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T&T: PP ministers spent $250m on travel

Charles Kong Soo Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

The former People’s Partnership government spent $250 million on travel.

This was revealed by Prime Minister Keith Rowley while speaking at the PNM’s post-budget national public meeting at Piggott’s Corner, Belmont Circular Road, Belmont, on Friday night.

Rowley said, “It’s important for government members to travel because we do have business outside T&T.

“So ministers will have to travel from time to time but we believe that travel ought not to be a perk and a junket.

“It ought to be done only when necessary because it is very expensive.

“Would you believe the government that just went out of office, guess how much money the ministries, I’m not talking about state enterprises, the Judiciary, the ombudsman, just the ministries, the executive, the government spent on travel in the last five years?

“Two hundred and fifty million dollars.”

Taking a jibe at former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, he said the people of T&T received savings on the night of September 7, the minute the PNM got the majority vote and he became Prime Minister, because he started saving on a hairdresser and a powder man travelling with him.

Rowley said it was one thing to say that government travel was important and necessary, but when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spent $30 million on travel, the question to ask was where were they going and for what purpose.

He said the Government would be looking at ways to cut out waste and corruption in the public sector, such as state enterprises leasing hundreds of motor vehicles.

Rowley said instructions were made through Cabinet that all government vehicles, barring specific national security and state vehicles, must carry the insignia of the agencies that were leasing vehicles and the instruction would go out to every permanent secretary.

He also said there was to be no purchase of any vehicle dedicated to any minister and no minister’s driver was to drive any public vehicle because it was a cost to tax payers.

On the issue of mass transit, Rowley said the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) was invited to come to Trinidad to look at the situation with the eyes of independent experts.

He said when the IDB gave its report with recommendations, the Government would then decide how it was going to treat with the need for a mass transit system of whatever kind in T&T.

Rowley said the PNM started off with a rail system, but the former government undermined and scrapped it.

He said the Government would not green light the project until it got the IDB’s report and after holding consultations with the people before taking a decision.

Finance Minister Colm Imbert, meanwhile, said when the PNM left office the public debt was $45 billion, compared to the UNC’s $77 billion.

He said the former government not only used up all the cash reserves in the Central Bank, it also maxed out the country’s borrowing limit.

Imbert said there were projects that needed to be funded.

Among these are a new port in Port-of-Spain; converting the Beetham dump into an industrial estate; building a highway to Manzanilla, a road to Toco, and a new ferry port; converting the whole Waterfront area to housing, recreation and entertainment; a better road to Chaguanas; and a ringroad around Chaguanas. He said he intended to include a mass transit system as well.

Stuart Young, minister in the Office of the Attorney General, said the Government intended to implement several pieces of legislation and initiatives to ensure proper and efficient management for T&T. These include a revenue authority, local government reform to be passed before the next constitutionally due local government elections next year, public procurement legislation, whistleblowing legislation by December, reforming the process for appointing a Commissioner of Police, the International Finance Centre, and resuscitating cyber crime legislation.

NewsPrime Minister Dr Keith Rowley signs a photograph for seven-year-old Joshua Hatte after the PMN post-budget national public meeting at Piggott’s Corner, Belmont Circular Road, Belmont on Friday night. PHOTO: NICOLE DRAYTON

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Bahamas: Lost cargo ship ‘found by search team’

Search teams say they believe they have found the wreckage of a cargo ship which went missing off the Bahamas during Hurricane Joaquin last month.

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T&T: Grande hospital staff shines again

Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

Mr Terrence Deyalsingh, what I write is not fiction, perception or imagination. In fact, it was a real-life experience that I, as a layman, share with you and pray that as the newly appointed Minister of Health, it would help to guide and inform your policies, and in particular the Sangre Grande Regional Health Authority for the betterment of healthcare in our country.

I was a patient of the Sangre Grande Hospital twice this year for two ground-breaking surgeries. On January 29, I had a total rotator cuff repair done on my right shoulder by orthroscopic means, the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The second surgery was done on the July 23. I used to suffer with intense pain on my left thumb over the years. After correct diagnosis, the same orthopaedic team that did the first surgery performed a procedure on my left hand known in medical circles as a tight-rope trapeziectomy. This is a relatively new and innovative method of bone replacement using ‘fibre wire’. To the best of my knowledge, it was the first such surgery done in any public hospital in T&T.

To facilitate the operation, a nerve block method of anaesthesia was employed, so even though my entire arm felt lifeless, I was still fully awake. This allowed me the rare opportunity to witness first-hand the kind of synchronisation of staff required during these highly technical procedures. It also made me privy to some of the frustrations and problems experienced by even the most skilled surgeons and other surgical staff in the public hospitals. Here are some live examples for you to note:

During my surgery the drill was malfunctioning. I concluded from conversations I overheard in the operating theatre that the authorities either do not purchase appropriate or sufficient equipment, either because of a lack of knowledge or sheer inefficiency. A procedure that should have taken one hour lasted four hours instead! Could you imagine the cost incurred because of an incorrect $20 drill bit? The surgical staff also had to sterilise one piece of inexpensive equipment for recurrent use. What a shame!

The Human Resource Department of the Sangre Grande Regional Health Authority should take pattern from the orthopaedic team in the way in which they synchronise their operating systems. The team communicate, collaborate and then act correctly and decisively. That is how the department that purchases supplies and equipment should operate.

After surgeries, there was of course the clinic visitations. While having my x–rays done, I discovered that the computers that transmitted the images to the doctors in the clinic were not functioning for lack of maintenance. As such, patients like myself had to wait more than one-and-a-half hours for the old printer in the x-ray department to print one image which then needed to be manually taken to the clinic.

Also, when I was hospitalised for my first surgery, the hot water in the ward’s bathrooms were not working. Patients shuddered at the thought of a bath in the early hours of the morning. When I returned to the ward seven months later, this problem remained the same.

Proper post-surgery physiotherapy is also deficient at our public hospitals. For both of my surgeries I was forced to seek the services of a private institution, Total Rehabilitation. I have to confess that Dr Tiffany Clerk and Ms Stephanie Llanos, who are providing therapy for the rotator cuff and trapeziectomy respectively, are both brilliant in the services that they provide. What strikes me though, is the amount of people that go there from all over the country and complain about the quality of physiotherapy in the public hospitals. It is a fact that our senior population is expanding in numbers and the need for physiotherapy for this age group is tremendous. As such, I urge your ministry to focus more attention and resources into this specialised area.

I feel prevailed upon to enlighten you about the level of empathy and expertise of all staff at the Sangre Grande Hospital who had a part to play in these historic surgical procedures. The orthopaedic department is headed by Mr David Santana. The surgery, itself was performed by Mr Vicarsh Siewrattan, a very skilled surgeon and he was ably assisted by Drs Justin Mooteram and Rishi Rampersad. Their collective expertise under testing conditions must be highly commended. It should be noted, however, that the orthopaedic department operates out of a container and patients sit under a shed outside of the container or in a crowded, hot waiting room awaiting medical attention. In spite of these conditions the staff work assiduously without complaining. Adequate equipment and facilities would go a long way in providing better healthcare.

I also wish to draw to your attention the level of commitment of other staff members of the Sangre Grande Hospital. These include the nurses and clerical staff at the clinic of the orthopaedic department: radiographers, Ms Kavita Seedarnie and Ms Gabriella Batiste; the anaesthetic team including Drs Mungroo, Mohammed and Joseph, and the nurses attached to the operating theatre. I also advise that the nursing staff of Ward 3 and in particular nurses David, Lee and Jobe must be absolutely commended. While warded I observed that the patient who was lying next to me had to be transported three times to Mt Hope and back for a CT Scan. I realised that the CT Scan at the Sangre Grande Hospital was malfunctioning because of lack of maintenance. Could one imagine the unnecessary cost incurred in the process?

In closing, I want you to know, sir, that this real-life experience has given me, an ordinary citizen, tremendous faith in the human resource potential of our health sector and in particular the Sangre Grande Hospital.

It is my layman’s view that your ministry should pay more attention to the effective and efficient day-to-day functioning of the existing health institutions rather than establishing new ones which reeks of quantity without quality.

‘When we are mindful of the little things in life, the bigger picture automatically fits into place’.

Harricharan Vishnu Sieunarine

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T&T’s population at risk

Ira Mathur Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

What’s for breakfast? Sausages and bacon? What’s for lunch? Hops and ham? Saltfish and buljol? Oxtail soup? What’s for dinner? Geera pork? Steak? Beef stew? Lamb chops?

You’re trying to kill yourself, aren’t you?

Last week a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a report that dealt a blow to meat-eaters worldwide.

The report (after a year of deliberations by international scientists) linked processed meats (such as bacon, salami, hot dogs, deli meat) with cancer, and as “carcinogenic to humans,” a category shared by smoking, solar radiation and alcoholic beverages.

A UK Guardian headline shouted, “UN health body says bacon, sausages and ham among most carcinogenic substances along with cigarettes, alcohol, asbestos and arsenic.”

The report from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer said there was enough evidence to rank processed meats as group 1 carcinogens because of a causal link with bowel cancer.

The IARC report said that eating red meat was also linked to pancreatic and prostate cancer, placing it in group 2A as “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The IARC experts revealed “each 50-gram (1.8-ounce) portion of processed meat eaten daily increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 per cent.”

Dr Kurt Straif, head of the IARC monographs programme said “for an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed.”

Scientists reportedly don’t know exactly why processed meats cause cancer, but one theory suggests that nitrate, a preservative, can form carcinogenic compounds in the body when consumed. Another is that carcinogens form when meat is cooked at high temperatures, like roasting, grilling, frying and smoking.

The report concluded that “in view of the large number of people who consume processed meat, the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”

Now that this information (that has been available to us for decades on the internet and millions of publications) has been rubber stamped by the weighty WHO, the scientists, meat distributers, manufacturers are thrashing out the small print.

The meat industry (naturally) furious at this potential loss of income from a drop in meat sales outright rejected any comparison between cancer and meat. They pulled out the big guns. Robert Pickard, a member of the Meat Adversary Panel and emeritus professor of neurobiology at Cardiff University said, “What we do know is that avoiding red meat in the diet is not a protective strategy against cancer.

“The top priorities for cancer prevention remain smoking cessation, maintenance of normal body weight and avoidance of high alcohol intakes.”

So what does all this mean for T&T? We can argue till the cows come home on the merits of this WHO study. The fact is our population is at risk of not just cancer but a host of other illnesses.

In 2013 the UN Food & Agriculture Organization revealed that T&T was the most obese Caribbean country, and the sixth most obese worldwide. Thirty per cent of our population is obese. So almost 400,000 of us are obese. How? Because we eat too many fatty foods, consume too much sugar, too much alcohol, too many processed foods, too much meat. We don’t use food as medicine. Vegetables consist of a limp lettuce leaf in too many of our meals in a country abundant with fruit and vegetables. We haven’t gotten around to taxing soft drinks, as we should to control runaway diabetes.

A quick check from medical sources reveals the following:

• Obesity leads to cancer: Being overweight increases your chances for developing cancer by 50 per cent.

• Diabetes: Obesity is considered one of the most significant factors in the development of insulin resistance, and insulin resistance can lead to type 2 diabetes

• Heart disease: obesity is a major risk factor for developing coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke

• Obesity leads to high blood pressure: the primary cause of death among those older than 25

• High cholesterol levels—high cholesterol is one of the leading causes of heart attacks

• Infertility—being obese can cause changes in the hormonal levels of women, which can result in ovarian failure

• Back pain—obesity is one the contributing factors of back and joint pain. The odds of suffering from a spinal injury or structural damage increase

• Skin Infections—obese and overweight individuals may have skin that folds over on itself. These creased areas can become irritated from the rubbing and sweating, which can lead to skin infections

• Ulcers—obesity can be a contributing factor to the development of gastric ulcers

• Gallstones—being severely overweight increases the risk of developing gallstones, especially in women

Now that scientists are making the link between diet and cancer, now that has made world news, perhaps we too can take our heads out of the sand and see the link between our diets and a potentially very ill population. We already rank tenth in the world in crime. We can’t be both physically sick and psychologically scarred. It’s time the Ministry of Health launched a public campaign and got serious about the nation’s physical and mental health. An ill population erodes human capital, and ultimately eviscerates a country, hollows us out, fit only for nothingness.

Columnist

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T&T: Tobago’s autonomy

Hamid Ghany Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

Last week, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced in Tobago that he intends to establish a Joint Select Committee of the Parliament to address the question of full internal self-government for Tobago. According to the Prime Minister:

“However, it ultimately will be a matter for the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago. Tobago cannot give itself self-government, Trinidad cannot give Tobago self-government but between Trinidad and Tobago and the Parliament of the people’s representatives, we can answer that question, and we will do it.”

This was a major development which gives the signal that the issue is at the top of the policy agenda of the Rowley administration. The political will to make it happen is clearly there and it appears that the discussions between Prime Minister Rowley and Chief Secretary London went very well.

In addressing this issue, the policy position will obviously have to be a superior one to what was unsuccessfully advanced before. Whereas there was previously an intention to devolve certain powers of the Cabinet to the Tobago House of Assembly, one would imagine that this time there may be more powers being made available to the THA.

Essentially, the ideal position would be one of ensuring that final responsibility will reside in Tobago for all policy matters without recourse to Trinidad. There were many issues in the public domain which will require attention.

A major issue will relate to the question of land and sea jurisdiction for the THA. To this end, the question of maritime jurisdiction for the THA will arise insofar as there can be no question about its land jurisdiction, but just how far out to sea will its maritime jurisdiction go?

Under the former draft legislation on this matter, there was a proposal for jurisdiction to extend up to eleven miles out to sea so that it would fall just inside the twelve-mile territorial sea limit. There were those who argued that it should go all the way to the twelve-mile limit and that the base lines around Tobago should be clearly defined in such a manner as to clearly define its boundaries with Trinidad.

Another area of controversy was the proposal advanced in some quarters that internal self-government for Tobago should encompass a demarcated area inside of the 200-mile exclusive economic zone to facilitate the ability of the island to access its true economic benefits separate and apart from Trinidad inside of that zone.

The issue of oil and gas leases being negotiated within these spaces of the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone was contentious in the public domain. There is an opportunity now to carve out a role for the THA to become a party to such leases and to earn revenue from them.

Will internal self-government bring with it a signing authority for the THA to be act on behalf of the State in respect of such territorial negotiations and contracts or will this be reserved for the central Government?

With the prospect of a dedicated stream of revenue from oil and gas leases with the autonomous involvement of the THA in the process will come a requirement for enhanced scrutiny of revenue and expenditure. One of the contentious matters has been the issue of being subjected to scrutiny in Port-of-Spain as opposed to Scarborough.

The institutional capacity of the THA will have to be enhanced in such a way that it can perform the tasks of parliamentary scrutiny within its own walls by way of granting the THA enhanced powers for exclusive Tobago legislation, exclusive power to raise and spend its own revenues and impose its own taxes.

Such a policy can best be accomplished by making T&T a federation with Tobago having federal powers (as opposed to devolved powers under a unitary state). In like manner, Trinidad can be the other part of the federation so that the constitutional reform will provide two tiers of government, one being the federal government with designated powers over both islands and the other being individual state powers for each state of the union, namely Trinidad, on the one hand, and Tobago, on the other.

If the THA and the Rowley administration come forward with such a proposal, then the work of the Joint Select Committee will be based on changing the foundation of the State from being a unitary one to being a federal one.

Foreign commercial interests will naturally want to monitor such constitutional and political negotiations because the way in which they will have to engage the State will more than likely change.

The issue of internal self-government has been debated over many years. In 1980 ANR Robinson was able to accomplish a return of the Assembly that Tobago lost after its union with Trinidad between 1887 and 1899. In 1996, the powers of that assembly were enhanced over what existed before, but the quarrels of disadvantage never went away.

An opportunity now exists for taking the quantum leap into the zone of settlement of this issue once for all. A federal solution is a way forward for both T&T.

ColumnistDR HAMID GHANY

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T&T: More calls for Kamla to step down

Renuka SinghPublished: Sunday, November 1, 2015

The campaign for leadership of the United National Congress (UNC) is gaining momentum for challenger Dr Roodal Moonilal. 

The Sunday Guardian has confirmed that former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh has turned his back on former prime minister, incumbent Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and is adding his name to Moonilal’s slate.

Gopeesingh, in a brief telephone interview, confirmed that he would make an announcement today at a media conference at the Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain, but the Sunday Guardian has also learnt that Gopeesingh is expected to announce his bid for the chairmanship of the party on Moonilal’s slate.

This building support base comes even as the Persad-Bissessar camp remains silent on her bid for re-election.

This fresh hit on the Persad-Bissessar camp comes even as two former UNC members add their voices to the chorus of dissent directed against Persad-Bissessar.

The Sunday Guardian contacted Persad-Bissessar yesterday, but once the paper identified itself the call was disconnected.

With the internal fight heating up, former UNC members said that whoever wins the internal elections will have the mammoth task of rebuilding the entire party from the ground up.

Party founder Trevor Sudama, who spoke with the Sunday Guardian about the current grab for power within the UNC, said while he has not been following the internal elections “too closely,” he did not support Persad-Bissessar’s bid to return to lead the UNC.

“I think Persad-Bissessar should resign, if for nothing else for being part of so many lost elections,” the UNC founder said.

He cited several international cases where political party leaders resigned the top post once they failed at the polls.

But Sudama said losses aside, Persad-Bissessar needed to put the life of the party first.

“The party needs new blood, new life. It needs to start back from the ground up and get back in touch with the people,” Sudama said.

He recalled back in 1988 when he, former prime minister Basdeo Panday, Kelvin Ramnath and John Humphrey were ousted from the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) and started “walking the ground” to start the UNC.

“That is the main issue here, I think. Persad-Bissessar got caught up in the public relations image of herself and lost touch with the ground, lost touch with the people who supported her,” he said.

He said the UNC, when it began contesting elections, worked hard to establish inroads in the hard-to-win constituencies.

“Now you have the party losing not only the marginals but seats like Moruga/Tableland, you have failed as a leader in my opinion,” he said.

Sudama said under new leadership he might become more involved in UNC politics, but only if a new leader took the party back to the grassroots.

“The UNC needs to get back to its core constitution,” he said.

Sudama said Persad-Bissessar made a grave error by giving the People’s National Movement three months advance notice of the general election, but gave her own candidates only three weeks to campaign.

Sudama was referring to the UNC’s only naming its election slate some 21 days before the general election.

“I think the reasoning was two-fold. One, she wanted the surprise factor, to surprise the electorate, and two, she wanted to stymie the dissension inside the party,” he said.

With just three weeks before nominations close, only deputy political leader Dr Roodal Moonilal has so far thrown his hat into the ring to challenge Persad-Bissessar.

“I don’t know if Moonilal is the one to bring back the party, but it cannot be Persad-Bissessar,” he said.

Another former UNC member calling for Persad-Bissessar to step down is her own former security adviser, former minister of national security Gary Griffith. Griffith, while not saying who would do a better job, said Persad-Bissessar should step down.

“If you look at the loss of support over the five years, you could see that she has lost over 100,000 votes. Over 100,000 people turned their backs on her,” he said.

He said the previous Congress of the People supporters would never support the UNC if she remained as political leader.

“There is now a rush to have internal elections right before the local government [elections] because she does not want to sustain too many losses,” Griffith said.

Griffith could not say whether Moonilal was a better bet for political leader.

“That’s up to the internal electorate, I don’t know if he has that backing,” he said.

Successive media reports have established that Moonilal may not have the popular support that Persad-Bissessar still maintains. Panday was reported as predicting that Moonilal would lose the December 5 elections.

NewsMP for Oropouche East Dr Roodal Moonilal addresses his party supporters as he announces his intention to contest the leadership of the UNC on Friday night. PHOTO: RISHI RAGOONATH

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T&T: Smuggled humans more profitable than drugs

Charles Kong Soo Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

The smuggling of human cargo has higher profits and lower risks than smuggling drugs.

That is the view of criminologist Daurius Figueira. He said human smugglers and traffickers can make as much as US$100,000 on one illegal migrant to transport him to the US.

Speaking in an interview on Thursday, Figueira said, “Just as the Mexican cartels are now dominating the drug trade in the Caribbean, they have now introduced a new dimension to human smuggling in the Caribbean by ‘coyotes’ or human smugglers. T&T is a major transshipment point.

“The majority of people entering the Caribbean are moving to enter US territory.

“They are more valuable than carrying drugs, you make more money per head.

“It depends on what package they buy ranging from US$35,000, $50,000 to the US$100,000 ‘premium.’

“If you go for anything cheaper than that it means you will end up getting abused.”

He said if the smuggled person had the wherewithal, coupled with the complicity of immigration officials, for the US$100,000 premium package he could get a new identity, T&T passport, legitimate documents and a plane ticket to the US.

Figueira said for US35,000 to $50,000, a coyote would facilitate the transport of an illegal migrant who wanted to go to the US from T&T to Belize, to Mexico and over land to the US border.

He said another popular destination was Canada—the coyote would move his human cargo across the US border, into Chicago, along the Great Lakes area and across into Canada.

Figueira said Haitians were the largest group of illegal immigrants heading to the US via the Dominican Republic/Puerto Rico route, followed by Indian nationals.

He said Syrian refugees escaping the war in their country flew to Antigua, the US Virgin Islands, then to the US.

Figueira said the majority of people being smuggled were coming from Asia and was big business: Chinese, Indian nationals, Nepalese, Filipinos and there was a code of silence. No one spoke if they were caught by authorities.

He said agencies such as the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement made the distinction between human smuggling and human trafficking.

Human smuggling involves a person voluntarily wanting to get smuggled across international borders and paying a smuggler or coyote to facilitate this.

Human trafficking was the transportation of people with the intent of selling or exploiting them in prostitution and forced labour.

Figueira said the two forms of smuggling were intermixed as coyotes often exploited the people they transported, reneging on their original agreement and extorting more money from them.

He said that it was unknown which country had the most people coming to T&T. Official figures in the possession of the authorities were only of people who passed through immigration and overstayed.

Figueira said illegal immigrants didn’t necessarily clear immigration, since T&T’s coast line was porous.

He said the majority of them were economic migrants and some people fled their homeland because of war, like the Syrians.

Figueira said many of the migrants didn’t want to live in the Caribbean or Latin America, and their final destination was the US and Canada.

He said when they landed in T&T transport was waiting to whisk them away to nondescript safe houses prior to shipping them out.

Figueira said immigration was the agency issuing documentation. He, however, said, the illegal migrants didn’t want work permits. Figueira said they placed no strain on the economy to maintain them, they paid an advanced fee to the coyotes for transport and food and doctors were even provided for them when they got sick.

Figueira said one of the most lucrative types of human trafficking was the smuggling of children for the sex trade where they were bought and sold over to paedophiles.

Figueira said smuggled children were considered extremely valuable and were usually accompanied by an adult, either a family member or guardian and travelled by air.

US State Department report on human trafficking

In the US State Department’s July 27, 2015, 15th annual report on human trafficking, T&T along with nine other countries in the region, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname, were on the Tier 2 Watch List.

Unless those countries make progress, they could receive a Tier 3 ranking in 2016.

A Tier 3 ranking is for countries that do not cooperate in the fight against human trafficking and become liable to US foreign assistance sanctions.

Griffith on illegal immigrants in 2014

Former National Security minister Gary Griffith said there were 110,012 illegal immigrants in T&T in 2014.

The highest number of illegal immigrants came from Guyana—25,884, followed by Jamaica—19,500, Venezuela—10,574, St Vincent—9,606, Barbados—7,169, Grenada—6,947, Colombia—6,388, China—4,593, Philippines—4,437, St Lucia—4,391, India—3,651, Dominican Republic—2,256, Suriname—1,944, Cuba—1,434 Nigeria—1,071 and Bangladesh—167.

NewsCriminologist Daurius Figueira.

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T&T: ‘Breast cancer killing our women’

…Dr Rajen Rampaul does his part to fight the disease, urges women to get involved Rhonda Krystal RamballyPublished: Sunday, November 1, 2015

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. From October 1 to 31, efforts were made globally to raise awareness of this dreaded disease. T&T has made great strides in the last few years in providing the latest technology for screening, surgery and care.

The Sunday Guardian caught up with surgical oncologist and oncoplastic breast surgeon Dr Rajen Rampaul at the Pink Hibiscus Breast Health Specialists, Adam Smith Square, Woodbrook. Rampaul is urging women to pay closer attention to breast cancer awareness month and get more involved—join a charity, visit clinics or participate in a walk. “Being involved matters,” he said.

Rampaul is the founder and medical director at Pink Hibiscus which offers a range of services from early detection to aftercare, using state-of-the-art technology.

He said, “Our women are coming through the door when they feel something is wrong, but there is a wider group of women out there where something is wrong but they don’t know, making the incidence of breast cancer extremely high in our country.”

First breast unit—something novel In 2009, while a consultant in England in his late 30s, Rampaul was approached by former health minister John Rahael and chairman of the North West Regional Health Authority Hugh Eastman to help the then government establish a breast clinic in T&T. 

“They were concerned about the increasing rates of breast cancer in Trinidad and Tobago. It would have been the first in the Caribbean and the first in the public sector,” he said. Rampaul returned home in 2010, turning down opportunities in places such as Milan, Switzerland and Scotland.

Breast clinics were already established there and, “I would have never at that young age gotten a chance to do something so novel,” he said. When asked his age, he paused, then said he was 44. 

Rampaul said, “My career was taking off and I had a choice of places to go but opportunity was the key word. I knew I would never get the chance in my career until much later to go somewhere and establish the first of something.”

He is also founder of the St James Breast Surgery Unit where he introduced new forms of breast surgery and procedures. A centre where his work has already been awarded a National Health award and a Diamond Standard Award in its four short years of service, he said.

Breast cancer killing our women Rampaul said after seeing the model for a breast clinic perfected abroad, he felt propelled to return home where opportunities for women to access care were limited. He said, “Breast cancer has been killing our women, there is no doubt about that. These are our women who work and these are conditions that do affect them, not only when it happens but also when they worry if it can happen.”

Fortunately, he said, the care given in Trinidad for breast health was now second to none. Rampaul still hopes to achieve a lot more in his field. “I’d like to get much more of the medical fraternity involved in looking at breast care as a priority and improving the standards throughout the island.”

He hopes that in the future a woman in Cedros can get the same package of care as a woman in Port-of-Spain. “Let’s build a vision and a philosophy and hand it out to a wider community. That’s the next step. “We need to see women come out of the shadows and be able to say, ‘I am a breast cancer survivor’ or to visit a medical centre and ask to be checked.”

Scholarship was a great gift The national scholarship he received after A-Levels transformed Rampaul’s life. He was from a middle-class family. 

“We were not affluent or well-to-do. That scholarship allowed us to afford something we couldn’t. That is a great gift that came into my life,” he said. It would also be a gift to T&T after he qualified. He said his father, now deceased, was a clear driving force for his getting into medicine. There were no doctors in his family and so, no one but his father to look up to.

While studying for a doctorate in breast cancer, Rampaul met world famous surgeons like Prof Roger Blamey and Douglas Macmillan. Blamey, 79, died last year. He helped to lead a revolution in the treatment of breast cancer, improving the quality of life and prospects for hundreds of thousands of women around the world.

Rampaul said, “They really defined and refined breast cancer care to take it out of the dark ages and make it something that was very independent, that women with breast cancer would be able to start to see a better level of care.

“Working with people like them allowed me to see an area that was very intimate with somebody’s life, not just someone who has breast cancer but being involved with women who are worried they may have something or not, or someone who needs care.” He explained that he has to be able to convince a woman that the treatment he is providing is “convincing” and even if he tells her she’s ‘normal,’ he has to get her to believe him.

“Everyone is scared that something could be wrong.” Reflecting on his journey, Rampaul, who has performed “thousands” of surgeries in his career, said it was wonderful and while he had met many challenges, some humbling and some humiliating, he would never change a thing if he had to do it over.

“I know I got a chance to put my mark on doing something unique,” he said.

lifestyleSurgical oncologist and oncoplastic breast surgeon Dr Rajen Rampaul. Photo courtesy dr rajen rampaul

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T&T: Moonilal best to lead, revive party

Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

A repeated concern in public life is about the ongoing need for emerging quality leaders.

In that regard, I was heartened at the statement issued by Dr Roodal Moonilal in announcing his candidacy for the post of political leader of United National Congress.

I followed coverage of Dr Moonilal’s declaration in your newspaper and in other sections of the media and was impressed with his rationale for contesting, his qualifications and past body of work and his vision and proposed policies.

The UNC election should be contested not only on a programme for restoration and revival of the party but also an outline for the development and growth of our country.

The election should not feature character assassination in senseless infighting, but should display specific measures for progress with respect to the party and our beloved nation.

T&T is at another crucial crossroad with social and economic challenges and reduced revenues.

Inspired, imaginative, competent and effective leadership is required.

In his public statement, Dr Moonilal has set a high-water mark and is obviously more concerned with the love of the UNC, rather than just the love of self.

Dale Nancoo

Fyzabad

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T&T: Dire lack of therapy services in public system

Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

The president of T&T hosted a cocktail reception to inaugurate the Association of Caribbean Occupational Therapists conference, which was held in Trinidad on October 29 and 30. We are very proud that Trinidad is hosting this conference and that there would be greater awareness about essential therapy services. As we strive to provide better holistic services for children and adults there are glaring shortcomings in the Public Service.

The very basic services of speech therapy and occupational therapy are virtually non-existent. It is also very expensive to access regular therapy privately. The many patients who suffer with stroke or neurodisability and children with developmental problems are not able to access these services due the very sparse availability in the Public Service.

This problem has been ongoing for decades yet the procurement of basic therapy services needed for rehabilitation has not been given any priority in healthcare. Currently, only physiotherapy is available but speech therapy and occupational therapy are virtually non-existent.

As we strive to be a developed country, it is time that we get these basics right in terms of healthcare services.

Dr Prithiviraj Bahadursingh

Consultant Community Paediatrics, SWRHA

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T&T: Explain UNC’s electoral process, please

Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

I am concerned about the dark fears being expressed about possible tinkering with the internal electoral process in the United National Congress.

The founder of the party has repeatedly voiced those concerns and so too, a challenger for the post of political leader.

The UNC electoral system appears peculiar, in that the general secretary manages the election process. The general secretary is appointed by the incumbent political leader and works closely with such person. That includes voter registration and administration of the election day system.

There is no independent elections committee.

Justice must not only be done but also appear to be done. In that respect, there is an outlook that the UNC electoral system is not independent, transparent and fair. It is clearly biased, or at least perceived to be. The election result, therefore, could be shrouded in controversy and allegations of systemic wrongdoing. Already, there are threats of legal action.

To ensure universal faith in the system, leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar should address the public concerns about the process being suborned to her as political leader.

That would restore faith in the UNC electoral procedures and ensure that the results on December 5 do not lead to a courtroom challenge.

Richard Seecharan,

Curepe

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T&T: Opposition party needs to reinvent itself

Published: Sunday, November 1, 2015

While neither a member nor supporter of the United National Congress, the person elected to lead the party and subsequently appointed to the position of leader of the Opposition, is of interest to me as it should be to every other Trinbagonian, since the office holder contributes significantly to the success or failure of policy and legislation which ultimately affects us all.

Dr Roodal Moonilal has already issued an ultimatum that his party will not support any proposals by the PNM Government if certain issues are not addressed to their satisfaction, this despite the possible benefit to citizens of these future proposals.

Can the UNC membership comfortably support a seasoned politician who very recently found it acceptable to shout the words ‘hush yuh stink mouth’ across the floor in the esteemed House, or elect as their leader a man who endorsed and supported the repugnant attack by the former MP for Tobago East in an effort to tarnish and diminish the standing of the now PM, further wounding victims of rape and all right-thinking citizens in the process? Is it acceptable that an individual who aspires to lead the UNC has been proven to be less than honest with the citizenry when he vehemently denied the accusation by Jack Warner that he funded the vocational leg of his wife’s education in the UK, allowing her to qualify as a lawyer, and when subsequent cheques were later made public never attempted to explain or apologise for his lack of forthrightness regarding same?

Will the UNC membership re-elect their present leader who repeatedly chose to answer legitimate questions not limited to the mismanagement of billions of dollars, this while the price of oil continued to plummet with the standard “I am not aware”? Is the membership accepting of the contempt with which they were treated surrounding the last-minute selection of virtually unknown, hand-picked candidates with little to no record of service to party or country, which played a huge part in their convincing defeat at the polls? Have they forgiven her for denying them five minutes of her time at party headquarters on the night of the party’s defeat?

The country needs a strong Opposition leader who can put the interest of country before self, one who has demonstrated in the past a willingness to stand and be counted, an individual who has demonstrated strength of character and conviction, unafraid to stand and speak out against corruption and wrongdoing, wherever it may exist. The UNC can never win another general election confined to heartland support, the party must reinvent itself, and implement meaningful framework for change so people can begin to trust and view it as a viable option and not simply more of the same.

Luana Lezama

Arima

Letters

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T&T: 2 murders in city, push toll to 358

By Nalinee Seelal Saturday, October 31 2015

TWO men were murdered in separate incidents on Thursday night in downtown Port-of-Spain and East Dry River, hours apart. In the first incident, commuters were forced to flee shortly after 7 pm on Thursday as gunmen opened fire on a man while he was walking along George Street in Port-of-Spain. The victim was later identified as Nicholas Allen aka Boy Boy. According to Police reports, Allen was walking along George Street in the vicinity of the Housing Development Corporation building, on South Quay, when he was approached by a group of men.

One of the men who was armed with a gun fired five shots in the direction of Allen striking him about the body. A group of men were later seen running from the area. Allen was then observed lying on his back in the middle of the roadway.

Police officers who were alerted to the shooting rushed to the scene along with a District Medical Officer. Allen’s body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre. In the second murder, Jonathan Joseph, 35, of St Paul Street, East Dry River, exited his house and was standing on the roadway, when he was approached by gunmen who fired several shots in his direction. Residents claimed that persons were seen firing shots in the area prior to Joseph being shot.

He was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest, and succumbed to his injuries at about 1 am yesterday.

A party of Homicide officers visited the scene and enquiries are continuing. The two killings pushed the murder toll to 358 for the year, thus far.

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Kranium’s ‘Rumors’ debuts at No. 6 on Reggae Billboard Chart

Reggae/dancehall artiste Kranium might be signed to a major record label, however, his much anticipated album, Rumors, only managed to debut at No. 6 on the Reggae Billboard Chart this week, and did not even bother to break into the the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Kranium recently told The Gleaner that he intends to execute a live-band tour in the United States to promote the album. He also encouraged music lovers to purchase the album online.

Kranium’s Nobody Has To Know received strong support both locally and internationally last year, climbing several charts in the process. However, the singer is yet to taste success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He has since remixed the single with American rapper Ty Dolla $ign, with the hope that the effort will find Billboard glory.

“When a song is good, you have to work it until it reaches its full potential,” he told The Gleaner in a recent interview.

In other Billboard news, OMI’s Cheerleader fell to No. 22 this week, while Tarrus Riley and Major Lazer’s Powerful held on to the No. 83 spot.

As its relates to the Billboard Reggae Chart, aside from Kranium’s Rumors album, the only new entry is the EP Hits & Mrs, released by overseas-based reggae band Common Kings.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com

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Jamaica: PIOJ to host Caribbean Child Research Conference from November 4-6

THE PLANNING Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) will host the 10th staging of the Caribbean Child Research Conference (CCRC) from November 4-6 at the Jamaica Conference Centre under the theme ‘Beyond 2015, Equality and Equity for All Children’.

The conference will be hosted jointly by the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES), University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, and the Caribbean Development Centre.

“The children play a major role in the conference and have been doing research and presenting their findings. They have been appointed as child ambassadors. They sit on advisory boards and have even contributed to decision making,” Dr Aldrie Henry Lee, chairperson of the CCRC and acting director of SALISES, pointed out.

Henry Lee noted that the CCRC has helped Jamaica stand out as one of the few countries in the Caribbean where the quality of life for children is given priority and policies are put in place to protect the children. “We want to promote the conventional rights of a child, and one way to achieve this is to include children in forums like the CCRC, which allow them to voice their opinions and give suggestions, especially on things that affect them,” she said.

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Jamaica: Bunting’s appeal thrown out

THE COURT of Appeal has thrown out an appeal by the minister of national security and the attorney general, who were seeking an order to overturn a Supreme Court ruling that gave attorney-at-law Herbert Hamilton the go-ahead to pursue a claim for loss of income against them.

Hamilton’s appointment as a member of the Firearm Licensing Authority was terminated by the minister in May 2012.

In 2010, then Minister of National Security Dwight Nelson appointed Hamilton to the position for three years. It was agreed he would be remunerated at $910,500 per annum.

Hamilton filed a claim in the Supreme Court contending that there was a breach of contract and he should be paid $1.1 million for the remaining 15 months of the contract, with interest at 12 per cent.

Challenged claim

The respondents challenged the claim, seeking to have it struck out on the grounds that Hamilton’s claim was an administrative order. The lawyers for the respondent argued that Hamilton should apply for judicial review to quash the minister’s decision to terminate the appointment.

Hamilton contended that his claim was one in private law and that he was not seeking to reverse the minister’s decision to terminate his appointment. He said he was only seeking payment for the unexpired term of his contract.

Justice Frank Williams heard the application, and on February 3, refused to grant an order striking out Hamilton’s claim. The judge held it was a private law remedy that was being sought and then fixed the hearing for November 20.

Yesterday, the Court of Appeal upheld Williams’ ruling, dismissing the appeal, and awarded legal costs in Hamilton’s favour.

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Sandals hosts Congratulatory Dinner for Gold Medalist Levern Spencer and Team

Sandals Resorts has honoured Saint Lucian athletic star and gold medalist Levern Spencer for her continued outstanding representation of the island in the sports arena.

Spencer, her management team and family were recently treated to an evening of Luxury Included® dining at Sandals Grande Saint Lucian Spa and Beach Resort.

Levern Spencer with family and members of her support team at Sandals Grande.

The move, according to Regional Director for Sandals Resorts International – Eastern Caribbean, Mr. Andre Dhanpaul, was the Resort’s official commendation to the young athlete for her discipline and excellence in sports.

“It was our absolute pleasure to have hosted Ms. Spencer and her team. She has proven time and time again that with focus and dedication, our aspirations can be achieved.

“She is an outstanding role model for young Saint Lucian athletes and certainly a brand ambassador for sports on the island overall,” Dhanpaul said.

Levern Spencer struck gold in the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada

The 31-year-old has also qualified for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

In 2014, she secured the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.