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VOLUME:114 No.165, JULY 20TH, 2017

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CL ASSIFIEDS TRADER: CARS, CARS, CARS - AND TECH!

INSIDE

Corruption squad quiz PLP veteran

Frank Smith held overnight in loans probe

$1

L SOUR CE

CYBER DEFENCES RATED AMONG WORLD’S WEAKEST

By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

THE Deputy Prime Minister yesterday conceded that The Bahamas “continues to fall too far down the scale” after being ranked 129th out of 164 countries for its commitment and effectiveness in fighting cyber crime.

FULL STORY - SEE BUSINESS

BAILED - TO BE GUNNED DOWN

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Tribune Staff Reporter sdorsett@tribunemedia.net FORMER Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Senator and member of Parliament Frank Smith was taken into police custody and questioned yesterday in connection with an ongoing fraud probe, The Tribune understands.

Attorney Damien Gomez, who said he is representing Mr Smith, confirmed the former Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) chairman voluntarily went to the Central Detective Unit (CDU) around 10am Wednesday morning for

FRANK SMITH questioning.

Mr Gomez, who is also the PLP’s former minister of state for legal affairs, said Mr Smith will be held overnight.

SEE PAGE SIX

DOORS OPENED FOR 3,000 NEW CITIZENS

By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporter rrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 3,000 people were granted citizenship between 2012 and April of this year, according to statistics Financial Services and Immigration Minister Brent Symonette gave The Tribune.

There were 3,331 citizenship approvals during the period in question and the rate appeared to increase toward the end of the last Christie administration.

A total of 1,969 people

were approved for citizenship between 2012 to 2015; 789 people were approved in the year 2016 and 573 received citizenship between January and April of this year alone.

In 2012, Mr Symonette released comprehensive statistics on the number of citizenship and permit applications approved by the last Ingraham administration, but his revelations yesterday offer the first glimpse of the approval rates under the Christie administration.

SEE PAGE SIX

THE BODY of a man found in the area of Elizabeth Estates on Malaysia Way and Commonwealth Boulevard. The man’s vehicle was parked nearby where police found a large quantity of drugs and an NIB card which is believed to be the ID of the victim.

Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

By SANCHESKA DORSETT Cash confirmed the latest murder vic- mon Cash said the “average person” Tribune Staff Reporter tim was out on bail for a 2014 murder is safe and should not be afraid. He sdorsett@tribunemedia.net and was wearing an ankle monitoring urged persons out on bail for serious crimes “to stay home” or risk the A MAN out on bail for murder, bracelet at the time of his death. chance of being killed.

Police also allegedly found a “subwho was being electronically moniPolice have not identified the victored, was shot multiple times and stantive” amount of marijuana in the victim’s vehicle, which was discov- tim, but a source told The Tribune he killed yesterday morning, marking the ered several feet away from the crime is Karran Collie, a father of one. fourth murder in New Providence in scene.

According to reports, Collie was five days.

The motive for the killing is not walking from his home in Elizabeth The murder took the country’s known, but police suspect it could be Estates when he was approached by a homicide count to 76 for the year, ac- retaliation. man with a handgun. cording to The Tribune’s records.

Despite the recent spate of homiSEE PAGE FIVE Chief Superintendent Solomon cides, Chief Superintendent Solo-

EMPTY SEATS AS FANS STAY AWAY

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard said it is too early to say if the Commonwealth Youth Games will yield a viable return on the government’s $7m investment despite a meagre turnout on opening night, adding: “Investments are not just financial.”

Attendance at the opening ceremony Tuesday night at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium was

sparse, and the stadium appeared to be a quarter filled.

The beach soccer games were poorly attended on Wednesday, however, there appeared to be a larger crowd at the judo events.

Romell Knowles, managing director of the games, told The Tribune yesterday that outdoor events were not as crowded as indoor ones, something he chalked up to the intense summer heat.

“If you went to judo and SEE PAGE THREE

CHILD PORN SUSPECT DETAINED

By LAMECH JOHNSON Tribune Staff Reporter ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

EMPTY stands at the volleyball venue yesterday.

Nassau & Bahama Islands’ Leading Newspaper

A MAN appeared in Magistrate’s Court yesterday facing a dozen child pornography charges.

Sharran Burrows, 41, of Pinewood Gardens stood before Chief Magistrate Joyann FergusonPratt facing 12 counts of SEE PAGE FIVE

PAGE 2, Thursday, July 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

SPARSE crowds at the volleyball venue yesterday for the Commonwealth Youth Games.

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 20, 2017, PAGE 3

THE CROWD at the time of the start of the Commonwealth Youth Games - with large swathes of seats left empty.

EMPTY SEATS AS FANS STAY AWAY from page one

swimming and boxing you would see they were filled,” Mr Knowles said.

“The activities that are happening on the inside have good crowds, but the outside ones we are having challenges with because of the heat. It’s in the middle of the day and it’s extremely hot outside and we don’t want people sitting in the sun for a long period of time, they could get a heat stroke, but this problem is not unique to The Bahamas.

“Even in the World Cup, they have difficulty getting people out when it is hot. So we would love the people to attend the events outside, but we understand it is hot and we prefer people to stay cool,” Mr Knowles said.

Meanwhile, Mr Pintard told The Tribune while it is too soon to speculate on an investment return, his focus is on ensuring that such investments “make sense in business terms as well as those other intangibles.”

Those “intangibles,” Mr Pintard said, include things like the country’s exposure to the international sporting community, as well as the opportunity local athletes and competitors will have to be exposed to international competition.

The CYG is the latest international sporting event hosted here, flowing from the former Christie administration’s efforts to boost sports tourism. The event was agreed to by the former government.

TEAM Bahamas in action yesterday in the rugby tournament. Photo: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

However, Mr Pintard said the newly elected Minnis administration is keen on seeing the event’s economic impact assessment to determine “in advance where economically it is a viable proposition for the country.”

On Tuesday night, Mr Pintard told The Tribune that the event will cost the Bahamas more than $7m to host.

When asked by The Tribune about the Minnis administration’s concerns of yielding a solid return for hosting the games, Mr Pintard said yesterday: “Too early to comment.”

“As you know, investments are not just financial, and my focus is over time to make sure that when we undertake these things that it makes sense in business

terms as well as those other intangibles, like the extent to which this is inspirational for our young people, helping to also expose them to international competition for better preparation, to the extent that it sets off a fitness craze in the country, promotes health lifestyle, promotes values that are good for our community, promotes competing clean, etc,” he continued.

“Over time, all of these things are important (and) with these games we believe will do that. But what is also important for future games is to also see in advance where economically it is a viable proposition for the country.

“But just to underscore the point, it is early to assess that but we can also have that conversation later in terms of the (re-

A BOXING match yesterday at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium between Sri Lanka and Australia.

Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

MAN DENIED BAIL IN GUN POSSESSION CASE A MAN was remanded to prison yesterday after he was charged with firearms related offences.

Michael McKenzie, 22, appeared before Chief Magistrate Joyann Ferguson-Pratt facing a count each of possession of an unlicensed firearm and possession of ammunition.

It is alleged that on Sunday, July 16, he was found in possession of a black Smith & Wesson Hi-Point .45 pis-

tol and eight live rounds of ammunition for the weapon without being the holder of a licence or certificate to possess the items.

McKenzie pleaded not guilty to both charges and was told that the case would be heard on September 11.

He was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services in the interim.

However, he has the right to apply for bail to the Supreme Court.

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turn on investment). All those other things I said I believe that you’re going to get those kinds of return on investments (on), but on the economic side we’ll see what the economic impact assessment says.”

Not since the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica has a Commonwealth Games event been held in the Caribbean.

PAGE 4, Thursday, July 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

The Tribune Limited NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI “Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”

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Beds lost in PLP sinkhole of stupidity FREEPORT’S Dr Michael Darville, Shadow Minister of Health, has congratulated Health Minister Dr Duane Sands for his government’s plans to upgrade the Accident and Emergency and other sections of the Princess Margaret Hospital, noting that not only was it a “step in the right direction,” but that it was what the PLP had planned to do before it was voted out of office.

He said that the Christie government had recognised the dire state of affairs at the hospital and had worked on several options to have the facility enhanced, remodelled or repaired. However, the government was so busy that it had not got around to it before the May10 election.

Obviously, none of them had toured the hospital to see for themselves the sub human conditions that patients and staff were enduring while they were chasing an unaffordable rainbow called national health insurance.

Again, all talk and no action. If the PLP had fully understood the subhuman state of the Princess Margaret Hospital why would they be concentrating their efforts on creating a national health scheme that they still don’t know how it is to be paid for or even how the extra patients are to be accommodated? It was like building an unaffordable top heavy structure on a crumbling foundation. But what did it matter as long as there was a possibility of an offer of something for nothing, which in the end might win votes and return them to government?

They must have known that the Hospital Authority’s recurrent expenditure shortfall was $16,426,155.99, which included the Princess Margaret Hospital’s outstanding financial commitment of $9,314,629.48, drugs and vaccines at $2,896,714.00, and medical and surgical supplies at $2,170,937.00, not to mention the added costs of Sandilands Rehabilitation and Grand Bahama Health Services. Despite these expenses that they could not meet, they led Bahamians to believe that they would be able to supply them with a private doctor of their choice and free medical care.

When someone asked a doctor how government was going to pay for all of that, the sarcastic reply was: “That’s for you to figure out!.”

Well, fellow Bahamians, from where we sit it is unaffordable — another PLP bluff. It was a blessed miracle that Bahamians had their eyes opened in time – and voted the imposters out. Now we are left with a disaster in need of urgent repair and no funds to do so. As Dr Sands – who with his board, will have to pick up the pieces and start all over again— remarked: It is the “perfect storm” caused by years of “dumb and inappropriate decisions.” He was not sure when or how a solution to this “mess” would be found.

In this column yesterday, we promised to tell readers how the newly constructed Critical Care Unit, the main reason for which was to provide much needed extra beds, lost those beds to provide plush offices for the new PLP administration.

Before the May 2012 elections, the state-of-the-art critical care unit, which by then was 95 per cent complete, was expected to be opened in October– only five months away. Construction had started in November, 2011. Everything was running smoothly and on schedule.

Unlike our present situation — inherited from the PLP —the FNM had left enough funds to complete the building and purchase the equipment. As far as was known, the financing was to come

from National Insurance funds. “At that time,” we were told, “no additional money was needed, except for the recruiting and training of staff.”

However, even staff training had started in readiness for an end of year opening. A 52-week critical care programme, accredited by the Royal College of Nurses in the United Kingdom, for the training of patient care assistants, anaesthetic assistants and emergency medical technicians was well underway.

The elections were held on May 7, 2012. By midnight that night, the Ingraham government was out and the Christie government was in. It was not long before the plans for the Princess Margaret Hospital’s Critical Care Block started to unravel.

The 52-week training course, on its completion, was discontinued and the Bahamian nurses, now trained, were released or terminated. A number of hospital beds remained closed, and none of the six operating theatres had opened. It was understood that they could not open for lack of staff.

All the political promises of first class critical care for indigent Bahamians is “just not so”, said one doctor. “It’s a tragedy, but it‘s just not so.” He doubted that the intensive care unit would be open to full capacity before the end of that year because of the PLP’s “lack of planning, the diversion of funds to other things, procurement problems, redesign of valuable space and making changes so that their people could get financial benefits.”

To have staffing and equipment in place did not seem to be a priority.

Training of Bahamian nurses for critical care duties had stopped.

The new wing had been built as a critical care block – but it lacked the essential “step down unit,” which had been in the original plans. Apparently, someone in the new administration had the not-so-brilliant idea to turn what was to have been the “step down” unit into administrative offices. “Administrative offices in a critical care unit is unheard of,” said one doctor, concluding that whoever made the decision didn’t know what he was doing.

An intensive care unit is decided by the ratio of nurse to patient. For the seriously critical unit there would be two patients to one nurse, in the less critical — “the step down”— there could be three or four patients to one nurse.

With the removal of the “step down” instead of 20 available recovery beds there were only 10. There should be 10 beds in the extra critical area, and 10 in the less critical or “step down.” And so for the patients on the surgical ward there are no beds for the less critical cases — instead there is an administrative block.

“Before the new unit was built,” said one doctor, “we had nine beds for intensive care, now, we have increased that by only one – we now have 10 beds” – elimination of the “step down” unit meant 10 lost beds. However, of the 10 remaining several were still closed because of a shortage of staff.

Despite the fact that the Ingraham government had left all of the financing in place to complete the Critical Care unit, the PLP government started talking of a National Insurance tax. The unit opened more than two years late, but even then it was not fully functional.

And now that Dr Sands is desperate for the extra beds that were promised in 2012 –he can stop his search — that was the year that those beds were lost in the PLP’s sinkhole of stupidity.

Rose-tinted view EDITOR, The Tribune.

Re: D’Aguilar: We’ll counter false information about country.

The Tribune, July 7, 2017.

ANYONE who disputes the false statements of the

social media and video in question might wish to experience the thrill of personal reality by doing their own New Providence walkabout.

But unlike our very photogenic police walkabouts, it should be done alone, unarmed and after dark.

Hopefully, should any unpleasantness occur, such as armed robbery or sexual assault etc, it will all just be fake – like the false information about our country.

KEN W KNOWLES, MD Nassau, July 11, 2017.

Legalising marijuana to cut crime EDITOR, une.

The

Trib-

LEGALISING marijuana can reduce crime.

Parents, guardians, siblings, cousins, aunties, uncles and friends mourn today because of the nonstop shooting deaths in New Providence. The cycle is all too familiar.

Young Bahamian men are having their breath removed from their bodies because of violence and are becoming statistic after statistic; young men with unfulfilled dreams will soon be forgotten by the general public.

When will this carnage end? When did it begin?

Does anyone have the answer?

The pain of losing a loved one in this manner leaves a stinging sensation on one’s psyche because in most cases it is totally unexpected.

Additionally, the reasoning behind a lot of these deaths may seem silly to the general public, but the streets operate under a different code.

One of the major reasons in my view why crime, particularly murder is so high in the Bahamas is because of the marijuana drug trade in the country. A lot of crime can be linked to some drug deal gone bad, some gun that was stolen, some one “running tape” and various other reasons.

The complicit nature of the Bahamian society and the lack of political will of successive governments has not helped the situation at all.

In 2011, the Bahamas saw 127 murders which included name brand figures known to police, one of them nicknamed the Emperor.

If you check the records, a lot of these men had some connection to the drug trade.

LETTERS letters@tribunemedia.net A lot of these victims were involved in serious crime before their untimely demise.

I have never used marijuana or weed in my life, but I have read about and seen first hand some of its positive and negative attributes.

From my vantage point, its use does not seem to be nowhere as dangerous as that of alcohol, a legal substance in The Bahamas.

The police have done a yeoman’s job in terms of making historic drug arrests and they probably arrest hundreds of people annually. But at what cost? Have we ever considered the folly in arresting someone for a natural drug that is used to heal people and ease their pain?

The illegality of marijuana is one of the best examples of a sovereign nation such as The Bahamas continuing to follow an 1980’s world view. Remember the War on Drugs led by Nancy Reagan? If we do some research we would see what a hoax this was.

When will we commit a study to see the effect the illegal marijuana drug trade has on crime and murder in The Bahamas?

When will we seriously look at the benefits of legalising this trade?

I know it sounds crazy to some but if you legalise marijuana in The Bahamas, you would probably eliminate a criminal subculture within months.

The dangers of drug traffickers travelling overseas to import this herb would be a thing of the past.

There would be no need for these criminals to arm themselves with high

powered rifles to protect their contraband and their street ratings and credibility.

Users would be able to walk into a government regulated store and purchase the desired amount of weed legally.

Of course some rules will have to be set about quantities that can be purchased.

Drug dealers are very territorial and they command a certain respect on the streets. When certain lines are crossed and they often are, the only answer is through violence.

The number of murdered people in The Bahamas so far in 2017 is now in the mid-70’s. At this rate, we will record over 130 murders for this year. We are losing too many of our young men to violence which stems either directly or indirectly from the marijuana drug trade.

Road blocks, saturation patrols and good investigative techniques will catch a few criminals, but it will not stem the violence because it does not address the root causes of the problem.

Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, people from all walks of life are getting high in The Bahamas every day and in some cases all day. And it appears that supply is never an issue.

I think legalising marijuana in The Bahamas will help to save many of of our young Bahamian men from murder because it will normalise a lot of the leading criminal elements in the country who arm themselves and their soldiers to protect their contraband and their reputation.

DEHAVILLAND MOSS Nassau, July 18, 2017.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 20, 2017, PAGE 5

POLICE examining the vehicle at the scene of a shooting in Elizabeth Estates on Malaysia Way and Commonwealth Boulevard.

Photos: Terrel W. Carey/Tribune Staff

Bailed - to be gunned down from page one “Sometime around 10am, police received reports of gunshots in this area. When officers came on the scene they discovered the lifeless body of a male lying at the junction of Malaysia Way and Commonwealth Boulevard,” Chief Supt Cash said.

“We know that the victim was walking in the area, when a white Honda Stream pulled up and a lone gunman emerged and fired several shots at the deceased.

Emergency Management Services (EMS) personnel were called to the scene and they did an examination and pronounced him dead.

“I can tell you that the victim is on bail for a homicide that occurred in 2014 and he is being monitored for that offence... I would say it is a privilege to be granted bail and I want to advise those persons who

have been granted bail to remain in the confines of their home. That is the best advice I can give them, because if they move about freely they may be targeted and killed.

“We continue as we normally do to look at our prolific offenders mainly those out on bail and we monitor them from time to time, but we need the public’s help to solve these crimes. In my opinion, I do not sense a fear factor for normal residents, of course you know that this individual was on bail for murder and from all indications it looks like retaliation. Decent residents who live in these areas need not have the fear, they are safe.”

Police said it is not known if drugs played a factor in the man’s death.

He added: “During the investigation we got information that a vehicle on the scene was owned by the deceased. We also got ad-

ditional information that he may have had drugs in his possession, hence we conducted the search and we found a large quantity of suspected marijuana within the interior of the vehicle.

We are unsure if the drugs were related to his death.”

The murder came about 24 hours after one man was killed and another man was shot off Nassau Street.

The men were shot while sitting outside a home on Quarry Mission Road on Tuesday. Police said the victims were approached by four men in a silver or grey coloured Teana vehicle. The armed suspects got out of the vehicle and shot both the men. One of the men died at the scene, the other was taken to hospital where he is listed in critical condition.

Police are still searching for the suspects.

In late May, when asked about concerns over violent crime, Prime Minister Dr

A QUANTITY of suspected drugs in the vehicle at the scene.

Hubert Minnis said “there Security Minister Marvin is a sense of calmness” hov- Dames will be aggressive in ering over the country after rolling out the party’s crime his party’s crippling defeat plan. There have been 23 of the Progressive Liberal murders since the Free NaParty. tional Movement’s win on However, at the time he May 10, according to The said he is sure National Tribune’s records.

CHILD PORN SUSPECT DETAINED from page one

possession of child pornography, brought under Section 16(A) (2)(b) of the Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 99.

It is alleged that between April 2015 and April 2017, he had in his possession, by a mobile phone, lewd images of a female under the age of 18, or depicted as being under 18, performing sexual acts.

Burrows elected to stand trial in Magistrate’s Court

and pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges.

Given the nature of the allegations, Burrows was remanded to the Department of Correctional Services to await trial.

However, he has the right to apply for bail in the Supreme Court.

A fixture hearing is scheduled for September 13 when it will be determined if the chief magistrate will preside over the matter or if the case will be transferred to another court.

SHARRAN BURROWS, 41, charged with several counts of child pornography.

Anyone with information on any of these latest homicides or any other crime is asked to contact police at 911 or 919, the Central Detective Unit at 502-9991 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 328-TIPS.

PAGE 6, Thursday, July 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Corruption squad quiz PLP veteran from page one

In an interview with the press, Mr Gomez said he is confident that his client will

“prevail” in the end.

“The questions appear superficially to relate to government, they really concern private loans that persons who probably don’t

want to pay their lawful debts are now hiding behind a scam. There is no allegation of bribery and I have no concerns about his innocence,” Mr Gomez said outside CDU. “I am confident he will prevail in this... Of course we are concerned that political abuse of power is behind this and we will deal with that at the appropriate time.”

Mr Smith is the third member of the former Christie administration to

be questioned by officers in two months.

In May, Dion Smith, the former deputy speaker of the House of Assembly, was taken into custody in connection with a probe into “theft by reason of employment” at the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation, which he headed under the Christie administration.

Mr Smith, who represented Nassau Village from 2012 to May of this

year, was released from police custody without being charged.

He was the ninth person arrested, questioned and released in connection with the matter; however, no formal charges have been brought against anyone.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Rolle, head of the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s Anti-Corruption Unit, told reporters last week that the investigation

at BAIC was complete and police found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Mr Smith vied unsuccessfully to receive the PLP’s nomination to represent Free Town in the 2012 general election but was passed over for attorney Wayne Munroe, QC. He was elected to the House of Assembly in 2002 to represent the former St Thomas More constituency.

He served as PLP senator from 2007-2012.

DOORS OPENED FOR 3,000 NEW CITIZENS from page one

Regarding approvals for permanent residence permits, work permits, spousal permits and permits to reside, Mr Symonette said as far as he is aware numbers for these over the past five years were “fairly consistent” with prior years.

Work permits, for instance, averaged between 1,000 to 1,500 per month, he said.

Mr Symonette is seeking to take stock of the backlog of citizenship applications even as his government plans to establish a board that is empowered to grant or deny citizenship applications, devolving a power that has long lied with Cabinet.

Such a process would not only guard against potential political interference but could also speed up the pace at which applications are considered since former Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell has said the practice has been for Cabinet to consider applications only when “time permits”.

Said Mr Symonette yesterday: “We constantly hear it’s a backlog, but I’m trying to determine the nature and

MINISTER of Financial Services, Trade, Industry and Immigration Brent Symonette. size of the backlog, whether it’s 1,000, 10,000 or more or less. “Senior staff can’t help me. The Immigration Department is still very manual. A computerised system exists, but the management of the computer system is not as developed as it should be.”

This year alone, Mr Symonette said, the Department of Immigration has handled 15,000 applications for citizenship and other kinds of permits.

According to statistics he released in 2012, from May 2007 to December 2011 the Ingraham administration

approved 2,590 applications for citizenship, 1,710 permanent residence permits, 2,020 spousal permits and 12,678 permits to reside.

During the recent budget debate, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said his government will establish an independent board to review citizenship applications to ensure politicians don’t abuse the matter.

Legislation allowing this “is subject to Cabinet discussions” but may be ready by the time Parliament resumes later this year, Mr Symonette said.

“I’m sure the president of the United States doesn’t sit or the prime minister of Great Britain doesn’t sit on every immigration application to see whether or not to grant citizenship to a person that does apply,” Mr Symonette said during the budget debate earlier this summer.

In the past, Mr Mitchell expressed support for establishing a commission to grant citizenship even though it’s unclear if this was a part of the Christie

administration’s legislative agenda.

Mr Mitchell said a proposed commission “would receive the application, examine whether the individual meets the criteria set down in the Constitution and the Bahamas Nationality Act and determine if the person should be granted citizenship.”

Under the Bahamas Nationality Act, the minister with responsibility for immigration must examine whether applicants meet the constitutional and legal requirements for citizenship and must grant them citizenship if they do.

“The practice has evolved by convention in this country that ‘minister’ in the statute law means the Cabinet and the final adjudication on these matters therefore sits before the Cabinet,” Mr Mitchell said in 2015. “From a time point of view, the question is how often can you get before a Cabinet and how many applications can be considered at a time? I assure you not many times and not often.”

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 20, 2017, PAGE 7

Roberts blames slow government for work being halted at The Pointe

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net PROGRESSIVE Liberal Party Chairman Bradley Roberts blasted the Minnis administration yesterday, saying “the pot is boiling over” as Bahamians become increasingly frustrated with the time he thinks is being wasted by the government as he blamed this inaction for work halting at The Pointe on Bay Street.

Speaking to The Tribune, Mr Roberts said he was “shocked” Dr Minnis has not been “upfront, deliberate and definitive” in telling the Bahamian people and Baha Mar’s original developer Sarkis Izmirlian there is nothing wrong with the position the former Christie administration took in handling the West Bay Street project.

Mr Roberts further accused Dr Minnis of a change in tone regarding Baha Mar. He said the FNM’s reversal in stance is proof that the governing party still finds itself in difficulty when it comes to Baha Mar and The Pointe.

“There is no doubt about it that they exploited Baha Mar to the fullest,” Mr Roberts said.

“Now look at The Pointe.

Nothing is going on there and our people are crying for work. The Pointe should have been up and work should be going on there.

“It is clear that the government is still feeling their way and don’t know what to do. In the meantime, it is impacting Bahamians.”

He continued: “The pot is boiling over already because it has been two months since they have been elected and they are still wasting time looking backwards rather than advancing the interests of Bahamians.”

Last week, The Pointe’s Director of Communication’s Kendeno Knowles told The Nassau Guardian the Bay Street project is currently in limbo as executives wait for regulatory approval to begin phase two.

He said the change in government caused the delay.

In March, China Construction America (CCA) executives alongside former Christie administration officials, including former Deputy Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis and former Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson, broke ground on phase two of the $250m project.

THE CONSTRUCTION site at The Pointe, where work has halted at present.

Photo: Stephen Hunt/ Tribune Staff

At the time, senior vice president of CCA and president of The Pointe Daniel Liu said CCA was committed to the development of downtown Nassau for the “long haul”. This came five months after the completion of phase one - Park Avenue - The Pointe’s 900 space parking garage.

At the time, Mr Liu said: “Please know that what you are witnessing today is the culmination of years of hard work. And in the months ahead that hard work will be matched with the same commitment and dedication we have held from the beginning, to transforming downtown Nassau.

“This phase of our project has been carefully crafted to create a community based destination where tourists, citizens and any visitor can find something to do and to enjoy. We tried to contribute a product that will not take anything away from what Nassau already offers – we are adding to our tourism and entertainment product that already exists.”

The project will feature a creative new entertainment hotel concept with various new enjoyable bars and outlets; a waterpark with lazy river, slides and pools; and a condo tower, among other things.

PAGE 8, Thursday, July 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Union still waiting on deal to relocate post office

By NICO SCAVELLA Tribune Staff Reporter nscavella@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas Public Services Union is still waiting for the government to conclude a deal to have the General Post Office moved to the Town Centre Mall in an effort to alleviate the poor working conditions staff suffer at the facility’s present location.

John Pinder, BPSU president, told The Tribune the decision to relocate the post office to the mall is something being discussed at the Cabinet level, and once a go-ahead has been confirmed, it is “safe to say that some work will begin shortly.”

Mr Pinder said the “biggest hold-up” would be a pending decision over whether the government will also move the existing boxes to the Town Centre Mall or purchase new boxes. Mr Pinder said he has been informed the government is leaning towards the latter, and if so, it would take about six weeks for delivery and another two for installation.

Mr Pinder’s statements were the latest in an ongoing saga surrounding the subpar work conditions at the East Hill Street post office.

Last year, Mr Pinder threatened industrial action if the former Christie administration did not immediately relocate employees from the “unsanitary” building on East Hill Street. At the time, he said his members were forced to work

in a mould infested building with rats and termites and a leaking ceiling.

Since then, Mr Pinder said things have got progressively worse and now the air conditioning unit in the building is not working, forcing employees to work in the sweltering heat.

Last week, post office employees walked off the job early because of these conditions.

They have since returned to work and were placed on threehour shifts.

When questioned for an update on the matter yesterday, Mr Pinder said: “We have sent a correspondence on to the minister responsible for the public service, we had conversations with the minister for transport— the post office falls under his portfolio—we spoke to the minister of works regarding funding for what needs to happen.

“And we’re in the process now of trying to conclude a deal where the post office can move into the Town Centre Mall location, so we’re having some discussions right now as we speak.”

The former Christie administration had started efforts to have the main post office relocated to the Independence Drive Shopping Centre, off Tonique Williams Darling highway by the end of May. However, Mr Pinder previously said the Minnis administration stopped those plans and is considering moving the post office to the Town Centre Mall. “…Once we are clear on

that, it is safe to say that some work will begin shortly, and then within three months or so the post office should be able to move into that space,” Mr Pinder said yesterday. “Because it’s only cosmetic work basically for the Town Centre Mall space in addition to installing new boxes rather than transporting the old boxes. A decision is still being made on whether or not they’re going to transport the old boxes or buy us some new boxes.

“My information is we’re going to get new boxes. It will take about six weeks for those to be delivered, and another two weeks or so for installation. So that’ll be the biggest hold up as relation to moving in the space...There’s not much cosmetic work to be done.”

Mr Pinder added: “I’m just anxious to get them out of there and get them working, (because) the general public is being inconvenienced by not being able to get their bills and their mail on time …So the government and the minister is certainly very anxious to make this happen.

“Right now the staff is only working three hours a day, and that isn’t too good because we have to meet and keep up with some international standards as relates to how long it takes for mail to get from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’. Right now we’re not looking too good, so we are trying our best to get the post office up and running efficiently once again with eight hours NATIONAL Congress Trade Union Bahamas President John Pinder. of operation.”

CENTREVILLE MP SPEAKS TO RESIDENTS ABOUT COMMUNITY ISSUES AT a recent town meeting held in the constituency of Centreville, the member of Parliament for the area Reece Chipman spoke to more than 200 residents about the economy, finances, job opportunities and

how to physically and mentally prepare for hurricanes.

Issues such as drainage, street lights, contractual workers, environment, mosquitoes and water pumps were discussed at the open forum. Special projects such

as “True Colours”, dental, eye and music programmes and the MP’s special award programme for students were also discussed, as well as The Centreville Disaster Recovery Programme.

Many constituents were

concerned about garbage collection, small business assistance, regularisation of employment and national status, job opportunities and continuing education.

There was also a discussion on the Urban Renewal

home repairs and summer programmes. Constituents were informed of the many facilities in the area that should be committed to community development.

Mr Chipman informed them of the Citizens Secu-

rity Programme, Quakoo Street Community Centre, Urban Renewal Centre on Deveaux Street and the Community Counselling & Assessment Centre on Collins Avenue, all to assist with growth of the community.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 20, 2017, PAGE 9

Pay as you go schemes planned for both water and power supply

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net THE government is moving closer to implementing a “pay as you go” metering and billing system for both the Water and Sewerage Corporation and Bahamas Power and Light, according to Works Minister Desmond Bannister.

Expressing concern over the large percentage of Bahamians having to go without utility services due to high costs, Mr Bannister yesterday said a system that permits a consumer to “top up” their utility metre similar to a pre-paid cell phone could present the best option for those faced with such a reality.

“There are still about 5,000 persons in the country without electricity and it is disquieting to know that,” said the Carmichael MP. “I am deeply

concerned about those persons and the new board (of directors) is going to look into this and come up with thoughts and ideas.

“When you think about it, people need electricity for every aspect of their lives.

“The difficulty is we have to make a decision, yes the light bills are high but either you pay your bill directly or you pay someone else’s indirectly.”

According to Mr Bannister, the technology has been identified and a consultation process has already been promised.

Back in 2014, former Environment and Housing Minister Kenred Dorsett told the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Employers Confederation’s (BCCEC) Energy Security Forum the possibility of developing such a system would be explored with

the aid of the Washingtonbased Carbon War Room (CWR).

At the time of his statement, Mr Dorsett said the move could have slashed the Bahamas Electricity Corporation’s (BEC) ninefigure accounts receivables and help consumers manage their energy consumption.

Moreover, through the tenure of the 2007 Ingraham administration, then BEC board member and current Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar floated the idea of pre-paid metering on several occasions.

He revealed to Tribune Business previously the board he was a member of had been exploring such an initiative prior to the 2012 general election, believing it would aid both BEC and consumers’ cash flows, and help the latter not to have their power disconnected.

However, despite these pronouncements and attempts under both administrations, the idea of prepaid metering never got streamlined.

According to Mr Bannister, the Minnis administration is expected to make its final decision on the plan following consultation with the respective boards of the various utility corporations.

Last month, Mr Bannister said he had “serious concerns” with BPL’s ability to “keep the lights on this summer” after frequent interruptions in power supply on New Providence and Abaco.

BPL blamed “copper theft” and “distribution challenges” for the constant power outages in Abaco.

At the time, Mr Bannister said he was already “looking at new, alternative ways” of producing energy, including solar.

DESMOND BANNISTER

BPL BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHOSEN AND ALREADY AT WORK

By KHRISNA VIRGIL Deputy Chief Reporter kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Power & Light’s (BPL) five-member board of directors has been selected and are “already working” on issues of concern for Bahamians, according to Minister of Works Desmond Bannister yesterday.

He declined to reveal who comprised the new BPL board.

However, according to sources within the electricity provider, former president of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) Darnell Osborne has been appointed to chair the board.

Frank Rollins, a local business owner will serve as vice-chairman, The Tribune was told.

Other board members include attorney Ferron Bethell, certified public accountant (CPA) Nicola Bowe Thompson and Whitney Heastie, former Grand Bahama Power Company vice-president of generation.

Mr Bannister was contacted yesterday and asked whether consumers could expect increased electricity bills throughout the summer.

DARNELL OSBORNE, new chairperson of the board at Bahamas Power & Light.

He did not directly re- the future and (have) the concern. spond to this line of ques- bills go down,” Mr Bannis“But they are already tioning, but said the govern- ter said. working.”

“They, (the) new board is ment could not continue to Earlier this month, Mr subsidise BPL, adding that in place now and addressing Bannister said while it is this was a matter for the these issues among other unfortunate that consumthings. They are going to ers have seen a significant new board.

“We have to look at how get back to me very shortly increase in their BPL bills we are going to change it in on all of these matters of because of “faulty machin-

ery,” the government cannot continue to absorb the cash strapped utility provider’s expenses.

Mr Bannister told The Tribune BPL has a “huge legacy debt” and unfortunately the cost will have to be passed on to the public “directly or indirectly.”

He was responding to the Central Bank of The Bahamas’ monthly report, which revealed BPL’s fuel charge increased by 8.3 per cent to 13.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) on a monthly basis, and by 49.7 per cent when compared to May 2016.

In a statement, BPL explained the increase in bills for the month of May was also caused by its reliance on engines at the Blue Hills Plant, which uses more expensive fuel than the Clifton Power Station.

At the time, he said: “I could understand consumers being angry at the increased cost because the service is unreliable and the price is high but that is the reality of what is happening at BPL. “BPL has to pay their way by whatever means necessary, which means the cost has to be passed on to customers. The government cannot afford to continue to subsidise electrical pow-

er but we have to be able to provide reliability and to ensure the machinery is working. In order to do that the cost has to be passed on.”

Mr Bannister said he understands “times are hard” but whether Bahamians understand it or not, either “you pay BPL directly or you pay through our taxes.”

“We have not upgraded our equipment in a long time and now it is telling on us. We need customers to bear with us because we have a plan and we will put systems in place.”

“These are difficult and hard times but the question is, do you want to pay it now to the company or pay it later through taxes?

So, no matter how you look at it, the customer will still pay for it. You pay one way or another, this time you are paying directly and it is easier because this way you are paying for only the electricity you use and not for someone else’s.

“BPL has a huge legacy debt and it is difficult to operate the corporation with that hanging over its head.

Hopefully with this new board, we can find a way to lower the price to consumers and get BPL to run efficiently,” Mr Bannister said.

PAGE 10, Thursday, July 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

PLP: Hospital changes a step in the right direction

By RICARDO WELLS Tribune Staff Reporter rwells@tribunemedia.net PLANS by the government to have the “legacy challenges” of the Accident and Emergency Department at Princess Margaret Hospital addressed this term were applauded yesterday by Shadow Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville, who called it “a step in the right direction”.

Contacted by The Tribune for comment on the state of facilities at PMH, Dr Darville said he was pleased to read the pronouncements of Minister of Health Dr Duane Sands this week, insisting the PLP approved plans to renovate and refurbish both the A&E and maternity sections at the hospital prior to being voted out of office on May 10.

The former Pineridge MP said the Christie administration recognised the dire state of affairs at PMH and worked on several options to have the facility enhanced, remodelled or repaired.

Dr Darville said if not for its election loss, the Christie administration would have pressed ahead with plans to “address the urgent issues” at PMH. “We had plans approved and work was set to get underway, but the election was upon us and those plans never went forward,” Dr Darville told The Tribune.

“But reading the plans being presented by (the Minnis administration), I am comfortable because it is clear that they see the urgency.

“This government looks to want to address the urgent issues and I am very pleased to see that,” he

THE accident and emergency entrance at Princess Margaret Hospital. added.

On Sunday, Dr Sands

confirmed flooding from a broken pipe took the CAT scan and ultrasound machines out of commission causing significant delays to those needing diagnostics at PMH, in addition to forcing some patients to be relocated to the South Beach Clinic and others in some cases to wait for more than 24 hours.

Dr Sands at the time said the “perfect storm” was caused by years of “dumb and inappropriate decisions” and he is “honestly not sure” when a solution to the “mess” will be found.

Two days later, Dr Sands said the Minnis administration would work to make the A&E Department the best facility in the Caribbean within the next five years.

Stressing the current A&E facility was too small to ideally manage the 55,000 to 60,000 patients per year that it currently attends to, Dr Sands said the government will commence efforts this fiscal year.

“The quality of care that people perceive that they get and the quality of care that they actually

get is best measured at ground zero, and ground zero is A&E at PMH,” Dr Sands told reporters on Tuesday.

“When we get done in this five years, it will be the best emergency department in the Bahamas and in the Caribbean, full stop.”

In May, Dr Sands said the former Christie administration left more than $25m in unpaid bills for medical equipment, rent, drugs and salaries at the Ministry of Health and the Public Hospitals Authority.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 20, 2017, PAGE 11

TRAVIS ROBINSON MP, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, addressing the BahamaHost event.

BahamaHost graduates become tourism ambassadors for nation

By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FOUR hundred BahamaHost graduates received their certification on Tuesday evening and are now official tourism ambassadors for the Bahamas.

Travis Robinson, parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, commended the graduates and welcomed them in joining the thousands of other certified BahamaHost graduates throughout the country.

“Graduates, do not take your certification for granted,” he said, explaining that tourism is the country’s “bread and butter.”

“We are getting ready… to return to number one (as a tourism destination) where we should be,” said Mr Robinson as he delivered the keynote address to guests attending the graduation ceremony at Calvary Temple Church in Freeport.

The graduating group consists of 415 public service drivers, immigration officers, and other professionals.

“Every single one of

these graduates has joined the fold of thousands of BahamaHost graduates in the country; you have taken up the mantle to be ambassadors for us. To be our partners in the Straw Market, hotels, hospital, ports, and at the fish fry – you are our brand; they see you. But in seeing you, you got to be ready to deliver quality customer service,” he said.

He said the Bahamas used to be the number one tourism destination. He said the country has survived off the tourism industry for the past 44 years.

“We as a country and as a nation used to be number one. Graduates, today I am hopeful because more and more persons are understanding the importance of what we call our “bread and butter”. “They say we need to diversify our economy, but we need to diversify tourism first. We need to master what we have - that is customer service,” said Mr Robinson.

The MP assured residents in Grand Bahama the government is working overtime to see how it can get the island back on its feet.

Expressing optimism,

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he said: “Things will turn around, it will turn around,” followed by applause from the audience.

Betty Bethel, director of tourism in Grand Bahama, said the island is in a state of emergency, but the government is working feverishly to turn it around.

She stressed the importance of delivering excellent customer service.

“We must improve service delivery – making it interesting, entertaining and professional,” she said.

She commended the Ministry of Tourism’s team which oversees the BahamaHost programme.

“I would like to thank Karenda Swain and her team for another successful BahamaHost session for 415 (graduates),” she said.

PAGE 12, Thursday, July 20, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Trump plea to Senate on Obamacare WASHINGTON Associated Press LECTURING fellow Republicans, President Donald Trump summoned

GOP senators to the White House Wednesday and told them face-to-face they must not leave town for their August recess without sending him an “Obamacare”

repeal bill to sign. Senators responded by vowing to revive legislative efforts left for dead twice already this week.

Success was far from assured, but Trump declared “I’m ready to act,” putting the responsibility on Republican lawmakers, not himself. During last year’s presidential campaign he had declared repeatedly it would be “so easy” to get rid of the Obama law.

The developments Wednesday came just a day after the latest GOP health care plan collapsed in the Senate, leading Trump himself to say it was time to simply let President Barack Obama’s health care law fail. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had indicated he was prepared to stick a fork in the Republican bill and move on to other issues including overhauling the tax code.

But in an apparent change of heart, in keeping with his erratic engagement on the issue, Trump pressured McConnell to delay the key vote until next week, and he invited Republican senators to the

White House for lunch.

There, with the cameras rolling in the State Dining Room, Trump spoke at length as he cajoled, scolded and issued veiled threats to his fellow Republicans, all aimed at wringing a health care bill out of a divided caucus that’s been unable to produce one so far.

“For seven years you promised the American people that you would repeal Obamacare. People are hurting. Inaction is not an option and frankly I don’t think we should leave town unless we have a health insurance plan,” he said.

Seated next to Nevada Sen Dean Heller, who is vulnerable in next year’s midterm elections, Trump remarked: “He wants to remain a senator, doesn’t he?” as Heller gave a strained grin.

It was not clear that the White House lunch would change the calculus in the Senate, where McConnell has failed repeatedly to come up with a bill that can satisfy both conservatives and moderates in his Republican conference. Two

different versions of repealand-replace legislation fell short of votes before coming to the floor, pushing him to announce Monday night that he would retreat to a repeal-only bill that had passed Congress when Obama was in office.

But that bill, too, died a premature death as three GOP senators announced their opposition on Tuesday, one more than McConnell can lose in the closely divided Senate. Further complicating that approach, the Congressional Budget Office released an analysis Wednesday reaffirming its earlier findings that the repeal-only bill would mean 32 million additional uninsured people over a decade and average premiums doubling.

And a new AP-NORC poll found that Americans overwhelmingly want lawmakers of both parties to work out health care changes, with only 13 percent supporting Republican moves to repeal the Obama law absent a replacement.

At the White House lunch, the discussion was not simply about repealing

“Obamacare” but also how to replace it as Republicans said that after seven years of promises, they could not let their efforts die without one last fight.

“This is more than just a health care debate,” said Sen Pat Roberts of Kansas as he left the meeting. “It really means, can we come together as a conference, can we come together as a Republican Party, can we come together on a signature piece of legislation we’ve talked about for seven years.

“If we don’t, I think it’s pretty clear the political consequences are staring us right in the face,” Roberts added.

Around two dozen GOP senators met Thursday night with health secretary Tom Price and Seema Verma, the Medicaid and Medicare administrator, but reported no specific progress after a nearly three-hour meeting.

“Will we get there? I don’t know,” said Sen John Kennedy, R-La. McConnell announced that the Senate would vote next week to open debate.

JOHN MCCAIN DIAGNOSED WITH BRAIN TUMOR WASHINGTON Associated Press

ARIZONA Sen John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee with a well-known maverick streak that often vexes his GOP colleagues, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, his office said in a statement Wednesday.

The 80-year-old lawmaker has glioblastoma, an aggressive cancer, according to doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, where McCain had a blood clot removed from above his left eye last Friday.

“Subsequent tissue pa-

ARIZONA Senator John McCain. thology revealed that a primary brain tumor known as a glioblastoma was associated with the blood clot,”

Join Bishop-Elect James & Elder Queenie Newry along

his office said in a statement.

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, more than 12,000 people a year are diagnosed with glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive type of tumor. The American Cancer Society puts the five-year survival rate for patients over 55 at about 4 percent.

It’s the same type of tumor that struck McCain’s close Democratic colleague in legislative battles, the late Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.

The tumor digs tentacle-like roots into normal brain tissue. Patients fare best when surgeons can cut out all the visible tumor, which happened with McCain’s tumor, according to his office. That isn’t a cure;

cancerous cells that aren’t visible still tend to lurk, the reason McCain’s doctors are considering further treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation.

In a statement on Twitter, his daughter, Meghan McCain, spoke of the shock of the news and the anxiety over what happens next.

“My love for my father is boundless and like any daughter I cannot and do not wish to be in a world without him. I have faith that those days remain far away,” she said.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said he spoke to McCain Wednesday evening. Graham said McCain told him: “Yeah, I’m going to have to stay here a little bit longer, take some treatments. I’ll be back.”

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, July 20, 2017, PAGE 13 JAYSON Rathmann and a beautiful Abaco hog.

TEAM Qualifier on the yellowfin down south near Rum Cay and San Sal.

LOCAL boy Kai getting it done in Abaco with a grouper catch.

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Focusing on children’s mental health “Your child’s mental health is more important than their grades.”

THIS is not the area of my greatest expertise, but one could argue that this subspeciality is the most important in The Bahamas today.

The ever-growing young population, the failure of so many institutions and the rising levels of crime both by and towards young people all point towards an enormous need for help in whatever way possible. The availability of a speciality which looks at problems in children and can advise on best practice based on international research would seem essential.

The sad reality however is that from the early eighties all departments in the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre put aside their pet projects and campaigned together for a specialised child and adolescent unit to be built; it took numerous consultants, many architects renditions, millions of dollars and over 30 years for it to come to fruition.

Child psychiatry is often seen as amazing Freudian analysis of a drawing that

will lead to remarkable changes in behaviour.

The reality however is usually a slow assessment by a highly trained team of mental health professionals; the child psychiatrist interviews the child and family while observing the interactions between them.

The interview includes a mental state examination looking for any symptoms or signs that can help with the diagnosis. The clinical psychologist will perform a battery of tests to discover how the child performs cognitively and behaviorally, these scales are then compared to the general population and may for example reveal learning difficulties that could be contributing to the child’s problems.

The social worker spends more time with the family finding out about the development of the child’s problems, a parenting history looking for possible abuse or neglect and information from the school where other issues may come to light.

The child may need a period of hospital care where the observation of the psychiatric nurse is invaluable as behaviour is seen over the whole day. The involvement of occupational, art and recreational therapists is also possible when the child spends time at an inpatient unit, these are again highly trained individuals who use their skills in the diagnosis and later as to develop the therapeutic plan. It is at meetings of these professionals that diagnosis and treatment plans are made.

Children can suffer from most of the same illnesses as adults with mood and anxiety disorders seeming to be become increasingly common; depression can start very young and whilst the incidence of suicide in children is still rare the numbers begin to increase in adolescence and the numbers who attempt suicide during adolescence continues to grow. Bipolar disorder can be frightening in childhood, it is difficult to treat and often needs long term medication which usually the psychiatrist tries to avoid.

The whole area of developmental disorders seems to continue to grow, learning disorders have transformed schools around the globe as educators have changed how they manage

THE TRIBUNE

children in the classroom.

Autism has increased dramatically with no real understanding as to what has caused this dramatic rise in diagnosis. Attention Deficit Disorder has become mainstream with many children getting diagnosed. It is so important to see this as a variance of normal; the medicalisation is essential for research and treatment options but the amazing lateral thinking of kids with ADD can be missed if it is only seen as a problem.

Anxiety disorders in children often present as physical symptoms, very real pains but caused by worry, clearly this is where the team approach can find out the reason for the anxiety.

Eating disorders are more common in girls with many celebrities explaining both the dangers and the complexity of these difficulties.

Cutting oneself is scary but maybe more frightening is the description they give; that the physical pain distracts and is not as bad as the psychic pain inside.

The options for treatment are improving all the time and whilst medication can at times be essential other modalities are used first. It is my humble opinion that The Bahamas needs much more help in this overburdened speciality.

• Dr Mike Neville is a forensic psychiatrist who has practised for more than 40 years in The Bahamas, working at Sandilands, the prison and in private practice. Comments and responses to mneville@ tribunemedia.net