Health

Two New Polyclinics To Be Constructed

Government has committed to building two polyclinics to replace the existing ones in Warrens, St. Michael, and Oistins, Christ Church.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Davidson Ishmael, made the announcement during the Psychiatric Hospital’s Inaugural Awards and Recognition Ceremony, held at Mahogany Ridge in St. Thomas, last Saturday.

He told management and staff attending the ceremony that employees must be given the necessary resources to excel, inclusive of purpose-built facilities, so they can effectively deliver services.

The buildings at the Eunice Gibson and the Randal Phillips Polyclinics had outgrown their usefulness, he explained, adding that the remaining polyclinics would be refurbished.

The Minister mentioned that the ongoing construction of the Geriatric Hospital at Waterford, St. Michael, which will accommodate 300 residents when Phase One is completed, was at an advanced stage.

Mr. Ishmael said that maintenance of these new buildings will be prioritised by Government with the setting up of a Board of Management for the infrastructural management of polyclinics and laboratories across the health care sector.

He further noted that the Board will oversee the renewed investment in health care facilities to improve the delivery of service to citizens. Additionally, he shared that there are planned upgrades to the Psychiatric Hospital, at Black Rock, St. Michael, as part of the phased refurbishment plan.

“Central to the notion of investing in our workforce is the concept of work-life balance. We must ensure that if we are asking our staff to work hard and strive for excellence it must not come at the cost of their health or having an unequitable work-life balance,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley had promised a compact towards creating an environment locally, where nurses would feel more inclined to stay and ply their skills.

Mr. Ishmael continued: “She also agreed to have gyms created at all health facilities to be provided, free of cost, to staff. I can assure you that not only nurses, but all staff of the Psychiatric Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Wellness will have access to the newly refurbished Gym at the Psychiatric Hospital in the not too distant future. As a Ministry of Health and Wellness, we must first ensure the wellness of those who are being asked to look after the health and wellness of the nation.”

*Retired Senior Nursing Officer, Althea Clarke, receiving the Grace Bailey Start Award of Excellence from Director of the Psychiatric Hospital, David Leacock*.

The Minister of State also expressed the view that in order for public servants to excel in their roles, they needed to be provided with the necessary resources, training, and support to deliver high-quality service to the public.

He noted this would be done through strategic investments and reforms, aimed at enhancing efficiency, accountability, and transparency across the public sector.

Furthermore, he said the Ministry would support the Psychiatric Hospital in building out its inaugural awards programme to ensure that other areas that speak directly to high performance and client satisfaction are recognised and rewarded, not only on a yearly basis, but throughout the year, to ensure employee engagement as well as client and employee satisfaction.

“Government has insisted that all departments not only develop service charters but deliver on these promises relative to customer satisfaction, and for this reason awards such as the “Client Service Awards” and the “We Care Awards” will be given special attention, as these are directly related to feedback from those we serve,” Mr. Ishmael said. (PR/GIS)

Health

More Nurses Arrive From Ghana

Barbados’ nursing complement has been boosted with the arrival of 155 nurses from Ghana at the Grantley Adams International Airport, yesterday.

The nurses, who were accompanied by Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, were greeted by Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, and other officials.

This is the third cohort of Ghanaian nurses to be dispatched to Barbados since 2020, to address the local nursing shortage. Ninety-five nurses came in the first group during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, while 120 more arrived in 2022, some of whom are still employed here and have made Barbados their home.

Minister Walcott explained that the nurses would be assigned to various specialty areas of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ primary care facilities. These areas include cardiology, accident and emergency theatre, midwifery, psychiatric medicine, and geriatrics.

“So, we’re looking for these nurses to help improve the overall delivery of our healthcare,” stated Dr. Walcott.

Ms. Ntim said Ghana had a surplus of nurses, some of whom were not even employed. She said she welcomed the partnership with Barbados.

The Deputy Minister of Health added that nurses from the previous cohorts proved that they were more than capable of doing their jobs, and expressed confidence that the most recent cohort would also “deliver”. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, in discussion with Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Health, Adelaide Ntim, at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday. Senator Walcott was on hand to welcome 155 Ghanaian nurses to Barbados

Health

CHANGES TO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The Ministry of Health will soon roll out a number of changes to the island’s primary healthcare system, in order to drastically address the high numbers of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) seen among the Barbadian population.
This announcement was made by Senior Minister of Health and Wellness, the Most Honourable Dr. Jerome Walcott, as he presented a token of appreciation to Dr. Trevor Hassell in recognition of his outstanding efforts in educating Barbadians on the importance of addressing non-communicable diseases NCDs.
Walcott said, “I have a personal mandate that we should try to reduce the premature adult mortality from NCDs by a third. It is not impossible, it can be done, and in the course of the next few weeks, you will gradually see a roll out of parts of this process.”

He stressed “You will see the plans for primary healthcare; everybody is focused on QEH and tertiary healthcare, but the fundamentals of healthcare have to do with primary healthcare. The ability of early prevention, detection to get better health outcomes. We are looking at that in a project to be discussed soon.”
The Health Minister also revealed that additional screening for a variety of NCDs and cancers will also be made available.
“Within the ministry we are looking at a number of screening processes. We are looking to roll out before the end of this month a colonic screening process initially in two polyclinics, and thereafter we expand. We are looking at a cervical cancer screening process; we are looking at providing mammography services within the QEH again as was previously done up until 2008 where persons can have access to mammograms again for early detection and treatment for cancers.

Health

BMCLA Hosts Inaugural Bajan Cannabis Conference

Barbados is forging ahead in the medicinal cannabis industry with innovative solutions, despite the challenges being faced.

Acting Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Wilfred Abrahams, stated this last Friday, while addressing the inaugural Bajan Cannabis Conference, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael.

Noting that this country is charting an exciting future for the sector, with a focus on transforming healthcare, empowering local entrepreneurs, and embracing digital innovation, he said this will allow Barbados to position itself as one of the leaders in the Caribbean in this lucrative and fast-evolving global industry.

Mr. Abrahams disclosed that “11 applicants, representing 33 licences”, had been approved to date. He added: “And we are committed to moving this industry forward. This announcement marks a major step in Barbados’ drive to develop a thriving medicinal cannabis industry that will contribute to both healthcare and wellness tourism.”

The Minister praised the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority (BMCLA) for its efforts in assisting local entrepreneurs to join the growing industry by introducing a flexible payment plan. “This plan allows licensees to pay 60 per cent of their licence fee upfront, with the remaining 40 per cent paid in instalments over the first three years, … either monthly, quarterly, or annually,” he stated.

Meanwhile, acting Chief Executive Officer of the BMCLA, Shanika Roberts-Odle, pointed out that the industry continues to face significant challenges, particularly with the banking sector’s reluctance to support cannabis-related businesses.

To deal with this and other issues, she said three Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) were signed, which sought to overcome key hurdles and advance the development of the medicinal cannabis industry in Barbados.

The CEO noted that one of the most pressing challenges has been the lack of banking solutions for businesses in the medicinal cannabis sector, not only in Barbados but globally. To address this, she said the BMCLA partnered with M Money, a digital banking platform, to develop solutions that will facilitate local transactions for cannabis businesses.

Ms. Roberts-Odle pointed out that traditional financial institutions have been hesitant to support the industry due to regulatory concerns, and this had slowed investment and growth.

“While we haven’t completely solved the banking issue, this brings us closer and allows us to move money locally. Banking has been one of the biggest stumbling blocks, particularly in terms of facilitating investment in the industry,” she said.

The CEO disclosed that the BMCLA had also entered into a collaboration with Export Barbados, which is designed to support the marketing, testing, and manufacturing of medicinal cannabis products, ensuring that products are developed to the highest standards and marketed internationally. “It’s not just about growing the plant; it’s about marketing these products internationally and manufacturing them to the highest standards,” Ms. Roberts-Odle explained.

Also recognising the need for regional collaboration, she said the BMCLA signed an MOU with the Caribbean Cannabis Forum, which reinforces the need for a united Caribbean approach to cannabis policy, particularly when dealing with international regulatory bodies such as the World Trade Organization and the United Nations.

“Barbados has always recognised the importance of moving together as a Caribbean region. It has been crucial in protecting our interests on the international stage,” said Ms. Roberts-Odle.

She noted that the partnership also ensures that Barbados and its Caribbean neighbours continue to advocate for policies that reflect their unique relationship with cannabis, while also promoting responsible usage and industry standards.

She added: “We recognise the frustrations that people have expressed, but the transition from growing cannabis informally to producing medical-grade cannabis for immunocompromised patients is a vast leap. The BMCLA is committed to ensuring that our industry meets these high standards.” (PR/GIS)