On the eve of the official start of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Pan-American International Insurance Corporation building radiated a brilliant pink glow.

On Saturday evening, their Cheapside, St Michael, location came alive with this vibrant hue after a brief ceremony. This display not only symbolised the spirit of resilience, hope, and unity in the global fight against breast cancer but also highlighted the organisation’s unwavering commitment to this cause.

General Manager Michael Lucas extended a warm welcome before introducing the featured speaker, Agency Manager and cancer survivor Gloria King-Kirton. She began by acknowledging the strength and tenacity of countless individuals who have been touched by breast cancer, whether as survivors, caregivers, or advocates.

“Each one of us, including myself, is a testament to the power of courage, determination, and the relentless pursuit of a better, healthier future,”  King-Kirton said.

In her address, she underscored the significance of illuminating the building, emphasising, “It serves as a reminder that by coming together as a community, we can empower, educate, and inspire change.”

She encouraged attendees to support local cancer awareness groups and serve as advocates and sources of inspiration for others to do the same.

King-Kirton, who had passionately supported the cause before her own diagnosis, shared her personal journey of battling and triumphing over cancer, offering powerful inspiration to those gathered. She recounted, “Two years ago, I was not only diagnosed with breast cancer but had a double mastectomy, which I was not prepared for either mentally or emotionally.”

Through her emotional testimony, she emphasised the importance of a dedicated support network during challenging times. She stated, “Today, I stand as a testimony of what community means. It is the community that provided the support, praise, and encouragement during those difficult times.”

Special gratitude was expressed to the company for their steadfast support.

She said, “It was Pan American International Insurance Corporation who provided all my financial needs through our very own unique benefits, including cancer care designed specifically for this cause. Tonight, I am immensely proud of the Pan American Life Insurance team for their dedication to this cause.”

She assured the audience, “Our commitment to corporate social responsibility is not just a part of our identity; it’s at the core of who we are. We believe that businesses have the power to effect positive change, and together, we can create a world where breast cancer is no longer a threat to our loved ones.”

In conclusion, just before the ceremonial lighting, King-Kirton advised, “Together, let us make this Breast Cancer Awareness Month a month of action, compassion, and progress. Together, we can bring about a brighter, healthier future for all.” (STT)

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By Emmanuel Joseph

Health authorities say food manufacturing and packaging plant, Hill Milling Company Limited is expected to get the green light to reopen shortly.

The news from Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Arthur Phillips came on Friday afternoon, just over three months after environmental health officials closed the Haggatt Hall, St Michael company and dumped more than $500 000 in food items because of a rat infestation.

Although he declined to estimate a timeframe for the resumption of operations, Dr Phillips said he was comfortable Hill Milling was on track to get back to business soon.

He told Barbados TODAY that the dumping, which was done in stages, is now complete and the plant has done most of what it was required to do.

An inspection by health officers will be done to verify that all the recommended actions were completed.

“There is training, which must have been conducted yesterday. That is essentially it at this point. We would have had meetings with them and it helped to clarify that we were on the same page and we have the same goals,” health official stated.

“We are comfortable that they are improving and that they are on track to be back in business soon. I don’t have a timeframe. Our end goal is to ensure they are operating in a way that is safe to them and to the public and to public health standards. So, we believe that there is not much left to be done, and they are committed to doing all that is required.”

Dr Phillips said there would have to be a final sanitising of the plant, which will be done by Hill Milling staff under the supervision of environmental health officers, “once we have signed off on everything else”.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company Richard Ashby had complained that while waiting for the health authorities to give him the all-clear to reopen, staff had been sent on leave; his local and overseas customers were without products, which include rice, sugar, corn curls, oats, peas, beans and snacks; and the major revenue-earning portion of his business, exports, was in jeopardy.

“I sell to 4 000 shopkeepers…supermarkets, gas stations, minimarts…you know, people out in the country who sell from their windows, their back doors. But that’s not my big stuff, my big stuff is exports. So you are not only affecting small shops in Barbados but you are affecting the big shops in Guyana, Jamaica, St Lucia, Miami, New York and St Kitts,” the business owner had previously told Barbados TODAY, noting that the affected aspects of the plant included milling, packaging and producing.  emmanueljoseph@barbados.bb

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Caribbean ministers of health have been urged to utilise collective action to strengthen their healthcare systems, adopt sustainable practices that protect the environment and promote healthy living, as well as prioritise equity in healthcare delivery.

Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa made this call at the opening of the 45th meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (Health). 

He restated PAHO’s commitment to supporting member states in recapturing the immunisation gains of the past, confronting the emigration of health workers out of the Caribbean, reversing the growing epidemic of non-communicable diseases, and mitigating the health effects of the changing climate.

“The challenges we face are too great for any one nation to bear alone.  The pandemic made this glaringly apparent: only through unity and collective action can we overcome the public health trials of our times.  CARICOM was founded with this understanding,” Dr Barbosa noted.

While highlighting that during the pandemic the Caribbean and other Small Island Developing States relied solely on imports for these essential health goods, he acknowledged the aspirations of some Caribbean countries to produce their own medicines and medical supplies. 

The PAHO director pledged the organisation’s support to facilitate access to affordable medicines, vaccines, and health technologies, in approaching partners and prioritising technical cooperation on the regulatory aspects and demand planning. He noted that PAHO’s revolving funds could also be used to leverage regional production.

While turning his attention to reversing the rates of NCDs despite the “entrenched commercial and financial interests that hinder progress”, he pledged the organisation’s support for measures like front-of-package warning labels, the banning of trans fats and the creation of a smoke-free Caribbean.

“As we continue to advocate for the implementation of the Octagonal Warning labels, we are joined by the University of the West Indies, CARICOM, CARPHA, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, UNICEF, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, and many others, who believe that Caribbean people deserve to have the facts about what they are eating. We will persist, with our partners, to confront the main drivers of non-communicable diseases – tobacco use, unhealthy diets, alcohol use and lack of physical activity,” Dr Barbosa emphasised.

The Caribbean is poised to advance with the elimination of key communicable diseases and conditions. In 2023, eight Caribbean countries and territories, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Montserrat, and St Kitts and Nevis, were revalidated as achieving the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis. 

Dr Barbosa shared that Belize had now joined this list of countries certified by the World Health Organisation as having eliminated EMTCT earlier this year.  

“I am pleased to announce that in partnership with the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, and through the India-UN Partnership Development Fund, PAHO has secured funds to support CARICOM Countries in their efforts to achieve and sustain the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT Plus) of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B. In the coming weeks we will be conducting consultations to build the path forward together,” he said.

The PAHO director also used the opportunity to congratulate Belize on being certified by the WHO as having eliminated malaria in June. (PR)

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By Sheria Brathwaite

The number of patients backed up in the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on Tuesday is now significantly reduced, but Barbadians are still being urged not to go there unless their conditions are life-threatening.

Communications specialist Shane Sealy said on Wednesday that medical personnel had been able to reduce the number of people waiting for treatment by more than half.

However he said, people with minor issues should continue to seek care at polyclinics and private health care providers, as advised on Tuesday.

“I can tell you that today, the situation has significantly improved. Yesterday, we were still waiting to see about 50 patients. I can tell you that number has been cut in half. So from 50 it’s gone to around 22. So we have made significant strides but we want to continue to appeal to the public if your situation is not an emergency, if it’s not life-threatening, you can seek alternate medical accommodation or treatment,” Sealy said.

“We’ve been seeing a number of patients coming there with elevated blood pressure levels, elevated sugar levels as well. And I just want to say that you can go to your medical doctor to have your situation assessed before deciding to come to the emergency department because in those cases, you will have to wait a bit longer to be assessed.

“We have been able to cut down the waiting times as well. But again, we don’t want to be inundated like what we saw yesterday and over the past 48 to 72 hours. But we have been able to address that significantly.”

Sealy added that the wait was long since priority was given to people in critical condition.

“Through the triage system, there is a priority list. Categories one and two are those gunshot victims, those people with heart attacks and resuscitation; they will be seen immediately. So then in those cases, it would push back those other patients who would have to wait a bit longer for care,” he said.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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Staff shortages, ageing equipment, an increase in people requiring eye care and a backlog of patients in need of operations are some of the major issues impacting the Ophthalmology Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Head of the department Mr David Callender said that section of the hospital had the busiest outpatient clinic, with more than 20 000 patients annually “but that number has been increasing yearly”.

He said the department was in need of more hands to operate effectively.

“We don’t have enough staff; we still have a shortage of staff. We are working on getting some more junior doctors on staff. We have, on any given day, one or two consultants in the clinic and five junior doctors,” he said on Wednesday at the Lions Eye Care Centre as his department received a donation of four slit lamps from the Barbados Canada Foundation.

“So that’s also a limiting factor. We are hoping to get another two junior doctors on staff.”

Consultant ophthalmologist at the QEH Dr Dawn Grosvenor said the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill campus’ recent capability to train doctors locally would assist in this regard in the future.

“A big part of being able to maintain our staffing is that we can now train our doctors in the department locally. We didn’t [always] have the opportunity and we had to go overseas to train, and inevitably you would lose some people through brain drain. So it means that we can train staff here, retain them more and then those persons then feed back in and continue to give back locally and continue to train other people.

“So we’ve been doing that through the university’s postgraduate training programme . . . and that started in 2016. And since about 2020/2021, we’ve been producing graduates from that programme who now contribute as consultants at the hospital and they then will train more junior doctors. So, that is really helping us to retain more staff. And now we’re starting to attract very high-level applicants,” she said.

Regarding the eye surgery backlog, Callender said the department was working to reduce patients’ wait time to three months.

“We still have a backlog again. We had an issue with our operating theatre – the cooling system and the equipment challenges because of humidity in the operating theatre. So we couldn’t do as many surgeries as we would like during that period a few months ago,” he said.

The surgeon said the cooling system has been fixed and surgeries have increased but the department was still limited given the current staff numbers, which have also been affected by vacation leave for consultants and nurses.

“We try to do what we can in between, but when we have everybody on staff again, I guarantee we’ll get our numbers back up to at least a minimum of 80 cataract [surgeries] a month. Currently, the number is at 60 per month,” he explained.

“In terms of the [overall] backlog, we have hundreds of patients who are getting cataract surgery. We will never clear the backlog. There’s a constant addition to the waiting list . . . . We are trying to make patients wait for a shorter time so that we can have a short wait time for surgery, but there will always be a waiting list so our aim is to do as many cataracts as we can so that as patients are added, we take them off within about three months. So we are aiming for three months’ wait time for surgery. That’s a long-term goal, but it would take a while to get there.”

The ageing equipment in the department has also impacted the medical staff’s ability to assess patients in a timely manner. However, Callender said the donation of the slit lamps – machines that use a bright light to examine the eyes – would improve that situation.

The department head expressed concern about the increasing number of people, especially those with non-communicable diseases, presenting for treatment.

“I think that we are seeing more patients coming through the hospital for financial reasons rather than going to a private doctor. So that number has increased because of that. We are seeing more patients with diabetes who have eye problems – a lot of them present with diabetic eye disease – and you have a lot of patients with glaucoma. So even though we focus on cataracts a lot, we still have to share theatre time with other specialists who need to deal with those problems.

“More patients are referred from doctors . . . . Especially now we have more equipment, they are going to send more patients here. We try to keep pace with the workload and manage that but we still try to deliver other services. So it is a work in progress and we need all hands on deck to help us achieve our goals,” Callender said.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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By Sheria Brathwaite

The Barbados Diabetes Foundation has launched a new programme aimed at detecting vascular issues that could further deteriorate the health of people living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

During a launch ceremony on Tuesday at the Maria Holder Diabetes Centre in Warrens, St Michael, consultant physician and clinical director at the foundation Dr Diane Brathwaite told the media that the foundation acquired an Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) machine to screen for vascular diseases more than a year ago and after intensive training, it was ready to roll out a national screening programme.

Having an NCD such as diabetes can increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, which occurs when arteries harden or narrow from a build-up of plaque. People who have diabetes are also more at risk of getting a vascular disease because their blood sugar levels can be poorly controlled.

Dr Brathwaite said it was recommended for people over the age of 50 with diabetes or hypertension to have a vascular screening as part of their regular health checks. She added that younger people who have had an NCD for more than ten years should also get screened, as well as other people, especially young men, who smoke often and those who have a family history of NCDs.

“Another important point is that in our population in Barbados and the Caribbean, for some reason we are seeing severe peripheral artery disease in people at younger ages and when you have diabetes, that peripheral artery disease (PAD) can be very extensive. It means that it doesn’t block off one segment but it blocks off the whole length of the artery.  

“Rates of arterial insufficiency are relatively high in the ulcer patients that we see here. We just did an audit and PAD was present in about 60 per cent of our patients with diabetic ulcers so we advised all of our patients who come for ulcers, to do screening,” Dr Brathwaite said.

She said screening would take about 20 to 30 minutes and it was not painful. If an individual is symptomatic, a management treatment would be prescribed; and if a person was in critical condition, they would be referred to the vascular unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) for further evaluation.

A vascular check should be done yearly and the centre screens for a fee of $100.

Senior medical officer responsible for NCDs with the Ministry of Health Dr Arthur Phillips said the partnership between the QEH and the diabetes foundation since 2014 has borne fruitful results over the years. 

He said the hospital financed the care of about 225 people annually and they received six to nine months of care. 

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb

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The Barbados Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition (B-COP Coalition) continues its drive to prioritising children’s health. This time, it has donated 120 healthy hampers, filled with nutritious snacks for a week.

The recent implementation of the national school nutrition policy by the Ministry of Education, Technological and Vocational Training in April has sparked national attention and debate regarding access to affordable healthy food. B-COP Coalition, a leading advocate for this policy, has partnered with key sponsors to ensure these hampers are available, recognising that the back-to-school period can be both busy and costly for parents and guardians.

Dr Kia Lewis, the outgoing Chairperson of the B-COP Coalition, said: “In light of the new National School Nutrition Policy, the Coalition is very happy to roll out this Healthy Hamper: Back to School Edition, which is both healthy and cost-effective. We are targeting children in our childrens’ homes, at-risk youth, and our children in the Yute Gym of the Heart & Stroke Foundation.”

Dr Lewis further explained the initiative’s purpose, saying: “With this drive we wanted to show parents that it is possible to eat healthy on a budget. We know our schools have at least three water days, so the hampers have at least three bottles of water, an even cheaper way would be to buy a water bottle, you will also see several fruits in the hampers, given schools will be having two fruit days. Also, we have packed snacks as well, these are very reasonably priced and they would be compliant to the Alternative Snack and Beverage list, which shows the list of products on the market, which can be bought and given to our children for school.

“We are excited to launch this initiative and hope it assists Barbadian parents in making healthy choices for their children during school hours.”

This marks the B-COP Coalition’s second hamper drive, with the first taking place in 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic, targeting Barbadians with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) who were more susceptible to the virus.

Several partners and sponsors made this initiative possible, including Signia Globe, Supreme Distributors, Guardian General, and the Church of the Latter Day Saints in Rendevous, where the hamper packing took place.

Marketing Officer of Signia Globe Richelle Lucas, commented: “We got a request and it was absolutely a no brainer for us to join with the Coalition. We know people think it is expensive to eat healthily, so we want to thank the Coalition for using these excellent examples of fruit and water. We are not saying that there are no snacks, yes there is a snack in the hampers but moderation is the key. Additionally, being able to work with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and get our children active and getting them active from young, so it sticks with them is important.” We are very happy to partner along with the Coalition and the other sponsors who have jumped on board for this worthy cause.

Meanwhile, Rhiyad Juman of Supreme Distributors said his firm was happy to give back to the community “by providing our 100 per cent natural Juices, our Fan juices and our Crystal Waters in order to provide for those children who may not know about the healthy options in Barbados. We are happy to help those who need the help” .

Expressing gratitude to the sponsors and partners for the initiative, Dr Lewis said: “We encourage corporate Barbados and other service groups to join us in supporting less fortunate children and fellow Barbadians as we collectively work towards a healthier way of life,’ she said. (PR)

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By Anesta Henry

Style met substance on Friday, as young males and the young at heart descended on the corner of Villa Road and Warner’s Road, Brittons Hill, for a fresh haircut and a healthy perspective on life. 

Amid the celebration of style and camaraderie, there was a poignant reminder of the ongoing prevalence of HIV/AIDS in society.

Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey, took centre stage at the annual “Man Aware (Free Haircuts)” event. With his own close-cropped coiffure setting the tone, made an impassioned appeal to citizens to embrace safe sexual practices as a way of life. As he stood at a popular community junction, his message echoed: “HIV is still very real. It is still very prevalent.”

The event attracted children to get a fresh trim for back to school. But beyond the cool haircuts, it was a chance to interact with professionals who shared age-appropriate information about HIV/AIDS. It was a unique opportunity for the younger generation to learn about responsible living in a fun and engaging way.

While the Ministry of Health and Wellness is yet to reveal the latest statistics on Barbados’ HIV/AIDS prevalence, Humphrey said the Ministry of People Empowerment was playing its role as it relates to educating Barbadians about the importance of engaging in healthy sexual practices.

He said: “The numbers we have are from 2020. But I do think that regardless of the numbers, the truth is that it is clear to me that we have to be able to engage in sexual practices that are healthy.

“I think that a lot of people think that HIV is no longer there, and a lot of people are behaving as if HIV is no longer real. In many cases, because of the medication that you now have, it has gone from being a life-depriving illness to almost a chronic illness; it is still very prevalent.”

Encouraging Barbadians to get tested to know their HIV/AIDS status,  Humphrey suggested that a person who knows they have a clean bill of health would refrain from engaging in unhealthy sexual practices.

People who have tested positive for HIV/AIDS would be aware that they must make the move to access medication, he added.

The Man Aware event went beyond haircuts by offering health check-ups, including blood pressure and sugar level assessments, in partnership with the Livewell Clinic. Humphrey highlighted the significance of these tests, emphasising that early detection can prevent life-altering non-communicable diseases.

“We are also working with the Livewell Clinic to be able to do health checks so that people can get their blood pressure checks and their sugar level checks to see if they are pre-diabetic or diabetic. This health check is one of the things that I think is going to be very important for the ministry.

“I think it is very important because a number of Barbadians are dealing with non-communicable issues, some of them becoming life-depriving in circumstances where they could be avoided if we get early testing and if we continue to do the things we are supposed to do, like eat right and make healthy choices. So, I want to thank the HIV/AIDS Commission for this work. I want to thank them for their constant advocacy, but I also feel like the time has come for Barbadians to recognise that the health choices we make in terms of what we eat also have consequences.”

The “Man Aware (Free Haircuts)” event, a blend of fashion and substance, continues to make its mark – one stylish haircut at a time – on Saturday at the Child Care Board, Cheapside, The City. 

anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb

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The Physiotherapy Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has received a near $4 000 boost to its capability to treat patients.

The aid package, which was donated by the Rotaract Club of South Barbados on Wednesday, is comprised of 15 folding walkers with wheels, seven Transcutaneous Electrical Nervous Stimulations (TENS) units to assist with pain management, and two exercise band kits.

The club’s immediate past president Graham Belle said the contribution was made possible through funds raised during the organisation’s annual Karting for Charity event.

He said the QEH was chosen as the chief beneficiary following a needs assessment conducted with the Physiotherapy Department.

Senior physiotherapist Dr Lynn Morris, who accepted the assistance package, said the equipment was critical to meet the increasing demand of patients seeking rehabilitation.

President of the Barbados Physiotherapy Association Stacey Boyce, meanwhile, expressed concern about an emerging trend of arthritis becoming more prevalent among younger people.

However, she gave the assurance that with the donation, the hospital was in a better position to help those requiring treatment for arthritis.

Arthritis is inflammation of the joint, and the two most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The donation was made during Physiotherapy Week which concludes on Saturday.

To mark the week starting on September 3, the Barbados Physiotherapy Association hosted several activities, including an open day on the ground floor corridor of the QEH. It is preparing for more activities on World Physiotherapy Day on Friday. (EJ/PR)

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(CMC) – Suriname has been named among eight countries that are adopting measures in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to protect the health of their populations from novel tobacco products.

The WHO said Friday that with the recent ban on the use and marketing of electronic cigarettes in Venezuela, currently, 21 countries in the Americas regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), such as e-cigarettes and vapes.

“The resolution that regulates new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products in Venezuela is an important step forward for the country and for the region,” said Dr Anselm Hennis, Director of Non-Communicable Diseases Mental Health at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

“We hope that this measure motivates other countries to take action on these products, which are addictive, harmful and aggressively advertised towards the youngest,” he added.

The eight new countries to join the initiative are Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela and PAHO said these countries prohibit their sale altogether, and the other 13 countries have partially or totally adopted one or more regulatory measures.

It said 14 countries in the Americas, including the Caribbean, lack any regulation of these products.

Last June, a previous resolution of the Venezuelan Ministry of Popular Power for Health banned the sale of vapes to minors.

Now, the August 1 resolution prohibits “the manufacture, storage, distribution, circulation, commercialization, importation, exportation, use, consumption, advertising, promotion and sponsorship of ENDS and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS)”, as well as their “consumables”, “accessories”, and “heated tobacco products”.

PAHO said e-cigarettes are the most common form of electronic nicotine delivery systems. When used, they heat a liquid to create aerosols that are inhaled by the user.

It said these “e-liquids” contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance found in tobacco, and other additives, flavorings and chemicals, some of which are toxic to the health of both the user and those exposed to them.

PAHO/WHO recommends that governments implement regulations in line with the provisions of the FCTC and its decisions, such as prohibiting the marketing of ENDS, including their importation, distribution or sale, as well as regulations on their use in public places, prohibiting their advertising and promotion, taxing them, and other regulations similar to those applied to tobacco products.

Tobacco kills one million people in the region of the Americas annually and while measures taken since the FCTC came into force in 2005 ha per cent in 2020, these achievements are threatened by novel tobacco and nicotine products.

Currently, 11.3 per cent of adolescents between 13 and 15 years of age in the region use tobacco, compared to the world average of 10.3 per cent.

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