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Caribbean leaders praised over NCDs fight

Leaders in the Caribbean have been praised at a United Nations summit for being among the first to instigate political commitment to the ongoing fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Qatar’s Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, president of the session, said: “I want to pay tribute to CARICOM, particularly for ensuring that the response to NCDs has now been placed at the forefront of global efforts to eradicate poverty and to improve health.

“The CARICOM countries have taken a strong leadership role in giving a voice to the challenges faced by the millions of people with NCDs living in low- and middle-income countries around the world.”

Health ministers and other high-level representatives from Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Suriname were present at an event organised by CARICOM called The Caribbean Takes Stock, which ran along the sidelines of the main UN event.

Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, said: “We have to take a multisector approach. We have to involve every single entity, every single area of endeavour, including the public sector and the private sector, and work together to see how we can help our societies overcome the threat of NCDs.”

President Michel Martelly of Haiti promised to make NCDs a top priority of his new government. “I am here to join and unite against NCDs. I do believe we can fight NCDs through education, a good healthcare system, and also by using prevention.”

The Caribbean has been particularly heavily affected by the rising epidemic of NCDs such as cancer, heart disease, chronic respiratory illness and diabetes. NCDs also have a significant economic impact, which threatens the development of the region’s small economies.

As a result, Caribbean leaders were prompt in mobilising internationally to tackle NCDs. Their 2007 heads of state summit – held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad – produced a joint Caribbean response to the NCD epidemic, in the form of a declaration, “Uniting to stop the epidemic of chronic non- communicable diseases”.

More information at: www.caribbeannewsnow.com

MPS position statement: Teleradiology

Teleradiology is the process whereby an image is taken in one location and then transmitted to another for reading, analysis, interpretation and provision of a report by the radiologist at the other location.

Members are expected to advise MPS if they are participating in teleradiology and restrict the practice to their respective local jurisdiction. If an indemnity risk arises from that practice then the appropriate grade for that jurisdiction will be charged.

Members who wish to practise teleradiology in circumstances where the image is taken in another jurisdiction must both be appropriately registered and have professional indemnity cover in the jurisdiction where the image is taken. MPS may be able to offer benefits of membership in these circumstances and members should contact MPS for advice. Members should not assume that their current MPS membership will offer such an indemnity.
Members should not assume that their current MPS membership will offer such an indemnity

Grenada: Praise over low maternal mortality rate

Grenada has been highlighted for being among three countries with the lowest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the world.

The information was revealed by representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) at a seminar in London, which was attended by the High Commissioner for Grenada, Ruth Elizabeth Rouse.

Grenada has been highlighted for being among three countries with the lowest maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the world

The WHO statistics, which place Grenada alongside Japan and Mauritius, attributed the low MMR rate of 0 deaths for every 100,000 live births to:

  • Improved access to health facilities and maternal care
  • Early risk detection
  • Multi-sector approach involving all departments, sectors and ministries of health, education, public services, etc
  • Midwives being extensively trained in record keeping, communication skills, monitoring and evaluation systems, and networking beyond nursing skills.
More information at: www.caribbeannewsnow.com

Nevis: Focus on preventive healthcare

Hensley Daniel, the Deputy Premier of Nevis, has spoke of his government’s dedication to preventive healthcare.

Mr Daniel was speaking at the launch of the Men’s Health Wellness Clinic in Brown Hill Village last October.

He said: “We want the health centre to be part of the general focus of life in Nevis and if it is that we are working to ensure that we maintain good health, then the health centre must become part and parcel of the agenda of our work as we move forward.

The main causes of death in Nevis are complications arising from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke

“That is a key strategy that we have come up with, that we could prevent the diseases and we could prevent a whole set of complications, because when we look at the mortality data we see that the main causes of death in Nevis are complications arising from diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.”

More information at: www.caribbeannewsnow.com

Trinidad: Audit for hospital

An investigation was launched late last year into the practices of the San Fernando General Hospital, after the deaths of three mothers in the same month.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said the audit would look at whether any deficiencies existed within the systems at the hospital, as initial investigations had found that all protocols and procedures had been correctly followed.

More information at: www.caribbean360.com