NEWS
Over 3,000 mothers with diabetes receive focused care at NCRHA
Consistent with the Ministry of Health’s overarching strategy to reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in TT, especially in pregnant women, the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) established the Advanced Diabetes in Pregnancy Clinic at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital in 2017. Since then, approximately 3,700 pregnant women have accessed specialist care to ensure the health and well-being of both baby and mother. Gestational diabetes can negatively affect the health of women and their babies, and for women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, high blood sugar around the time of conception increases babies' risk of birth defects, stillbirth, and pre-term birth. Read more here
Trouble in Defence Force camp... Galil rifle goes missing at Teteron, soldier 'shoot' up Presidential vehicle
Extensive investigations are now ongoing into two major incidents involving T&T Defence Force (TTDF) members within weeks of each other. In the latest incident, a Galil assault rifle assigned to an officer “disappeared” from Teteron barracks in Chaguaramas, which is now on lockdown while the T&T Police Service also investigates the matter. In the previous incident, back in April, soldiers assigned to President’s House were transferred after they “shot up” a Presidential vehicle and tried to cover it up. During a joint media conference at the Ministry of National Security in Port-of-Spain, yesterday, acting Commanding Officer of the T&T Regiment, Lt Col Ashook Singh, said at about 12.30 am yesterday, a senior officer on duty was alerted by a TTDF member, who was on duty and had the rifle assigned to him, that the weapon had gone missing. Read more here
POLITICS
Caroni East MP: Ministry must give more help to Zika-affected children
The UNC has called on the Ministry of Health to do more for those dealing with the negative effects of the Zika virus, especially children who were born with deformities because their mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy. Dr Rishad Seecheran, the UNC's shadow health minister and MP for Caroni East, made the comment during a UNC media conference on Sunday morning. He was accompanied by former education minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh. During a Zika outbreak in 2016, 294 pregnant women contracted the virus. Pregnant women are not currently tested for Zika unless they are symptomatic. Zika can cause an array of serious birth defects, including microcephaly and other brain abnormalities. Read more here
Gopeesingh shrugs off UNC defections
It doesn’t matter to the Opposition UNC who wants to leave the party or join another entity, as there are hundreds more people who want to fill the positions left by those who exit, says UNC Chief Operating Officer Dr Tim Gopeesingh. Gopeesingh, who has shrugged off Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s prediction of a “licking” for the UNC in local government elections, has warned Rowley not to bait the population. Speaking at yesterday’s media briefing at the Opposition Leader’s office in Port-of-Spain, Gopeesingh called on Rowley to call election because he’s failed on the education system. “... And this is the person who’s coming to citizens, saying he wants to continue running T&T and re-elect them! You must tell him no! Make a strong statement, as he’s damaged this country in every aspect of life,” Gopeesingh declared. Read more here
BUSINESS
Three receive Sabga C’bean Awards for Excellence
The Director of Women’s Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr Adesh Sirjusingh, is one of the three recipients of the Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence and $500,000 for their contribution in various fields. The Anthony N Sabga Caribbean Awards for Excellence, held on Saturday night at ballroom of the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre in St Ann’s, saw $1.5 million awarded to three Caribbean nationals. The other laureates are Joanne C Hillhouse from Antigua and Barbuda and Dr Mahendra Persaud from Guyana, who received awards for excellence in the categories of Arts and Letters and Science and Technology, respectively. Read more here
REGIONAL
PPP/C Gov’t has liberated Guyanese from burdens; more development underway – President Ali
With more than 80 per cent of their manifesto promises already fulfilled, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, reminded Mabaruma residents last Friday that the PPP/C will continue its efforts to enhance the lives of all Guyanese. The president, who was at the time speaking at a public meeting, also reminded the massive crowd that it was the governing PPP/C that liberated Guyanese from the burdens invoked by the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). “My dear friends, since we came back to the office, we have put more money back into the pockets of people. We have created more jobs. We have built new industries. We have protected our Indigenous peoples’ rights. We are enhancing the welfare of women and children, the elderly and the vulnerable,” he said. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
Ukraine war: Wagner detains Russian officer over 'drunk' attack
The Wagner mercenary group says it has detained a regular Russian army officer, who allegedly opened fire on a Wagner vehicle in Ukraine. In a video, the officer says that the incident happened while he was drunk, because of his dislike for Wagner. Earlier, the group's boss said the Russian army had mined the roads Wagner used to leave the city of Bakhmut. There are longstanding tensions between Wagner and Russia's regular army, although they fight on the same side. The head of the private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has launched several scathing attacks on Russia's most senior defence officials, complaining frequently of a lack of ammunition during the battle for Bakhmut in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region. Read more here
5th June 2023