$2.5 billion scholarship fund earmarked for Jamaicans who want to study in the medical field.

Dr. the Honorable Christopher Tufton, MP
Minister of Health and Wellness
Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS)

During the 2024/25 sectoral debates, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton in his presentation on Tuesday (May 7), announced that the Ministry has earmarked a $2.5 billion scholarship fund. The scholarship programme will span over five years and will be available to all Jamaicans who have an interest in studying across several disciplines in the medical field. It will be called the Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship and Development Fund. 

Minister Tufton also revealed that the scholarship would be open to undergraduate students currently enrolled in universities and is also open to students at the graduate and post graduate levels. The programme begins September 2024 and the Health Ministry will give further details as the time approaches for applications.

According to the Minister the aim of the scholarship is to ensure that as the Government seeks to transform and build out the health system infrastructure so that there are adequate, well trained medical professionals available to do the level of work required to meet the needs of the Jamaican people.

"Unfortunately, we can’t just recruit; we have to now take a vested interest in training and retaining. And so, what the ministry is saying [is] we can’t build hospitals and have nobody to put in them — and that is likely to happen; it happens in other jurisdictions. We can’t be buying diagnostic equipment, digitizing, and have no one to operate them. We can’t not have people who can do the analytics — in other words, take the data and analyse it (health economics) in order to tailor our response to the population. And so this scholarship is intended to solve that problem," he said.

Additionally, the Health Minister revealed that the government would be willing to explore the possibility of flexi-contract arrangements for professionals trained jointly across jurisdictions and institutions outside of Jamaica. So for example, a Jamaican doctor trained and/or working in a foreign country would be offered the opportunity to work in Jamaica part-time while working and living overseas. 

"We take the view that we have experience as a country in Jamaicans working part-time in the developed markets and part-time in Jamaica. Why can’t we do it for a nurse? In other words, if we could establish a flexi contract where a nurse could work five months in the United Kingdom [UK] at a hospital and seven months in Jamaica, the Government should be prepared to give them a contract for the seven-month period so that they enjoy the best of both worlds. Because I do believe that most Jamaicans would prefer to reside here, but if they can earn a little extra money somewhere else, they will do it on a part-time basis and then come back home — and we’re going to be exploring that," Minister Tufton said.

 The announcement was also posted on the Prime Minister Andrew Holness's X (Twitter) account on May 8. 

In a brief video shared by the PM, Dr. Tufton stated:

"Alright, so a major announcement by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, 2.5 billion dollar scholarship fund; $500 million a year for the next five years to provide Jamaican like you an opportunity to study an area of public health whether it is in the clinical area - a nurse, a doctor, or health information systems or health care management. All aimed at giving an opportunity for Jamaicans would like to study in this area, but very importantly also to ensure that as we build hospitals and improve and expand the services, we have the people to provide the care for Jamaicans who need it. It's a big deal, and it's part of the transformation that we're trying to achieve as a government." 

These are the areas of study that will be covered under the scholarship:

1. Nursing
2. Medicine
3. Public Health
4. Medical Technology
5. Epidemiology
6.  Health Records Management
7. Hospital/Health Care Management
8. Information Systems for Health
9. Pharmacy
10. Dentistry
11. Health Economics

This move is in a bid to be competitive with job markets such as the United States who are actively recruiting Jamaica's health care professionals. Records show that in 2022, more than 700 nurses left Jamaican shores to pursue a career elsewhere. The government hopes the new scholarship and the flexi-contract initiative will retain more of the island's health care professionals. 

Suspicious fire burns out 'Ray Ray' Market, again.

 

A section of the 'ray ray' market that was burnt out Tuesday morning.

Ah bwoy! Here we go again! Fire has destroyed a large section of the popular Down Town market called 'Ray Ray' Market for maybe the umpteenth time in a few years. 

A 'ow much time dem bun down dah market deh now??

SMH!

Reports are that around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning smoke was seen coming from a section of the market, and the fire fighters were called to extinguish the blaze. 

A team of fire fighters did arrive on the scene and were able to put out the fire, but not before several vendors' stalls and goods were damaged. It is reported that a large number of the vendors have been affected. 

Voicing their grouses the vendors pointed out that it was just in January of this year another fire had affected their livelihood!

Now you tell me now... Suh much fyah cyan jus' a start suh? A di same place? Loop News seh the fire is of unknown origin. 

Not to speculate still but mi a wonda if a extortion runnins a gwaan, cause suh much fyah cyaa jus' a start suh widout known origin. Di news neva seh it was an electrical issue. Neither did it say dat sumbaddi did light one fyah somewhere near di market an' it get weh an' bun up di peepul dem goods.

So a wah den?

Not to speculate (as mi seh).

But mek wi use di sense God gi wi. Mek wi reezon togetha...

Dat nuh soun' like sabotage to yuh? Eeh?

This definitely sounds like sabotage. I feel for these people. You work so hard to earn a living to send your kids to school, an' den braps, dis guh happen!

Heights of wikidniss man!

*sigh*

And for the past few years it's like an annual event. I do hope somehow, the police can catch the perpetrators cause this does not sound like a freak accident or an electrical short circuitry problem.

Laatah peepul. Mi an' yuh wi talk soon. 

Thieves gone wid Missa Pings money.

Weh dem seh? Jamaica is not a real place.

Fi real man. A nuh lie!

Gleaner report seh tief bruk inna Ping's store (Pings Fabrics) a Savanna-la-mar in Westmoreland an' dem some how manage fi guh inna di safe an' tek out one million dollas!

Mi seh wen mi firs' read di headline poor mi tink seh a one million dollas worth a cloth dem tief. Mi jaw drop. Mi seh to mi self, "A wah really a gwaan?" 

But wen mi click pon di article and start read, mi realise seh a money dem a talk bout.

 Gleana seh di incident 'appen ova las' weekend.

Dem seh now seh bout 5:30 inna di evening di store owna lock up di store fi guh a him yaad.

Howeeverr 'roun 9 oclak di nex' mawnin, him get a phone call from one a di worka dem weh a tell him seh smaddy bruk inna him bizniz place. Dem bruk chru di backdoor. But hear wah! A nuh likkle pyah pyah door, enuh! Is a metal door di man dem bruk chru an' buss off di lock offa di grill suh dem cyan guh inna di peepul dem place.

Di man dem determin' fi tief eeh?

Anyhoo smaddy call di police an' wen dem investigate dem fine seh di metal chiss bruk into, an' one million dollas gaahn.

Dis tiefing ting a get from bad to worse. Seriously now.

Hey! Hey! Yuh memba weh day some tief did tek weh one wholla beach? Yes man, di man dem tief a whol' heap a san', bout 500 truck load according to di The Guardian online news website. Mhmm, Jamaican tief gaahn inta-national! See Guardian article here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/oct/21/jamaica

All mi cyan seh is God 'ave mercy pon wi. Dem bwoy yah look like dem cudda tief out milk outta coffee if yuh leff yuh tee cup cayliss!

Laytah yah. Mi wi talk to yuh soon. Til' next time, walk good.

Public and private companies/organizations have until June 30 to implement their anti sexual harassment policies.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange (left), is greeted by Chairman of R.A.Williams Distributors Limited, John Bailey (right), at the opening of the new R.A. Williams Warehouse in New Brunswick Village, Spanish Town, St Catherine, on May 1. Also pictured are European Union Ambassador to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen, and Chief Executive Officer, R. A. Williams Distributors Limited, Audley Reid. (Photo: R. Fraser)

In an X post dated May 3, 2024, the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) announced that both government and private entities have until June 30 to create and put into effect their own sexual harassment policy as guided by the newly minted Sexual Harassment Act.

The JIS reported that the reminder was given by the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, who spoke at the opening of the new R.A. Williams Warehouse on May 1.

The Sexual Harassment Protection and Prevention Act came into effect on July 3, 2023.

Specifically, the legislation addresses concerns about sexual harassment that is employment-related, occurring in institutions, or arising in the landlord and tenant relationship.

"Since the law came into operation last July, the deadline for government and private-sector workplaces and institutions to develop and implement their policies is by the end of June this year. It means that every Ministry, every municipal corporation, every constituency office, every warehouse, every pharmacy, school, business and institution must have a sexual harassment workplace policy by the end of June this year," the Minister said.

The Act contains provisions dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace, schools, correctional institutions, places of safety, nursing homes, medical and psychiatric facilities, among other places.

"Consequent on the law coming into operation, every employer and person in charge of an institution is required to issue a policy statement in writing concerning the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace or institution. Under the law, this policy must be prepared and brought to the attention of each worker, each client, each student, each resident, each ward, inmate, patient, or member, as the case may require, within 12 months of the commencement date of the law," the Minister pointed out.

Each sexual harassment workplace policy should include definition of sexual harassment that is consistent with the Sexual Harassment Protection and Prevention Act, which is available for download online, and a statement to the effect that workers, clients, students, and other persons are entitled to an environment that is free from sexual harassment.

The policy should also state that disciplinary measures will be taken against any person under the direction of the employer or person in charge of the institution who subjects (any worker, client or student) to sexual harassment, and that due process shall be exercised in this regard.

It must outline the internal mechanisms and procedures that are available to a worker for making a complaint of sexual harassment and the resolution and settlement of the complaints; and also, a statement to the effect that the employer shall not disclose any information relating to a complainant or the circumstances of a complaint to any person except where the disclosure is necessary for the purposes of investigating the complaint or taking disciplinary action in relation to the complaint.

Importantly, the policy should inform the workers, clients, students, residents, wards, as the case may be, of their right to seek redress through the Tribunal on the Sexual Harassment Act.

Minister Grange noted that the Act is one of the most "significant and far-reaching pieces of legislation to affect industrial relations and our pursuit of gender equality".

"If yours is not in place yet, I encourage you to take steps to meet the June deadline. I urge the public to take sexual harassment seriously. It is not a simple matter but rather a serious crime that affects quality of life by creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment. We are setting things right and will use this law to liberate those who are enduring sexual harassment," Ms. Grange said.

_______________

Details acquired from:

JIS X account - @JISNews - https://twitter.com/JISNews/status/1786398126418309389

JIS website at

https://jis.gov.jm/private-and-public-entities-must-implement-sexual-harassment-policy-by-june-30/

IMF head concerned that poorer countries falling further behind.

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
Kristalina Georgieva, speaking to journalists in Chile.
(Photo: CMC)

SANTIAGO, Chile (CMC) — The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, has expressed concerns that low income countries are falling further behind in a more fragmented world with less trade and less fluidity of the flow of capital.

"So for the first time in many decades, what used to be a convergence process, poorer countries doing better and coming closer to those that are ahead; for the first time this process seems to be reversing," Georgieva said. She was speaking during a press conference with journalists attending an IMF-sponsored training programme on financial reporting being conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

"What does that all mean? It means that economic cooperation, global cooperation in this uncertain world, a world of divergence is so much more important. And yet, what we see is a more fragmented world with less trade, and less fluidity of the flow of capital to go into countries that need this capital the most," she said.

Georgieva said the global economy has gone through 'an exceptionally complicated time over the last years' with the pandemic followed by the war in Ukraine, a cost of living crisis and the Israeli-Gaza conflict, all of which have implications for the economy.

"And often these implications swing from one position to another very quickly, making it so difficult for ordinary people to figure out what is happening in the world and what that means for them," Georgieva added.

She said that despite the tremendous uncertainty and the repetitive shocks, the world economy has proven to be remarkably resilient, noting that the most recent projections for global growth were slightly upgraded to 3.2 per cent this year, about the same as for 2025.

'Secondly, what we have seen is that inflation that has been hitting especially poor people dramatically is going down almost everywhere. But it is not gone. And that means attention to bringing inflation down remains an overwhelming priority in many countries."

Georgieva’s third point was that while growth is in positive territory, it is weak by historical standards.

She highlighted that global growth over the next five years is slightly over three per cent in comparison to the previous decade before COVID when the average was 3.8 per cent.

The IMF chief said this slow growth means that in many places, the aspirations of people for a higher standard of living would be hard to meet.

"And on top of it, we live at a time of growing divergence in economic fortunes within economic groups of countries across economic groups of countries and, of course, within countries."

She said that in the advanced economies, the United States is doing really well whereas the Eurozone is falling somewhat behind.

"When we look at emerging market economies, countries like India, Indonesia, most of the ASEAN countries, Mexico here in Latin America are doing quite well.

"But there are many economies in the emerging market world that are struggling…and the most troubling group of countries are low-income countries that as a group are falling further behind," Georgieva stated.

Georgieva said the most important role of the IMF in light of global realities "is to keep the world together, to bring our members together, present them with objective, unbiased analysis of the economic situation and help them define policies for this fairly, suddenly changing world that we all operate in".

She said it has always been very important for the IMF to be "even-handed, to treat all members equally, even more so today, when we are faced with that more fragmented world".

The IMF, Georgieva said, is "the only institution that is trusted to keep a hand on the pulse of each and every one of our members, collect the vital signs of the economies and on that basis, provide advice on the country level, and then aggregate the picture for the world and present it for everybody to see".

She said the IMF is a financial institution and has to support effectively members who face balance of payment problems.

"And I can say quite proudly that the IMF, since we got hit by COVID, has stepped up financially and acted with exceptional speed and scale," Georgieva said, adding that since the pandemic, the IMF has provided US$360 billion in lending to an estimated 100 countries.

"And we also have done the largest allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) in our history — $650 billion equivalent. In other words, in total, we have injected a trillion dollars in liquidity and reserves, which for many of our members, was absolutely essential to retain economic activity."

Fake curry found in Jamaica? Anyting cyan really guh suh?

 Missis mah!! Mistah sar!! 
Yuh hear weh a gwaan a jamdown? Seh dem fine fake curry inna Mandeville?!
Den sumn cyan really guh suh??

Mi seh wen mi first hear 'bout it, mi seh "No sah! Lie dem a tell!" 

An' so mi seh mek mi tek a peep on one a di online newpaper dem fi read weh dem seh 'appen.

Well, according to Loop News the "fake curry" was found in a supermarket in Mandeville, Manchester. Dem seh the "fake curry" was disguised as a good quality curry bran' that we Jamaicans love to use. 

So mi guh suh boom an' a scroll and look further down di page an' si dem seh one Chiney man get arrested fi di offence. Suh mi start feel vex and a cuss an' seh, "Why dem Chiney yah always a come wid dem false tings. Wah wrong wid dem?!"

Yuh know seh, everybaddi know Chiney fi cheap goods but wi affi watch out fi fake goods to! 

Who rememba di plastic rice saga? Di amount a peepul weh a guh pon social media during dah time deh an a seh dat dem by some rice and all dem a boil di rice it cyaa swell. 

It just inna di pot a bubble but it nah cook. Dem did blame it pon one Chiney man to. We as Jamaican peepul have to make sure seh wah tings we are known for, are produced at di highest quality. 

Like wi wee..

(cough, cough)  I mean... curry, curry!...

Yes, di curry... mhmm... back to di curry. 😂😂

It muss produce at di best quality. Imagine one forrinah come yah seh dem want curry chicken or curry goat, an' di poor unsuspecting chef or cook guh use dah fake curry deh. Nuh problem dat?? 

The news article seh dem a work wid di good quality curry peepul dem fi fine out wah kinda inhgredents inna di fake curry. Suppose a all kinda dirt an' God ongle knows what else Missa Chin put inna him curry. Fada helps us. Dis serius bwoy. No mi nah laaf.

Mi jus hope seh dem give Missa Chin a hefty charge an' mek sure dem fine out which part him factory deh cause it nuh sound good.

All mi can seh folks. Mek sure yuh give di curry pack a good sniff. Curry suppose to have a strong smell. Suh smell it before yuh buy it. If it nuh smell strong like curry suppose to smell, maybe annuh curry dat. I'm just saayinng!

Anyhoo peepul mi a gwope di road yah. Till laatah!

Jamaican criminals arrested, facing deportation from Haiti.

A woman holds her baby as tires are set on fire in the street.

The Haitian police have nabbed two (2) Jamaican fugitives who have been hiding out in the country for several months. They were apprehended in Haiti’s northern commune of Limbé, 16 miles south of Cap-Haïtien.

Their names are Oshane “Brukhand” Francis, 25 years old, who is listed as most wanted for multiple murder cases in Jamaica and Jason Latouche, 31 years old. They were held by the police after residents reported the men for suspicious behavior, citing they believed they were armed and dangerous.

The Haitian Times is reporting that on April 24 this year (2024), the Haitian National Police (PNH) arrested two Jamaican fugitives. A police spokesperson for the Northern Department, Arold Jean confirmed that Francis is a known fugitive in Jamaica.

“We are grateful to the community for their vigilance and will continue encouraging them to report any unusual activities”, Jean told The Haitian Times.

Jean also revealed that INTERPOL is facilitating the extradition of Francis and Latouche to Jamaica. The timeline for their transfer is yet to be determined. Currently, the two are being held in a jail in Cap-Haïtien.

Francis, also known as Brukhand, has been identified as the most wanted individual in St. James. In May 2023, following a series of double and triple murders, the Jamaican police had included Francis on a list of five individuals urged to surrender.

The Jamaican police had reportedly seized a vehicle used by Francis in June 2023 but were unsuccessful in arresting him. He is said to have been living in Haiti for about two months.

Haitian residents told the police that the two men owned a small boat, likely used for the 333-mile journey from Jamaica to Haiti. However, the police have not yet located the boat or the alleged weapons. During the arrest operations, PNH officers did find marijuana joints in the men's possession.

Jamaican fugitives hiding out in Haiti seems to be a developing trend, as on February 13, Mitchell Winston Evan, another Jamaican citizen, was also arrested by Haitian police. The Haitian Times reports that this arrest occurred in the northern region’s Fort Saint-Michel, where Evan, accompanied by a Haitian accomplice, was caught carrying 192.5 kilogrammes of marijuana. It is however unclear whether Evan is in some way connected to Francis and Latouche.

Westmoreland residents warned to be on alert for Hand-foot-and-mouth disease.

 

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease rashes on a small child

The Health Promotion and Education Officer for Westmoreland, Mr. Gerald Miller, is imploring residents of the parish, especially parents to be vigilant in the prevention of the spread of the hand-foot-and-mouth disease, particularly now as the parish battles drought conditions. Miller is asking parents to look for any signs of the disease especially among small children.

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is a mild, contagious viral infection common in young children.

"We wanted to remind our stakeholders, in particular principals, education officers [and so on], that between March and June is the time when we normally see cases of hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The Ministry of Health and Wellness guidelines have shown that this is the time we normally see cases," Miller told JIS News.

"We are reminding our stakeholders to be vigilant and to pay attention to hygiene. This primarily affects children, especially children who are in day-care settings, and so we really want persons to be on the lookout for it and to be familiar with the signs and symptoms," he stressed.

Symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease include fever; sore throat; painful, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks; fussiness in infants and toddlers, and loss of appetite.

Symptoms also often include rashes on the palms, soles of the feet and sometimes the buttocks. Depending on skin tone, the rash may appear red, white, gray, or only show as tiny bumps. The usual period from initial infection to the time symptoms appear (incubation period) is three to six days.

Miller informed that while there are currently no cases of hand-foot-and -mouth disease in the parish, it is imperative that persons take all the necessary precautions to prevent the onset of the illness.

Gunned down: Vendor murdered at stall nearby Cement Company.

The Eastern Kingston police are currently investigating the death of a vendor who was killed nearby the Cement Company. It is believed that around 7:50 a.m. on Monday morning (April 29), the vendor was at his stall which is under a bus stop adjacent to Carib Cement Company's main entrance, when he was attacked and killed by a lone gun man. The incident occurred along the Sir Florizel Glasspole Highway.

It is reported that gun shots were heard and the police were called to the location where they found the man lying in a pool of blood. It is alleged that around 7:50 a.m., a car drove up on the opposite side of the road and a male occupant, who was shirtless alighted from the vehicle, approached the victim and pretended to purchase an item from him.

It is believed that the man who had engaged the vendor, shot him repeatedly then hurriedly returned to the waiting vehicle, and it sped off in the direction of Harbour View.

It is understood that the spot, which had been used as a usual vending area, catering to workers of Carib Cement Company and nearby establishments, was vacant for sometime after the original operator, a woman, was gunned down a year ago.

“It’s a stall where cement factory workers especially would get little snacks and thing ... no matter what shift, you don’t have to walk far to get something. A same way they killed a woman dem call ‘Bikey’ right there and the spot was vacant for a while ... what’s so special about that spot. It was a surprise to come here this morning and see police tape off the place,” a usual customer of the victim said.

Meanwhile the East Kingston Police Division has seen a five per cent reduction in murders as at April 20 this year.

At the same time last year there were 19 murders, compared to 18 this year.

Shootings, however, have increased in the division by seven per cent year-on-year.

Jamaica votes: Local Government Elections to be held February 26, 2024.

 

Jamaicans will go to the polls on Monday, February 26, for the 2024 Local Government Elections.

Nomination Day is Thursday, February 8.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, made the announcement during an address at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James on Thursday (February 1).

In an address at Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James on Thursday, Minister McKenzie said "the time has come" for our citizens to choose the next set of councillors to represent them at the local level.

"We of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) are confident that the majority of Jamaicans will continue to believe in the policies and the programmes of this great Jamaica Labour Party," declared McKenzie.

He said under the Andrew Holness-led Administration, local Government has been transformed.

"Nobody can question the competence, the commitment of this Andrew Holness-led Government in executing policies and programmes using local government as that vehicle of expression," McKenzie said.

During the polls, to be contested in 228 electoral divisions, Councillors and Mayors are elected to develop, manage, and maintain infrastructure and public facilities islandwide.

Local government elections were last held in 2016, with the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) taking the majority of the Municipal Corporations.

UN court bars Venezuela from altering Guyana’s control over disputed territory

Part of the map of the Essequibo region
disputed by both Guyana and Venezuela.

 THE HAGUE, (AP): THE UNITED NATIONS’ top court on Friday ordered Venezuela not to take any action that would alter Guyana’s control over a disputed territory, but did not specifically ban Venezuela from holding its planned referendum Sunday on the territory’s future.

Huge 6.0 earthquake and several smaller quakes recorded in the Caribbean between Friday night and Saturday morning.

 BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Several earthquakes were reported in the Caribbean overnight into early Saturday with the strongest having a magnitude of 6.0 that was recorded northeast of Guadeloupe.

According to the Trinidad-based UWI Seismic Research Center, the events have worried people in the Caribbean.