Established October 1895 CTUSAB head not in favour of vaccine incentives PAGE 3 Wednesday May 19, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive HYPERTENSIVE CRISIS A LOCAL family physician has Hypertension in Blacks found a Foundation of Barbados Inc. in our population; and one of the warned that hypertension is prevalence of hypertension in the same “Now high blood pressure by itself leading contributors to kidney disease.” increasingly becoming a problem. age group, to be over 21%. is not much of a big thing, because Dr. Alert further cautioned, “In Often referred to as the “Silent “So, in 1995 it was 25 per cent and there are many people who have high Barbados we have one heart attack Killer”, hypertension is a leading cause 20 years later 2015 it was 42 per cent. blood pressure and feel perfectly a day, 30 a month and 20 of them die. of major adverse cardiovascular The prevalence of hypertension normal... The issue is high blood We have three strokes every two days, outcomes, including heart attacks and doubled in those 20 years in Barbados, pressure going into progressive disease which is 45 a month – 20 of them die. stroke, and Dr. Colin Alert is urging so by all accounts things are getting – if you don’t do anything about it, it’s So, every month we have 40 people Barbadians to get their blood pressure worst.” going to get worst. And high blood dying from heart attacks and strokes. checked regularly because as it Dr.Alert was at the time contributing pressure tends to ‘mash up’ different “For the last 15 months of COVID, increases, so do the health risks. to “Wuhloss Barbados, We under organs in the body, in particular the we’ve had 46 people die. So every He recalled that in 2015, the Health Pressure!” a World Hypertension brain, so high blood pressure is a month there are hypertension-related of the Nation Study of Barbadians aged Day 2021 virtual conversation serious cause of headaches, dizziness, diseases which cause major amount of 25 years and over found the prevalence on Hypertension Measurement, strokes... High blood pressure affects death, and as I said before things are of hypertension to be 42%. And looking Management & Control hosted by the the heart, so you get heart attacks, getting worst.” back even further, he noted that the Diabetes and Hypertension Association heart failure; high blood pressure is International Collaborative Study of of Barbados and the Heart & Stroke one of the leading causes of blindness CRISIS on Page 5 Port businesses good to go AS Barbados continues to make headway in its vaccination programme, word is coming from Government that businesses at the nation’s seaport will be given the green light once cruise liners return to our shores. Speaking during a presentation of contributions to the National Vaccine Fund yesterday by Republic Bank, CIBC FirstCaribbean and the Shipping Association of Barbados, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn, said that business will be allowed under the established protocols. Stating that the island was eager to safely reopen for external business at the Bridgetown Port as cruise companies chomped at the bit to get back on the high seas, Minister Straughn replied to a question about whether or not businesses would be allowed to operate and he said that protocols were already in place and once they were followed, operators in the port would be free to conduct business. “As it stands, most businesses are operating at the moment and therefore I see no reason why,in that environment with the adherence of the protocols that we’ve put in place, why they wouldn’t be allowed to operate. As we expect tourism to resume, then obviously as immersive as we would like people to be able to participate in what we have to offer, it Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn (right), makes a point while Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 means that we have to ensure that Vaccination Campaign, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand, listens during a ceremony to receive contributions for the National whatever monies are expended on Vaccination Fund from representatives of Republic Bank, CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, and the Shipping island spreads as far as possible, so as Association of Barbados, at the Barbados Defence Force, Hodgson Hall, St. Ann’s Fort, The Garrison yesterday. to maintain the social compact in the context of the economy.” “With that, I say to Barbadians that as measures in place to monitor and we to economic viability hinged heavily Going on to say that there was a we go through this process, because you are going to adjust as required going on the response of the public to the recent update of the guidelines by the are going to have vaccinated people and forward,” he said. vaccination programme. Ministry of Health and Wellness, you are going to have unvaccinated Going on to note that all willing staff “The reality is that in order to do this Minister Straughn also added that the people, and therefore the reality is that in the port had been vaccinated and that thing safely, we need herd immunity situation would be monitored closely we are going to have to treat to the arrangements were being made for any and therefore, in those key areas we and that the science would govern all science of it and monitor.And therefore, additional persons who wished to take will need to ensure that persons are developments. the Ministry of Health has put those the shot, Straughn said that the return vaccinated.” (MP) 2 • Wednesday May 19, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Three companies donate to National Vaccination Fund THE National 46 [thousand] second Vaccination Fund has doses and the eligible received an injection of population is just under $664,800 thanks to gen- 200,000 people to go. So erous presentations the fight is still on, the from three entities. battle is still on and we The monetary dona- will be fighting for the tions were presented next couple of months.” yesterday during a press During their presenta- conference held in the tion, each representative Hodgson Hall Conference shared how delighted Centre at the Barbados their company was to give Defence Force’s St. Ann’s to the Vaccination Fund. Fort headquarters. Managing Director and On the day, Republic Chief Executive Officer Bank (Barbados) donated of Republic Bank $250,000, CIBC (Barbados), Anthony FirstCaribbean donated Clerk, said that bank $389,800 and the was pleased “to donate Shipping Association BDS$250,000 towards the of Barbados donated vaccine programme. This Managing Director, Barbados and the OECS with CIBC FirstCaribbean, Donna Wellington, presenting the $25,000. Each cheque was follows our donation of cheque to Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, Major David Clarke; Public Health handed over by represen- $400,000 last year to- Specialist and Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand; and tatives of each organisa- wards the fight against Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn. tion and they were jointly COVID-19.” accepted by Co-coordin- Similarly, Managing ator of the National Director, Barbados and COVID-19 Vaccination the OECS with CIBC Campaign, Major David FirstCaribbean, Donna Clarke; Public Health Wellington, said that bank Specialist and Co-coor- was pleased to make its dinator of the National second major injection COVID-19 Vaccination “into the vaccination ef- Campaign, Dr. Elizabeth fort and to COVID sup- Ferdinand; and Minister port”. She said previously in the Ministry of Finance, the bank “provided Ryan Straughn. US$500,000 regionally for In his remarks, PPE for frontline workers Straughn expressed his and CIBC FirstCaribbean gratitude on behalf of the has across the region Government to each of donated US$750,000 to- the businesses. He said, wards this effort for vac- “The Vaccine Fund had cinations.” $9,981,796.31. Your three Vice-President of the donations today, which Shipping Association now total $664,800, now of Barbados, Simone brings that total to Phillips, too expressed de- $10,646,596.31. The im- light in giving back to the portance of this is that country. She said, “We do it allows us as the recognise that it is very Government of Barbados important and we wanted to continue to roll out to play our role and we Director and Chief Executive Officer of Republic Bank (Barbados), Anthony Clerk, presenting the cheque to not just the vaccine pro- know that the fight is Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, Major David Clarke; Public Health Specialist gramme, but certainly for nowhere near over and and Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand; and Minister in us to continue to mount we wanted to assist in the Ministry of Finance, Ryan Straughn. what has been an extraor- some way in this fight as dinary effort to fight this we look forward to the global pandemic.” Government of Barbados Major Clarke, in his continuing the excellent brief remarks, also ex- job they have done in pressed thanks to the working towards protect- businesses. He said, “We ing the people of Barbados have done 75,000 first against this formidable doses and we are about enemy.” (MG) Vice-President of the Shipping Association of Barbados, Simone Phillips, presenting the cheque to Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, Major David Clarke; Public Health Specialist President of the Shipping Association of Barbados, and Co-coordinator of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand; and Minister in Arlin Kellman, as he speaks to the media.