Established October 1895 Help coming for those studying nursing PAGE 3 Saturday March 20, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive UNCTAD 15 to occur online GOING VIRTUAL in October THE United Nations Conference on that it will be online not only allows for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) different demographics to be reached, 15 to be hosted by Barbados later but “we recognise that we can get into this year will be done virtually. more homes, and more offices and more Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and boardrooms than we could if people were UNCTAD’s Acting Secretary-General, simply coming here”. Isabelle Durant, announced this Mottley also used the occasion to make yesterday as they provided an update the point that “if ever there was a time about the conference. that the developing world needs clarity, UNCTAD 15, which was rescheduled certainty, to be seen, to be heard last year from its previously announced especially after what it has gone through dates, is to be held from October 3 to 8, with this pandemic and continues 2021, with pre-conference events set to to go through with the inequitable occur from October 1. distribution of vaccines, it is now and Mottley stated the decision to go the therefore, we believe that meeting route of having the conference online virtually in October will allow us to meet was based on multiple factors. These the needs of the developing world while included “the intensifying global spread at the same time allow us to protect of COVID-19, the appallingly inequitable those persons who need to be protected distribution of vaccines globally, the until the world can pass the worst of uncertainties of international travel and this pandemic. It is regrettable that of likely participation numbers, and the we don’t appreciate that until there is reality of protecting our own population safety everywhere, there is truly safety here” in Barbados. nowhere”. She said the island looks forward to hosting a virtual UNCTAD 15. The fact UNCTAD 15 on Page 4 Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley. Minister Bostic: Cabinet reviewing costing study THE matter of healthcare financing has to do with education, so it is not just is still commanding the attention of the health,” Atherley said. Mia Amor Mottley Administration, with He continued, “This Government Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. right now is constructing a survivalist Jeffrey Bostic, revealing that a recently platform, rather than a growth platform, conducted study is currently being and in the absence of the growth platform, reviewed by the Cabinet. and constrained as we are in terms of Bostic’s comments came as he using the historical models of revenues responded to a question posed by to support these services, then the Opposition Leader, Bishop Joseph Government ... should be in a position to Atherley, in the House of Assembly tell us how it plans to finance these yesterday morning, as the Ministry of things.” Health and Wellness’ $252 million budget In response to the Opposition Leader, came up for discussion during the Minister Bostic said Government has Estimates Debate. started the first step towards addressing Atherley told the Lower House that not healthcare financing, in the form of a only is the current model not sustainable, costing study which was performed but it will not take us where we need during the current financial year. He to go. His comments came as he said indicated that this study was conducted that the various challenges facing the by the Health Economics Unit of healthcare system, including rising The University of the West Indies, St. non-communicable diseases, equipment Augustine Campus. deficiencies, ageing plants, all help to “We would have employed a healthcare create the “perfect storm”. Adamant that commissioner to assist in this process. a solution must be found, he queried Those reports are in, those studies are whether it was time to contemplate the in, [and] we’ve had some discussions, introduction of some form of national preliminary discussions at Cabinet. The health insurance to deal with healthcare studies have been very, very informative financing. to be honest with you, when we were able “The current model is not properly to compare the cost of the provision addressing the immediate problems of services, for example, at QEH with in the health sector and the health of comparable services in the private sector. Barbados that we now face and is not We were able to see, even within the likely to be viable in the face of new Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic. challenges, which will come. The same COSTING STUDY on Page 3 2 • Saturday March 20, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Health Ministry experiencing difficulty in providing dental services THE Ministry of point none are actually Thompson Health and Health and Wellness working, Griffith said. Social Services Complex has been finding it “The issue of providing with respect to dental difficult to provide comprehensive dental services and the equip- comprehensive dental services for all ment that is there and services for Barbadians remains dif- what we will do, we will Barbadians, given that ficult for the Ministry of undertake again to re- most dentists seem to Health. What we have view and see how we can favour private prac- tried to do is to maintain provide a service. I won’t tice. a national service. We be able to guarantee a Chief Medical Officer have consolidated our daily service, but cer- of Health, Dr. Kenneth dental teams and our tainly a service that will George, spoke to the issue, dental programmes to be helpful to the people as Member of Parliament specific polyclinics, based of St. John.” for St. John, Charles on a reflection that our With reference to Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kenneth George. Griffith, raised questions human resources are not a question posed by in relation to the services optimal at this time,” Dr. Chairman of Committees George revealed that ness to work in the gov- to the private sector. being offered to residents George said in response. and Member of this approach is being ernment sector. Please However, there have been of St. John, via the poly- He however stated, “We Parliament for St. Philip explored. note that dentistry in a few that have indicated clinic there. Two spaces will endeavour to review North, Dr. Sonia Browne, “So these matters are Barbados is very private their willingness to work have been allocated for our systems. We are as to whether some pri- being explored. There are sector driven. We only with us, and I’m sure that the dental department at aware that there is hard- vate dentists can provide a few dentists that have have about three to four we can have a service in the polyclinic, but at this ware there at the David pro bono services, Dr. indicated their willing- per cent of dentists within short order for the people the entire Barbados serv- of St. John,” the Chief ice, in the public sector. Medical Officer com- Vaccine ruled as ‘safe and effective’ They seem to be drawn mented. (RSM) THERE has been a lot of safe and effective and have the vaccine, based on the been quite strong in its re- speculation on the safety been licensed in 2020 and precautionary principle es- sponse because of the co- Vaccinating older of the Oxford-AstraZeneca 2021. pecially, because the real herence of the leadership, COVID-19 vaccine since He explained that vac- world impact of the vac- particularly CARICOM the release of a European cines have always been cine was more successful. and its organs like the adults essential, article that stated the sus- between benefit and risk “Today the European Committee on Human and pension of the rollout of and highlighted that a Medicines Agency ruled Social Development on the programme. However, few weeks ago, Denmark that the AstraZeneca Health and Education and says WHO official recently, the vaccine has suspended the use of the COVID-19 vaccine is safe also the technical agencies. been ruled as safe and ef- AstraZeneca vaccine be- and effective. And they They have been doing a By Cara L. Jean- who are of highest risk of fective. cause of concerns that it ruled in all languages wonderful job,” he said. Baptiste getting COVID and if Speaking during The caused blood clots in per- across Europe,” he said. “They are all working they get infected when UWI and the Lions Club sons who the vaccine was Landis went on to together seamlessly. And THE vaccinations of they are pre-sympto- webinar ‘The Scoop on administered to; and then report on the state of the our hypothesis is that the older adults should be matic or have mild COVID-19’, Professor the majority of European Caribbean and believed reason we have done well paramount. symptoms, they may un- Clive Landis, Chair of The countries followed with that the region was doing is that our responses This is the view of knowingly pass it on to University of the West this suspension of the vac- relatively well, despite the are mapping onto the Peter Figueroa, member their patients who are Indies COVID-19 Task cine. fact that some islands WHO Health Systems of the WHO working not infected. So it is re- Force, highlighted that He noted that as a scien- were suffering from out- Framework, so all the group on COVID-19 vac- ally important to get the COVID-19 Oxford- tist, he could not under- breaks. components seem to be cines. During The UWI them vaccinated as soon AstraZeneca vaccine was stand the suspension of “The Caribbean has there.” (CLJB) and the Lions Club as possible,” he said.