Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Seeks Trade Ties with Haiti:
By Lindsay Thompson Bahamas Information Services -
Nassau, Bahamas:

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The Republic of Haiti, the first Caribbean nation to achieve independence in 1804, is ready for a rebirth, a chance to rebuild its economy with the help of The Bahamas.

This can be accomplished through a sustained trade arrangement between both countries, an idea 10 years in the making.

The purpose of a four-day fact finding mission organized by the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti, and the Centre for Investment Facilitations (CFI) is to form such ties.

Since Sunday, September 23, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and some of its members have been with perspective business partners and toured various establishment to examine possible trade arrangements aimed at boosting both economies, particularly Haiti’s.

The mission ends on Thursday, September 27.

The Bahamas is represented in tourism, fisheries, construction, financial services, agriculture, technology, souvenir manufacturing, textiles, clothing, and other general services.

The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce is represented by Dionisio D’Aguillar, president; Philip Simon, executive director; and Winston Rolle, a past president. The Bahamian delegation is being facilitated by The Bahamas’ Ambassador to the Republic of Haiti, His Excellency Dr Eugene Newry.

Haiti is located about 750 miles from Nassau and has been trading with The Bahamas since the 1800s. With an estimated eight million people, it is considered the poorest country in the Caribbean. However, the country’s Chamber of Commerce is optimistic that the negative perception of the island nation can change through sustained trading, hence keeping Haitians at home instead of risking their lives on the high seas in search of a better way of life.

The feeling is that Haiti can learn from The Bahamas’ expertise in tourism and services; and also build partnerships in agribusiness, heritage tourism, small hotels development and other areas.

At a press conference held in the VIP Lounge of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, Mr. D’Aguillar said The Bahamas’ decision to invest in Haiti stems from the fact that a reported 50,000 Haitians live in The Bahamas, resulting in very close ties being formed.

Also, The Bahamas incurs millions of dollars on exports from Haiti. However, once a shipment of mangoes and avocadoes leaves Haiti, it goes to Miami, shipped to The Bahamas and sold for $4 each.

Ways were discussed to package the abundance in mangoes as 56 per cent of fruit rot on the streets.

"Haiti is very much an emerging market in the sense that your Government is perceived to be stable and things are falling into place to make Haiti a very attractive place to invest in," Mr. D’Aguillar said.

The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce plans to form similar arrangements with Panama, the Dominican Republic and Brazil.

"The time has come to do business in a structured and organized manner," said Frantz Marceau Louis, international consultant in project development and management.

He suggested that this can be done by developing an efficient transport service to facilitate the transshipment of goods to The Bahamas.

"In Tourism, Haiti has not had the vibrant industry as it would like to have. But Haiti has the historical wealth which can turn over the minds of investors," Mr. Louis said.

Mr. Louis also said that not long ago, the name Haiti meant "instability". But The Bahamas would not seek interest if there was not a change in the political and economic climate created since the Rene Preval presidency began in May, 2006.

A cooperation agreement was to be signed between the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Haiti on Monday, September 24.

26 September 2007

AIDS Camp Continues Struggle For Survival:
By Kendea Jones -
Nassau, Bahamas:

Supervisor of All Saints Camp of St. John the Divine Theresa Glinton has a lot of work to do every day.

That’s because Ms. Glinton is the only person who ensures the camp is operated smoothly on a day-to-day basis.

"I get up at five every morning, take my children to school and then I am here to cook breakfast for everyone," she said.

According to Ms. Gibson, there are 65 residents at the camp, which the late Rev. Glenroy Nottage started years ago to care for people with HIV/AIDS.

"It was like a forest," Ms. Glinton said of the area the camp sits on, on Lazaretto Road, off Carmichael Road in New Providence.

"Rev. Nottage got together with Scotia Bank and Royal Bank of Canada and he also got involved with the Kiwanas Club and they came to the agreement that they would help him build some cottages," she said.

More than two years after Rev. Nottage’s death, the camp is still struggling and – according to Ms. Glinton – in urgent need of support from the community.

She said most people who come to the camp have nowhere else to go.

"Family members drop them off because they don’t want to look after them," she said.

"A lot of them came from off the streets like drug addicts and that is why we took them in too because of their illness and other homes are not going to take them in."

She said her job also entails cleaning the entire camp and making sure that every patient feels at home.

"Everyone here is already sick so everything has to be clean at all times and they should have clean clothes at all times," Ms. Glinton said.

She added that although full-time medical attention is needed at the camp, there are no funds to hire a doctor.

"A doctor was here full-time in the early ‘90s, but he never came back," Ms. Glinton said. "We have a van that is working that we got on the road and every two weeks we make sure that they go to the doctor to get their [examinations] done."

Ms. Glinton said even though the majority of people at the camp are bedridden, some others are active.

"We still make the ones that are bedridden feel at home," she said. "They have wheelchairs so they can come out when activities happen."

The government has allocated $10,000 for the All Saints Camp in the 2007/2008 budget.

Ms. Glinton said this is not enough, but she said the camp gets financial support from some local churches and charitable organizations.

She also said the physical environment of the camp is less than desirable.

Ms. Glinton said even though she tries her best to keep the environment clean, there are still some challenges.

"Some of our cottages are really damaged. We have young babies in here," she said. "Some of the kitchens are not in good condition."

The white paint on some of the cottages is peeling off the walls and most of the buildings appear to be in need of a facelift. The cracked pathway also needs repairing, as do the wooden fences outside the cottages.

The camp is located on a hill and surrounded by thick vegetation. Its quiet surroundings speak to the fact that many of the patients are bedridden.

Ms. Glinton added that the rainy weather makes the work hard.

She said what is needed for the survival of the camp is support from the community.

"Our big thing here is we need the community to come together and come around and see what all needs to be done here," she said. "We have 17 children here and all of them have to go to school. You’ve got to find food, find funds for their school fees; you got to find something for them every day.

"We really need a lot of help. If the community could just get together and just come out and see for themselves [they would see we need a lot of help]. We are not looking for money. We are looking for the community to come and give us a helping hand on the buildings."

24 September 2007

Mental Illnesses Still Taboo In The Bahamas:
By Paige Ferguson -
Nassau, Bahamas:

One Bahamian mental health professional contends that history has shown that throughout the ages mental illnesses were considered taboo, and that to some extent, at least in this country, they still are.

She said societies used to consider people plagued with the diseases to be possessed by spirits.

In recent times, researchers have found explanations and new treatments for mental disorders making communities more sensitive to the conditions.

However psychologist and lecturer at the College of the Bahamas, Dr. Stephanie Hutcheson said The Bahamas is still in the Dark Ages in terms of diagnosis and treatment.

According to record keepers at the Sandilands Rehabilitation Center for Mental Treatment, every year over 1,000 Bahamians are admitted into the center; and those numbers are increasing.

In fact, Dr. Hutcheson said during the time she worked at Sandilands she was surprised to see that the majority of people being admitted into the center were young men.

"They were generally being treated for drug induced [mental] illnesses, which differs slightly," she said.

Dr. Hutcheson said she has noticed that more and more Bahamians are struggling with mental disorders but are not seeking professional help.

According to Dr. Hutcheson the most common types of disorders in the Bahamas are mood disorders, which include; bipolar disorder - also known as manic depression, clinical depression and dysthymia [or a less severe form of depression].

She said although those disorders can be inherited, they can also be triggered by high stress situations and become very severe.

"Think about it, the whole body works together, [one part] is not separated from the rest of your body," she said.

"If you are not feeling all right mentally, over a long period of time it might show up in terms of how you feel physically."

Dr. Hutcheson said mental health is quite possibly more important that physical health and Bahamians should not take any irregularities lightly.

"If your body is not feeling well, usually it goes to reason that you’re not doing so well mentally either," she said.

"If you’re not feeling good today because you have this ache or this pain, it could be connected to how you feel mentally. So [all parts of] the body go together."

Dr. Hutcheson said Bahamian society plays a heavy role on how mental illnesses are perceived.

"I think the unknown, not really knowing enough about the illness, and also having all the media attention of all of the really bad cases. That could have people thinking that if someone is mentally ill they’re going to hurt me or they may go off the deep end if I get them upset," she said.

"I think the not knowing is probably what feeds that fear more than anything else. And just not knowing how to help someone who has been diagnosed with a condition."

Dr. Hutcheson said it is important to be sensitive to those who may have symptoms of a mood disorder.

She said paying attention to clues like sleeplessness or fatigue, sudden loss of appetite or weight, weight gain, difficulty concentrating or making decisions and frequent talks of suicide and death are clear warnings that a person may need professional help.

22 September 2007

Doctors Raise Concerns Over Unhealthy Population:
By Paige Ferguson -
Nassau, Bahamas:

As health fears worsen in the country, "early detection" is the message doctors at Imaging CT and Ultrasound Services are driving home to Bahamians.

According to the latest Bahamas Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Prevalence Study and Risk Factor Survey conducted between February and March 2005, more than half of deaths in the country annually are the result of chronic non-communicable diseases.

In an effort to detect serious illnesses, doctors are using computed axial tomography [or CAT] scan technology. The goal is to detect diseases during the early stages in patients and help doctors determine the best method of treatment before the diseases worsen.

Radiologist Dr. Nitin Singh has been practicing in The Bahamas for just over six years and said too often Bahamians are debilitated because they do not take preventative measures to preserve their health.

"When I came here to The Bahamas about six or seven years ago the population was about 300,000. I thought small population, I won’t have much to do, but the amount of diseases I’ve seen over here is phenomenal," he said.

"Like [Minister of Health Dr. Hubert Minnis] pointed out, it’s not so much infectious diseases here as you see in other parts of the world. You get more non-infectious diseases like cancers and heart diseases. And in order to stage them properly, a CAT scan has to be done."

The CAT scan is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross sectional images [often called slices] of the body. It shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat and organs.

Director of radiology at the centre, Michaella Strachan, explained that the device screens for lung and colon cancers, and heart diseases early enough to prevent a serious ailment. She said sometimes early detection is the difference between life and death.

"It’s amazing how it prolongs the life of the patient and eases the burden and concerns of the family," she said.

"So it’s an amazing modality."

Dr. Singh said the benefit of getting an angiogram done, or any kind of a CAT scan, is so that surgeons can plan an operation better than they would if they were to first open up a patient.

"There would be no hidden surprises because once you scan the patient, everything is clear cut," he said.

"You can [digitally] assess all the abnormalities in the patient like the size of a tumor or which blood vessels are involved. So the surgeon knows exactly what he’s getting into and can treat the patient more efficiently."

The overall health of the Bahamian public has been a growing concern. Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham, who attended a CARICOM health summit in Trinidad last weekend, indicated that The Bahamas will consider a ban on smoking in certain public places.

He also indicated that the government may consider lowering the duty on imported chicken and raising the duty on red meat as a means of encouraging Bahamians to eat healthier.

Similarly, the government is also contemplating reducing duty on exercise equipment.

Earlier this week, Dr. Minnis stressed the importance of healthy living, saying The Bahamas has the highest incidence of hypertension in the region.

20 September 2007

Gov’t To Legislate Death Sentence Guidelines:
By Myles Adderley -
Nassau, Bahamas:

The government plans to bring a bill to parliament, which would outline sentencing guidelines for murder convicts, Attorney General Claire Hepburn has revealed.

The government plans to bring a bill to parliament, which would outline sentencing guidelines for murder convicts, Attorney General Claire Hepburn has revealed.

Mrs. Hepburn’s revelation comes as the courts continue to face challenges in deciding what sentence a murder convict should get.

After the Privy Council ruled last year that the mandatory death sentence in The Bahamas is unconstitutional, then Attorney General Allyson Maynard-Gibson said there was no need to amend any laws to provide guidelines for trial judges to follow before deciding what sentence to hand down to a convicted murderer.

But President of the Court of Appeal Dame Joan Sawyer believes differently, and so does Mrs. Hepburn, who said the plan is to have such a law passed before the end of the year.

She indicated that there would be a range of sentences for murder convicts.

"These will range from the death penalty to life imprisonment or an even lesser sentence. I’m not trying to avoid our responsibility; we’ve been in office for four months," Ms. Hepburn said.

In March 2006, the Privy Council quashed the death sentence of Trono Davis and Forrester Bowe, two convicted murderers, and ruled that it is unconstitutional for trial judges to automatically sentence murder convicts to death.

She made it clear though that the government was not seeking to dictate to judges how matters before them ought to turn out.

"A judge always exercises his or her discretion on legal principles. It’s not, ‘I just wake up in the morning, look at [someone] and I say he looks like such a nice, quiet boy; he really can’t be that bad, so I’ll just give him a [small sentence]."

Ms. Hepburn said she has complete confidence that judges always make their judgments based on legal principles.

"Sometimes people don’t quite understand when you talk about using [one’s] discretion, but a judicial discretion is much different. It has to be exercised within the parameters of certain legal principles," she said.

President of the Court of Appeal Dame Joan Sawyer indicated last week that the court was in a bind because there is no law that clearly articulates the sentencing process for murder convicts.

She noted that parliament had more than a year to pass relevant legislation, but failed to do so.

Since the ruling against the mandatory death sentence last year, some attorneys have been arguing that there ought to be legal guidelines to follow before determining what sentence a murder convict ought the get, as the Privy Council has ruled essentially that there are varying degrees of murder.

The situation has become more challenging given that the law does not stipulate what constitutes a life sentence.

Just last Wednesday, Murrio Ducille, Trono Davis’ attorney, argued that since parliament has neglected to put legislation in place for an alternative sentence to the death penalty for convicted murderers, courts should resort to a section of the Penal Code that states that where no sentence for a felony has been stipulated the trial judge should impose a seven-year sentence.

Since the Privy Council ruling, some convicted murderers have received life sentences, including some who had previously been sentenced to death.

President of the Bahamas Bar Association Wayne Munroe recently said the imposition of the death penalty without certain clearly defined criteria would continue to create a problem unless the matter is dealt with once and for all.

Mrs. Hepburn said as far as murder cases that are presently before the courts are concerned, nothing can be done until there are judgments in those matters.

"These persons have all been re-sentenced by the Supreme Court; none has been given the death sentence and they are now challenging the sentence that they have received from the Supreme Court. Insofar as what we’re going to do about them, we will have to wait until the court hands down its judgment," Mrs. Hepburn said.

She said the government cannot legislate the certain discretion that judges use to cast judgments.

19 September 2007