Professor Beckles: 2020 Stretched the UWI to Its Limit
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Established October 1895 UNICEF calls for more investment in child protection programmes PAGE 6 Friday January 22, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive PRESSING ISSUE IT is not only important to deal Officer (CMO), had reported earlier that with local dengue fever cases, but Important to deal with mosquito population there had been two recent dengue- Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic contended related deaths. One was an eight-year- that it was just as important to health officers because as you would one larger machine to be mounted onto old and according to Dr. George had a manage the mosquito population appreciate we are still dealing with a truck, which would bring the fleet to significant pre-existing condition, while on the island. COVID, we are still dealing with NCDs, five vehicles. the other had no predisposed conditions As it is widely known, the Aedes still dealing with the delivery of our “We have been able to do some and that was worrying. aegypti mosquito spreads dengue fever. normal healthcare services.” mapping where the complaints were “Our reports for the month of Bostic, the Minister of Health and Bostic, who was speaking at a recent coming from, so that there is a targeted December did not show a rise from Wellness, explained that the ministry press conference at the Pan American approach that is going to be employed. beyond the threshold level. We are here faces the challenges including adequate Health Organisation headquarters in That has started, but we are still to encourage Barbadians, particularly personnel and that dealing with the Dayrell’s Road, St. Michael, said that awaiting some of the equipment to as we know that there has been an mosquito population in Barbados was the contracted personnel were trained arrive and we have divided the island outbreak in the region with several a pressing issue. and put into the field regarding the into two sectors with two teams working deaths, that they have a role to play “We started to address those identification of mosquito-breeding from the South and North, inwards while the Ministry will continue to play challenges by contracting some persons sites. The ministry has also ordered towards each other,” said the minister. to come and assist the environmental hand-held fogging machines along with Dr. Kenneth George, Chief Medical DENGUE CASES on Page 2 Professor Beckles: 2020 stretched The UWI to its limit VICE-CHANCELLOR of The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is calling for a collective effort to make 2021 a year of transformation for all campuses. According to Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, last year tested the university in a way that it has never been tested as a university, stretching it to its limit. “But we have proven to be a resilient institution performing our task on behalf of this service to the people of the Caribbean, and thanks to you we were able to get through 2020 as a better university; a more purpose- and focused-driven university, with a stronger sense of resolve,” he told students and faculty. “I welcome you back from your end of 2020 break within the context of this evolving 2021, that promises to be a very bright year for our university. In 2020, we demonstrated that we are a caring university; we are a committed university and a university of tremendous courage.” Professor Beckles declared that 2021 will be the year in which the university will demonstrate how best to move on. He said they have acquired tremendous technical skills and intellectual focus around how best to deliver the university’s programme to RELAXING DAY OUT!: Barbadians mostly observed Errol Barrow Day with a degree of relaxation and re- the region and the world. flection. Some Barbadians took the opportunity to see the many wonderful sights across the island, while some took in some of our beaches. Pictured, these individuals took time out to secure drinks and a good meal, during the day. (See Page 3) THE UWI on Page 4 2 • Friday January 22, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Testing continues on Bank Holiday Surveillance being given WHILE Errol Barrow Public Health in and out, and vehi- tunity to receive a special attention: CMO Day is known as a Laboratory was a hive cles lined the side- COVID-19 test as a day of relaxation for of activity from early walks. negative result is now DENGUE CASES from Barbadians and visi- yesterday morning as At the Martindale’s required for persons Page 1 tors alike, this year persons requiring Road facility, outbound returning to the United is unlike any other. coronavirus testing travellers were also States, United Kingdom its role with respect to in- The Best-dos Santos could be seen flowing being given the oppor- and Canada. vestigating complaints and carrying out our fog- ging related activities,” said Dr. George. The CMO pointed out that the dengue surveil- lance was being given special attention, but the numbers were within the expected threshold for this time of year.He expanded by saying that the min- istry took averages of dengue cases and com- pared them yearly. “In Barbados, we know that every four to five Dr. Kenneth George, years we tend to get an Chief Medical Officer outbreak of dengue fever. (CMO), has called for all We monitor those monthly Barbadians to play their averages and compare part in managing the each one to previous local mosquito months to get an indica- population. tion on if we are getting beyond ourselves and into back to the norm. He also outbreak territory,” he urged Barbadians to help said. where they could, saying Referencing the month that the situation was not of October, Dr. George only the responsibility of stated that Barbados the Government but all went over the threshold communities of the island. Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory was a hive of activity yesterday. but since then had come (AS) The Barbados Advocate Friday January 22, 2021 • 3 Gov’t has multiple sources, says Bostic IT has been the culture of the current adminis- tration not to place all of its eggs into one bas- ket, but to have multi- ple sources for COVID- 19 related equipment. Speaking during a press conference for a Pan American Health One of the COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test kits pre- Organisation (PAHO) sented. presentation of medical tools to help with the fight as recommended by The minister took the against COVID-19, the World Health opportunity to compliment Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic, Organisation (WHO). Prime Minister Mia Amor Minister of Health and “During this entire Mottley,for leading in that Wellness, stated that the COVID response, the regard, where Barbados Medical tools presented to Barbados, through the Ministry of Health and Government of Barbados Government of Barbados reached out to various Wellness, by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). had engaged in multiple has not once placed all avenues for aid. discussions to source of its eggs in one basket. “Reaching out bilater- the health minister. Reminding the public that enced over a ten-month COVID-19 related items. There have been multiple ally,every avenue is being Bostic however implored it did not matter which period before we got to this He was responding to the approaches from every- explored to be able to Barbadians, residents and strain or vaccine was on point,” begged Bostic. query by the media on thing to sourcing PPEs, source vaccines and I am visitors alike, to be mind- the island, the practice of Earlier, PAHO had pre- the challenge of having ventilators, you name it. sure the Prime Minister at ful of the health protocols safety was paramount. sented twenty thousand enough doses to vaccinate Vaccines, no different,” the appropriate time will which had been put for- “The fundamental Rapid Antigen Test kits; 70% of the population said Bostic. speak to this issue,” said ward by the Government. baseline defence is each Protective Equipment and every one of us doing (PPE) kits consisting everything to take care of of surgical gowns, face ourselves by following the shields, surgical masks, protocols as articulated by respirators and gloves; the Ministry of Health and eight vital sign monitors Wellness. If we do that, we and infusion pumps to the will continue to achieve Ministry of Health and the success that we experi- Wellness. (AS) These youngsters had a blast. The statue of National Hero, the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow. Enjoying Errol Barrow Day YESTERDAY was a quiet to enjoy many activities. day, as many Barbadians The Barbados stayed at home and en- Advocate was on hand joyed Errol Barrow Day, to capture some of these Barbadians took time to enjoy some of the beaches on the island. while some ventured out actions. 4 • Friday January 22, 2021 The Barbados Advocate University Look to industries for aiming to innovation, C’bean urged become more AS it seeks to rebuild, the same communities who showed Caribbean is being advised up in key states like Georgia and to look at opportunities and Pennsylvania in support of the cost-efficient industries that can encour- Biden/Harris administration. THE UWI from Page 1 age innovation and new The former general counsel ways of engagement includ- urged persons in the diaspora to “This is the year in which we ing business tourism. put heavy emphasis to the re- are going to deepen our global Head of the United States gion when it came to business engagement as a first-class uni- Strategic Engagement and dealings. versity rooted in the Caribbean Public Policy Partnerships at “Make sure that people of with a global vision.