THE Public Hospitals Authority yesterday announced it is "in talks" with international partners to expand the Princess Margaret Hospital's Special Pathogen Unit amid criticism over the alleged housing conditions of COVID-19 patients at the medical facility.

Over the weekend, a video showing patients lying on gurneys in a corridor of PMH while rain poured through the roof onto the porch just feet away, sparked much public outrage after making its rounds on social media. #In another clip, a woman could be heard describing the conditions at the hospital as “crazy” and calling on Health Minister Renward Wells to intervene. #In the two-minute audio clip, the woman said she was a Bahamian citizen who paid her taxes. She also said she did not care how “overflowing” the hospital was, they should not treat dogs the way they were treating the people that had COVID at the facility. #“My mother called me 4 o’clock this morning crying saying that she’s getting wet up on the porch,” she said in the recording. #“She call for the nurse to move her from the water (but) everybody playing stupid like they don’t know what’s going on. She already have an ammonia. I went there yesterday, she cried and called me to bring her a cup of tea. I said ‘Mummy they can’t make you tea to the hospital? No tea, no hot water, it’s crazy man. People is pay tax dollars. In this Bahamaland we getting charged VAT. Why is it that you can’t have a proper facility to house the people man? You don’t have them outside like that, they’re human beings, they’re not animals”. #Before the clip ends, the woman could be heard pleading with Mr Wells to “help the people at the hospital”. #“Something needs to be done,” she insisted. “You don’t treat animals the way you’re treating the people”. #On Saturday, the Coalition of Independents Deputy Leader Maria Daxon was arrested after she recorded a video outside PMH’s main entrance, criticising the government for failing to build a temporary hundred bed hospital to host sick Bahamians. #In her livestream, which has also resulted in several views, Mrs Daxon said she visited the hospital to “address the horrid conditions sick Bahamians were enduring at PMH”. Although she was asked to leave the premises by security, she insisted it was the “taxpayer’s building”. The following day, COI leader Lincoln Bain live streamed another video in front of the Wulff Road Police station where Mrs Daxon was being released from custody. Mr Bain claimed she had been detained after defending her niece from a security guard who tried to confront the young lady while they were recording at PMH.

Over the weekend, a video showing patients lying on gurneys in a corridor of PMH while rain poured through the roof onto the porch just feet away, sparked much public outrage after making its rounds on social media.

In another clip, a woman could be heard describing the conditions at the hospital as “crazy” and calling on Health Minister Renward Wells to intervene.

In the two-minute audio clip, the woman said she was a Bahamian citizen who paid her taxes. She also said she did not care how “overflowing” the hospital was, they should not treat dogs the way they were treating the people that had COVID at the facility.

“My mother called me 4 o’clock this morning crying saying that she’s getting wet up on the porch,” she said in the recording.

“She call for the nurse to move her from the water (but) everybody playing stupid like they don’t know what’s going on. She already have an ammonia. I went there yesterday, she cried and called me to bring her a cup of tea. I said ‘Mummy they can’t make you tea to the hospital? No tea, no hot water, it’s crazy man. People is pay tax dollars. In this Bahamaland we getting charged VAT. Why is it that you can’t have a proper facility to house the people man? You don’t have them outside like that, they’re human beings, they’re not animals”.

Before the clip ends, the woman could be heard pleading with Mr Wells to “help the people at the hospital”.

“Something needs to be done,” she insisted. “You don’t treat animals the way you’re treating the people”.

On Saturday, the Coalition of Independents Deputy Leader Maria Daxon was arrested after she recorded a video outside PMH’s main entrance, criticising the government for failing to build a temporary hundred bed hospital to host sick Bahamians.

In her livestream, which has also resulted in several views, Mrs Daxon said she visited the hospital to “address the horrid conditions sick Bahamians were enduring at PMH”. Although she was asked to leave the premises by security, she insisted it was the “taxpayer’s building”. The following day, COI leader Lincoln Bain live streamed another video in front of the Wulff Road Police station where Mrs Daxon was being released from custody. Mr Bain claimed she had been detained after defending her niece from a security guard who tried to confront the young lady while they were recording at PMH.

A "control system issue" at the Wilson City Power Station in Abaco led to a power outage on the island on Wednesday, Bahamas Power and Light acknowledged in a press release yesterday.

The outage began just before 5pm. #It “was a result of a control system issue at the Wilson City Power Station which caused all engines at the station to shut down, interrupting supply to all customers on mainland Abaco, Matt Lowes Cay, Lubbers Quarters, Tilloo, Channel and Cornish Cays,” BPL said. #BPL said a team was able to restore supply to communities north of Marsh Harbour – with the exception of Green Turtle Cay – using standby generation at the Cooper’s Town site. #“Meanwhile, technicians worked through the evening at the WCPS to resolve the control system issue and return the plant to service. #“At approximately 11.30pm (Wednesday), some communities in the north of Abaco were taken off supply in order to provide power to residents in Marsh Harbour and the cays who had not received supply since the outage began. #“At approximately 3am (Thursday), the issue at the WCPS was resolved, which allowed units at WCPS to be placed online and supplies were restored to all impacted customers. #“We apologise for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience,” BPL said.

The outage began just before 5pm.

It “was a result of a control system issue at the Wilson City Power Station which caused all engines at the station to shut down, interrupting supply to all customers on mainland Abaco, Matt Lowes Cay, Lubbers Quarters, Tilloo, Channel and Cornish Cays,” BPL said.

BPL said a team was able to restore supply to communities north of Marsh Harbour – with the exception of Green Turtle Cay – using standby generation at the Cooper’s Town site.

“Meanwhile, technicians worked through the evening at the WCPS to resolve the control system issue and return the plant to service.

“At approximately 11.30pm (Wednesday), some communities in the north of Abaco were taken off supply in order to provide power to residents in Marsh Harbour and the cays who had not received supply since the outage began.

“At approximately 3am (Thursday), the issue at the WCPS was resolved, which allowed units at WCPS to be placed online and supplies were restored to all impacted customers.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience,” BPL said.

 

MORE than three years after the controversial Oban deal was signed, Minister of Marine Resources and Agriculture Michael Pintard suggested yesterday the government made "a rookie mistake" with the billion-dollar project, calling the deal "a clumsy execution of a ceremonial signing".

Mr Pintard made the remarks during his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday. #While voicing his support for the 2021/2022 budget, Mr Pintard also made clear he doesn’t support every decision his party has made and even noted earlier in his speech that more could have been done by the government in its response to certain events, such as Hurricane Dorian. #However, the Marco City MP said it is still his belief that the Free National Movement is the better “choice” for the Bahamian people adding it would be “disingenuous” of him to say the Minnis administration has not made efforts to return the Bahamian people’s lives back to some normalcy. #He told Parliament: “We have not got everything correct in this administration in how we’ve responded and I don’t believe anybody has made that case… but I’ve certainly, like others, raised concerns about certain approaches taken, but I would not be disingenuous to say that we have not made the effort to transform some persons’ lives and bring them back to a place of normalcy.” #He went on to comment on the many unfounded allegations made against the Minnis administration, labelling the critical remarks as “unfortunate”. #“I’m not going to sit down in a Cabinet and hear a corrupt concoction and be party to it,” he said. “I find it offensive when certain charges are laid on matters that had to come to Cabinet and you presume, because you see we can’t be good friends but yet your allegations has the presumption that I could’ve been present when a deliberation was taking place that was not in the interest of the Bahamian people. That’s a problem.” #He also referred to the proposed $5.5 billion dollar deal the government made with Oban Energies in 2018 for an oil refinery and storage facility for Grand Bahama. #Questions were first raised in The Tribune about the people fronting Oban which was followed by a ceremonial Heads of Agreement signing that was considered one of the government’s most controversial points since winning office. #Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has previously admitted his administration made mistakes with the billion-dollar project. The deal has yet to materialise.

Mr Pintard made the remarks during his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate in the House of Assembly yesterday.

While voicing his support for the 2021/2022 budget, Mr Pintard also made clear he doesn’t support every decision his party has made and even noted earlier in his speech that more could have been done by the government in its response to certain events, such as Hurricane Dorian.

However, the Marco City MP said it is still his belief that the Free National Movement is the better “choice” for the Bahamian people adding it would be “disingenuous” of him to say the Minnis administration has not made efforts to return the Bahamian people’s lives back to some normalcy.

He told Parliament: “We have not got everything correct in this administration in how we’ve responded and I don’t believe anybody has made that case… but I’ve certainly, like others, raised concerns about certain approaches taken, but I would not be disingenuous to say that we have not made the effort to transform some persons’ lives and bring them back to a place of normalcy.”

He went on to comment on the many unfounded allegations made against the Minnis administration, labelling the critical remarks as “unfortunate”.

“I’m not going to sit down in a Cabinet and hear a corrupt concoction and be party to it,” he said. “I find it offensive when certain charges are laid on matters that had to come to Cabinet and you presume, because you see we can’t be good friends but yet your allegations has the presumption that I could’ve been present when a deliberation was taking place that was not in the interest of the Bahamian people. That’s a problem.”

He also referred to the proposed $5.5 billion dollar deal the government made with Oban Energies in 2018 for an oil refinery and storage facility for Grand Bahama.

Questions were first raised in The Tribune about the people fronting Oban which was followed by a ceremonial Heads of Agreement signing that was considered one of the government’s most controversial points since winning office.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has previously admitted his administration made mistakes with the billion-dollar project. The deal has yet to materialise.

 

PINEWOOD MP Reuben Rahming yesterday championed the Minnis administration for allocating $2m to address the constituency's long standing flooding woes.

During his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate yesterday, Mr Rahming also criticised the former Christie administration for not solving the issue while in office. #He suggested he was not expecting funds to be set aside for the community given the state of the economy. #“Right now in the middle of a crisis where honestly in my heart I would have understood, but I just cannot as a member of Parliament, but I would have understood if the money wasn’t there for Pinewood. . .because right after that first budget we got missed, the second budget there was a million dollars in it to start the pilot programmes to get it up and going, COVID hit. So literally by our second budget money was already being poured in to address the matter,” Mr Rahming said. #“I thank God that soon the people will see not only what the doc (has) been doing but cooking for Pinewood. I invite our deputy prime minister at his earliest opportunity to take the time to come to Pinewood... we can probably do a Zoom meeting with him and his experts so they can understand that this is not a panacea. I invite Doc to come when it’s time to break that ground and I want him to take the kill and show the people his face when they realise that shovels are in the ground for the first time in Pinewood.” #In December 2020, Mr Rahming said he would not support another budget that “neglects” his constituency and did not include financing to address long standing flooding issues in the area. #At the time, he also said that while he believes Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is the best person to lead the country, he does not “blindly support” the Free National Movement. He told Parliament he does not want to be put in a position to choose between his constituents and party loyalty, saying in that case, the government would “lose against my conviction”. #Yesterday, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said the government is committed to addressing the problems in Pinewood. #“This current budget has some $2m in it to... deal with this drainage challenge that was left to you in Pinewood, that you have been working so assiduously to try to do something about. We are seriously committed to Pinewood and to helping you deal with the challenges that have been there for decades that you are now dealing with,” Mr Bannister said.

During his contribution to the 2021/2022 budget debate yesterday, Mr Rahming also criticised the former Christie administration for not solving the issue while in office.

He suggested he was not expecting funds to be set aside for the community given the state of the economy.

“Right now in the middle of a crisis where honestly in my heart I would have understood, but I just cannot as a member of Parliament, but I would have understood if the money wasn’t there for Pinewood. . .because right after that first budget we got missed, the second budget there was a million dollars in it to start the pilot programmes to get it up and going, COVID hit. So literally by our second budget money was already being poured in to address the matter,” Mr Rahming said.

“I thank God that soon the people will see not only what the doc (has) been doing but cooking for Pinewood. I invite our deputy prime minister at his earliest opportunity to take the time to come to Pinewood... we can probably do a Zoom meeting with him and his experts so they can understand that this is not a panacea. I invite Doc to come when it’s time to break that ground and I want him to take the kill and show the people his face when they realise that shovels are in the ground for the first time in Pinewood.”

In December 2020, Mr Rahming said he would not support another budget that “neglects” his constituency and did not include financing to address long standing flooding issues in the area.

At the time, he also said that while he believes Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is the best person to lead the country, he does not “blindly support” the Free National Movement. He told Parliament he does not want to be put in a position to choose between his constituents and party loyalty, saying in that case, the government would “lose against my conviction”.

Yesterday, Minister of Works Desmond Bannister said the government is committed to addressing the problems in Pinewood.

“This current budget has some $2m in it to... deal with this drainage challenge that was left to you in Pinewood, that you have been working so assiduously to try to do something about. We are seriously committed to Pinewood and to helping you deal with the challenges that have been there for decades that you are now dealing with,” Mr Bannister said.