current director of the SNS, said, “we learned that the management of this pandemic was dynamic… we were learning along the way, from the patients themselves and from the panorama we had… we did not take from what was happening in other countries.”

He added as a significant achievement that 18 hospitals were available for the treatment of COVID-19 and, as a lesson, that they had to innovate, creating, for example, daily reports to inform the population about how the hospital occupancy was.

Eladio Pérez, Vice-Minister of Collective Health, indicated that “we all became epidemiologists at that time” when dealing with new medical terms and highlighted the work carried out by the General Public Health Laboratory.

Mr. Perez explained that among the strategies for epidemiological management, the operational structure of the National Laboratory was strengthened and took advantage of his presentation to announce the Forcontact Project, an electronic platform that will allow contact tracing for COVID-19, which will later be used for other diseases.

Santo Domingo, DR
The director of the San Lorenzo de Los Mina Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Leonardo Aquino, indicated yesterday that between 90 and 100 children are admitted daily to the center, of which 45% are for “respiratory phenomena.”

While the other pediatric ailments are febrile syndromes (high fevers), acute diarrheal diseases, and other pathologies.

Aquino also stated that the cases of respiratory diseases “have always predominated,” mainly in hospitals, because they are located in areas close to neighborhoods and sectors where there is little awareness of “proper health care.”

He also indicated that fewer patients were admitted with respiratory ailments last year because, in previous years, the vestiges of Covid-19 and its variants were still felt.

She also revealed that the health system is taking “adequate” measures to prevent these diseases through the influenza vaccine, one of the leading “producing agents” of these phenomena. In that order, the person in charge of Pediatric Emergency, Marlene Perez, indicated that most respiratory problems are asthma or acute respiratory infections.

Half of the people consulted in the Pediatric Emergency Department of this hospital, located on San Vicente de Paul Street, Santo Domingo East, pointed out that the patients came for flu-like processes and fever, among whom two had severe congestion.

“She woke up with no strength in her body, with no spirit. She has had the flu and fever for several days,” said a mother with her little girl in the emergency room.

“Since last night she has been coughing a lot with a little cough and congestion. She is already on her third nebulization,” explained another mother named Julissa, who had her six-month-old baby with her.

Like them, other parents accompanied by their children occupied the spaces in the emergency room of this health center, seeking attention for their ailments.

At the Reid Cabral

During the tour made by journalists of this media, at least 15 patients waiting for attention at the Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital were consulted. Two presented flu-like processes and congestion, while two others presented fever.

The others came for routine consultations, vomiting, stomach problems, sore throats, and other ailments that afflicted their children.

In Event Hall A of the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestras (Pucmm), the venue of the event, its rector, Presbítero Secilio Espinal, highlighted prior to the invocation the role played by higher education institutions, schools, and colleges in a moment of “uncertainty”, as the one experienced in the Covid-19 pandemic. “Higher Education institutions saw the need to design policies and procedures, as well as organize the different environments for the development of academic, administrative, research, and extension activities with the highest possible quality, preserving physical and emotional health of those involved,” Espinal said.

Secilio Espinal added that a great innovation in the educational field was the implementation of the Flipped Classroom teaching-learning Methodology, aimed at guaranteeing a competency-based approach and meaningful learning, ensuring that the student uses time outside the classroom to learn theory and concepts independently, and time within class sessions to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create knowledge. He also called for a minute of silence for all those who have died from the virus. Immediately afterward, the director of the newspaper Listín Diario, Miguel Franjul, gave some introductory words for reflection in which he reaffirmed the commitment assumed by the authorities and citizens of the nation at that moment of crisis, taking the case of the same medium.

“The Listín Diario sighted what could come here and since February 5 it has focused on this threat. In this forum, it is necessary for the population to know how we accepted it, how we reacted, to what extent we were resilient… which gave rise to the idea of holding this forum last December,” said Franjul. Franjul took advantage of the moment of his address to thank the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Daniel Rivera, for making an appointment and collaborating so that many health specialists and experts could come to explain his ideas; in addition, to the scientists, academics, and authorities who decided to participate. He also paid tribute to the doctors and nurses for their hard work.

Then Dr. Daniel Rivera, in his opening remarks, stated that the Dominican Republic has been a benchmark for management in all areas of the COVID-19 pandemic for other countries, a feat that has even been recognized internationally. At least five exhibitors and 11 panelists will present the experiences and actions adopted by the country in the face of the pandemic. The first speakers will be Dr. Mario Lama and Chanel Rosa, director, and deputy director of the National Health Service (SNS), respectively, under the moderation of Eddy Pérez Then, director of the Research Center and presidential adviser for COVID-19.

“Despite the universal recognition that psychotropic substances are indispensable from a medical point of view, millions of people continue to suffer,” denounces the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) in its 2022 report on the drug market in the world. This organization of the United Nations system gives examples of problems such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or substance addiction, recalling that mental health is among the UN Millennium Goals.

Although the report admits that this has contributed to raising awareness about these problems, it also warns that investments in medical care “have not met the demand of the population affected by mental health problems.” The INCB recalls that the World Health Organization (WHO) states that at least three-quarters of the world’s population with mental, neurological, and substance use disorders live in low- and middle-income countries, where mental health services and the availability of medicines are insufficient. “Between 76 and 85% of people with severe mental health disorders in low- and middle-income countries do not receive treatment for these disorders, including people living with epilepsy, of whom nearly 80 % reside in those countries,” says the INCB. In addition, it warns that humanitarian crises due to wars, climate change, or health crises have a “profound effect” on people’s mental health.

It especially cites health and emergency personnel, the elderly, children, and those who have problems with drugs or previous mental disorders. The Board refers to the double problem that the availability and access to psychotropic substances are insufficient in most of the world and that, in parallel, in some countries, there is an excess of prescription and self-medication with psychoactive substances. “Governments are reminded to ensure that those living with mental health problems have access to adequate treatment and the necessary medicines to alleviate their suffering and, therefore, can fully participate in society without stigma or discrimination,” claims the INCB.

By Marlon Madden

The COVID-19 pandemic can no longer be used as an excuse for the performance of the tourism industry, says Chairman of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) Renee Coppin.
In fact, she is concerned about the slow pace of recovery and calls for greater information sharing.
Coppin said while she was encouraged by the industry’s performance for 2022 which showed signs of a comeback following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more must be done to bring Barbados back to 2019 levels.
“In order to have your best performance you have to train hard, prepare fully, set aggressive goals and go up against your best competition. So Barbados has to be prepared to do all of these things because we have no more room for excuses. We can’t be here at the end of this year. It is time for us to get in the game,” said Coppin.
She was delivering her report during the BHTA’s first quarterly meeting for 2023 at the Accra Beach Resort on Wednesday, which had as its theme Women in Tourism: Making a Difference.
“We were very excited to see that in December, for the first time since the pandemic, arrivals exceeded our last normal year, 2019. While we ended the year 250,082 persons down on 2019 levels, what we are optimistic about is a sustained revival of our sector as we claw our way back to consistent performance,” said Coppin.
However, indicating that the issue of information sharing will be key to the industry’s continued recovery, Coppin said it will be important to get “good information and use it logically and intelligently”.
“Doing the right analyses, asking the tough questions and being prepared to face hard truths will be very important. When we look at our performance for 2022 relative to the rest of the world and the rest of the region, we are very aware that Barbados fell below global and regional averages in our pace of recovery,” she said.
Barbados’ tourism recovery was estimated to be around 66.2 per cent of 2019’s performance at the end of last year while the Caribbean recovery was recorded at 83.7 per cent and the global recovery at around 62.6 per cent at the end of 2022 compared to 2019.
“It is important that we look at these numbers and that we are very frank and very real as to where we are and do what we need to do to get back on track. We no longer have COVID as a justification and so we will need to interrogate our information even more rigorously to ensure that we are staying ahead of our competitive set and so that we in the industry are bringing our “A” game to the table,” she cautioned.
Coppin, whose report came a day after the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) reported that visitor arrivals to the region could surpass 2019 record levels, reported that for January this year, Barbados welcomed 58,492 stay-over visitors, or 81.8 per cent more visitors than the same period last year.
(MM)

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The information was offered by the director of Risks and Disasters of the Ministry of Public Health, Gina Estrella. Estrella indicated that there are no new reports of patients infected with this bacterial disease, with the total number of cases detected since the beginning of the outbreak in October 2022 remaining at 91.

The director of Immunopreventable by Vaccines, Luchy Vargas, said that a total of 36,784 people have already been vaccinated against cholera in the country.

Exercise is the main medicine needed to fight the scourge of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in Barbados and the wider Eastern Caribbean, in addition to good nutrition.

While speaking on Saturday, the day dedicated to celebrating World Obesity Day, medical practitioners recommended how exercise should be used in patient care.

The Exercise is Medicine Initiative is a global movement by the American College of Sports Medicine, which was used to assess physical activity as a vital sign.

Speaking during the relaunch of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) ceremony over the weekend and the Exercise is Medicine presentation, Sports Physician and past President of the Barbados Sports Medicine Association Dr Rene Best encouraged doctors to use exercise as a vital sign similar to how they would check a patients’ heart rate or oxygen blood levels

“Physical activity is a vital sign and you should be documenting that. You should write that this person is getting 250 minutes per week of physical activity. That is the sign to show us that there is something to treat because if that number is zero in writing, you will interview them and try to change it,” he said, adding that it is not a difficult process.

He said inactivity was the one true pandemic before COVID-19.

“From 2012 the pandemic was physical inactivity and it is still going on and affecting us today and probably getting even worse,” he said.

Meanwhile Medical Practitioner Dr Kristyn Kirton shared that their recommendation to physicians is to follow the BRIEF system – an acronym for Baseline activity, Readiness for Change and Risk of participation, Intervention for the individual, Exercise prescription or Expert referral and F for Follow Up.

Baseline activity is to attain the vital sign of exercise to see how much the individual is doing.

“If they are doing nothing we need to use this visit to introduce the idea of exercise and if they are doing something we need to encourage them to keep doing so.”

As for Readiness for change and Risk of participation Dr Kirton said that the physician must look to see how ready the patient is to change.

She also encouraged physicans to intervene in monitoring the individual as a part of the BRIEF process.

As for Exercise Prescription or Expert Referral she said that this is all about the FIT principle, which is about Frequency, Intensity, Timing and Type. The frequency principle is how often a person will exercise, how difficult and when they should exercise and the variation of exercise that they should perform.

She also had this bit of advice for physicians:

“Like any other drug, remember to start low, go slow, stay within your limits, go with the patient and physician because if you know you can’t do a squat don’t advise them to do so unless you’re giving them a printout online or referring them to someone who can,” she said.

Also presenting were physiotherapists Sheldon Batemen and Marita Marshall who spoke on “Steps to Positive Systematic Change United Healthcare.”

“We have a big problem in the Caribbean and Barbados starting with our children – one in three children between the ages of 13 and 15 are obese. That speaks volumes. That should tell us a lot. That should shake us up. We need to do something and we need to do something fast,” she said.

While referencing statistics, which indicate that the English speaking Caribbean has the highest prevalence of diabetes, she said that systems must be put in place to do something about the climbing rates. (MR)

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Members of the public are invited to come out to a coastal sundown walk from Martins Bay, St John, to Bathsheba, St Joseph, on Saturday, March 11, beginning at 3 p.m.

The walk is being hosted by the Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), as part of activities to mark Coastal Hazard and Earthquake Smart Month, March 1 to 31, celebrated under the theme All Aboard with Coastal Resilience.

The walk is geared towards showcasing the various coastal features along Barbados.  It is also a health and wellness family-oriented event for children ages five and older.

Bus transportation is available from the Warrens Tower II, Warrens, St. Michael car park, from 2:15 p.m. sharp.  Persons desirous of travelling on the buses are encouraged to visit the CZMU office at Warrens Tower II, Warrens, St. Michael, from Monday, March 6, to collect tickets between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Persons attending the walk are encouraged to bring water and wear long sleeves, comfortable shoes and loose clothing.

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In recognition of World Obesity Day, commemorated on March 4, the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition (BCOP) shared a letter of commendation to the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training for the February 15 launch of the National School Nutrition Policy. On hand to receive the letter from Dr Kia Lewis, Chairperson of the Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition, was Deputy Chief Education Officer Joy Adamson.  

The BCOP Chair outlined that the new policy was a brave one to protect children in Barbados. The new policy removes sugar-sweetened beverages from schools and forges a healthier school food environment from April 2023. 

The school nutrition policy has been part of the ardent fight by the Coalition since 2019 and the group stands ready to support the Ministry through vendor training, building awareness about childhood obesity with all stakeholders including teachers, students and parents, and monitoring and evaluation of the platform to ensure the policy has the power to change the health of students across Barbados.  

The theme for World Obesity Day 2023 is Changing Perspectives: Let’s Talk About Obesity. When we talk, debate and share, we can change minds, shift norms and transform health outcomes. In Barbados, the conversation has been about advocating for policies and this has brought a massive change among parents, students and government, who recognized that the trajectory of the alarming levels of childhood obesity in Barbados was putting the health of children in jeopardy. 

A societal problem like childhood obesity will require a societal response. Research shows that in Barbados, one in three children between 13 to 15 years old are obese or overweight. This is alarming and puts the health of a generation under threat. 

Adamson thanked the Coalition on behalf of the Minister of Education, Technological and Vocational Training the Hon. Kay McConney gave the assurance that the Ministry will work with the Coalition and the Ministry of Health to help reduce childhood obesity. 

(PR)

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