When I first visited the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) where my brother, Kingsley, was a patient, I was surprised by the state of the entrance mat. Once upon a time, it must have been an elegant sign...
Never mind where you are planted. Surround yourself with the right kind of fertiliser (not just people who smell like it) and ample supplies of water, and you will grow and flourish. Never before in the history of Jamaica has there been so many...
The mounting expressions of concern and criticisms, regarding the state of our public healthcare facilities, came to a crescendo last week with scathing condemnations of the perennial problems and lack of accountability within the Ministry of...
Rising cases of COVID-19 virus are triggering alerts from health authorities and infectious disease experts in many countries. According to figures from our own Ministry of Health and Wellness, there were 55 confirmed cases of the coronavirus for...
Time flies. It has been more than two years since I set foot on the land of Jamaica. I have been deeply impressed by Jamaica’s national motto “Out of Many, One People”, which speaks volumes about the close integration and harmonious co-existence of...
Talcum powder, or soapstone, is the softest thing in the world unless my daughter Jasmine sees an animal in trouble, especially if it is being treated badly. That tears it for her. If she has to fight, she will do so and leave the real tears for...
Consider the story of two Jamaican high schools: One school, Hopeful High, is the creation of a small group of pious church fathers and started with the full backing of the Catholic church. This provided an opportunity for shared spaces and...
At least they are arguing about issues and performance, not battling it out with guns and Molotov cocktails like in the past. As the silly season of election campaigning intensifies, the People’s National Party (PNP) and the Jamaica Labour Party (...
At a personal level, everyone should be happy for Julian Assange. After more than a dozen years of self-imposed confinement or being in jails, Mr Assange is a free man, in his native Australia with his family. But journalism, if it didn’t quite...
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has legitimate concerns about the growth of misinformation and so-called ‘fake news’ on social media platforms. He, however, has to be careful about which tools he employs in attempting to fix the problem. First, the...
IN OUR Caribbean culture, we all look forward to public holidays. Many of us wish for more rather than less. Adults relish being away from work, planning activities for families or even travelling overseas to shop or be with family to celebrate...
LIKE MOST onlookers watching the ongoing discussion on the inter-related issues of information integrity, press freedom and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on our day-to-day lives, recent events have been most interesting. Last Monday,...
Any improvement in Jamaica’s education outcomes must be welcomed. So, Education Minister Fayval Williams should not be begrudged celebration of improved outcomes in this year’s Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams for sixth-grade students, the results...
Argentina’s President Javier Milei has begged China to renew the US$5 billion line of credit that he had previously rejected. This extension would be until July 2026. Argentina was the biggest recipient of China’s funds in Latin America, under the...
“No ethic is as ethical as the work ethic” – John Kenneth Galbraith, American economist and author Productivity and the need to improve it in Jamaica are regularly raised in the media and elsewhere. There was focus on productivity last week...
As Jamaica continues its economic development and modernisation journey, it can glean valuable insights from Argentina and Uruguay’s unique tech and innovation landscapes. These countries have developed different systems that support and enhance...
The management of our health sector under the watch of Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, is cause for concern. For starters, the auditor general has repeatedly flagged the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) for awarding...
Bryan Sykes will likely face resistance from fellow judges to his suggestion that court proceedings should be broadcast live. However, for courts over which he has the authority, the chief justice should insist that such broadcasts become the...
There have been many instances in the construction industry regarding behaviours from many new developers who have just or are now entering the space and embarking upon new construction projects. Various observations and interactions show that,...
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) proudly carries the tagline ‘A Force for Good’. However, the recent reiteration of the ‘comply and then complain’ policy, which advises citizens to comply with police orders even if they violate their civil...
No one could fault Prime Minister Andrew Holness for harping – which he did again at last week’s Diaspora Conference – on the need for Jamaica to embrace a culture of productivity. There might, however, be suggestions that Mr Holness broaden the...
Food insecurity is defined as the lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Around 735 million people globally grapple with this issue. The Caribbean stands out as one of the hardest-hit regions. hhh The latest Food and...
What is the reflection on the Minister of Health when the Prime Minister is reported to be ordering an investigation into the health sector? Why not just call on his minister to give an account? Has the prime minister lost confidence in the person...
The Biennial Diaspora Conference has thrust the Jamaican diaspora once more onto centrestage, hopefully to broaden engagement on issues of national significance, including investment, crime, violence in social intercourse, healthcare, and...
The Grange Hill Elementary School, which later became the Grange Hill Primary School, was established in 1924. I am a former student of the elementary school. It appears that the change in nomenclature from elementary school to primary school took...
