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News
www.caribbeantimesinternational.com | WEEK ENDING JULY 23, 2015
J’ca Public health sector lost 200 nurses last year — NAJ
K
INGSTON, JAMAICA: Jamaica's public health system took a blow last year with the migration or resignation of 200 specialist nurses. "In 2014, 200 specialist nurses migrated to other countries or resigned from the public sector to work in the private sector," said Janet Coore-Farr, president of the Nurses' Association of Jamaica (NAJ). Coore-Farr made the announcement during Sunday's service at Eastwood Park New Testament Church in Kingston to mark the start of Nurses' Week. She said the "extreme
Protests are nothing new... J’can nurses protest for higher wages back in 2006
shortage" of nurses in the
public health care system
East La Penitence community slated for major development – first consultation held with residents
G
EORGETOWN, G U Y A N A : Residents of the community of East La Penitence, Georgetown will soon see major transformation and development in their community as work has commenced on the crafting of a national developmental plan with emphasis on youth empowerment. The first consultation was held Friday at the East La Penitence Primary School, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported. Spearheading this developmental process is Minister within the Social Protection Ministry, Simona
Broomes, who has been assigned responsibility for the community. The consultation saw the participation of Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan and Minister within Public Infrastructure Ministry, Annette Ferguson and was facilitated by Minister Broomes. The consultation, which was attended by approximately 60 residents, was told that emphasis was now being placed on the development of the community since there was a need for an intervention by the Government in improving the living standards of the residents, creating avenues for em-
ployment of young people as well as providing them with recreational facilities. There are immediate plans to establish a basketball court in the community for the youths. The consultation is the follow-up to a walkabout done by Minister Broomes two weeks ago, where she interacted with residents in an effort to hear their concerns and to see how best these can be addressed. The Ministries of Communities and Public Infrastructure is part of the initiative, since most of the residents’ concerns fall within those sectors. (Guyana Times)
has contributed to an in-
crease in workload. That is certain to bring with it stresses to the individual nurses, which could affect patient care. Jamaicans have long complained about harsh treatment out by nurses in public health care facilities. On the other hand, Coore-Farr said that the NAJ would focus on filling he gap with nurses who are trained but currently unemployed. Dr Andrei Cooke, chairman of the South Eastern Regional Health Authority, told attendees to the service that nurses are the backbone of health care in Jamaica. "Since the beginning
of time, the nursing profession has been one of much honour and importance to Jamaica, as to the world," Cooke said, and lauded the nurses "for their service across Jamaica". Shirley Hibbert, deputy chief nursing officer in the Ministry of Health, who delivered greetings behalf of Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson, lauded the work nurses were doing in Jamaica, adding that they are the cornerstone of the health sector. She said that nurses remained committed to delivering effective health care "despite the challenges". (Jamaica Observer)
Talks on using cassava to ferment beer in TT P O R T - O F S P A I N , TRINIDAD: Discussions are ongoing to use cassava for the fermentation of local beer, rather than using the flower of the hop plant which is imported in large quantities for TT breweries. So said Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj as he opened the Brickfield Packing House at Tabaquite on Monday. The new facility provides a place for farmers to sort, size, label, clean, wax and package their produce. Equipped with chillers, freezers and training rooms, the Packing House is one of two opened this year by government, Maharaj said. He explained that government remains committed to lowering the food import bill and this is why discussions are being held with Carib Brewery and National Flour Mills to use local produce in the manfacturing process. Saying negotiations are still in the embryonic stage, Maharaj said tests will be done to determine whether cassava could be used as part of the fermentation process. Chief Executive Officer of the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (Namdevco) Ganesh Gangapersad said cassava fermentation has been tried and tested in the African continent. Meanwhile Works Minister Dr Suruj Rambachan said over the past few years the government has paved hundreds of kilometres of ag-
TT’s Food Production Minister Devant Maharaj
ricultural access roads. He said bridges and culverts were fixed to make life easier for the farmers. Rambachan denied that government had spent over TT$400 billion since it assumed office. He explained that earnings were TT$268 billion and expenditure was TT$291 billion, leaving a deficit of TT$23 million. “For those who have eyes to see, it is clear to see that we got value for the money spent,” Maharaj said, adding that 46 health centres have been opened and hundreds of nurses were being trained at the El Dorado Nursing Academy and the College of Science Technology and Applied Arts of TT. However, president of the Tableland Pineapple Farmers Association Ramesh Ramsumair said despite the construction of the packing house, not enough is being done to support the agricultural sector. He added that farmers were still having a difficult time cultivating and processing produce because the agricultural database was in shambles. “The first thing we have to do is build a database so we know what
we have and what we should have. Right now we don’t know who produces what, when they produce and in what quantities,” Ramsumair said. He surther stated , “We welcome this packing house but this facilitates the end product and we need to get goods and services to come here. Farmers need to produce and we need proper infrastructure to help us accomplish this.” Ramsumair listed farmers have been begging to meet with Maharaj for the past three years to discuss agricultural concerns at the La Gloria Estate but this never materialised. Saying the government’s agricultural plan 2012 to 2015 had failed, Ramsumair explained: “We are running around like headless chickens. At this point we building a packing house and encouraging local food consumption, but we not putting things in place to help farmers to grow this food.” He said the Agricultural Society of TT was deprived of TT$5 million in funding while hundreds of millions of dollars were being invested elsewhere. (TT Guardian)