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Despite warnings from clinicians, Barbados held on to a too-short quarantine and test protocol when its borders opened last summer. Now, a new surge in COVID cases and deaths begs retrospective policy questions.
Physicians shutting practices
Article by February 22, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only impacting the general population, and driving fear into the elderly, it has affected the profession most needed at this time. And over the past 12 months, the medical profession has lost several of its members who have chosen to retire early.
There is no official retirement age for medical doctors in private practice but President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) Dr Lynda Williams, confirmed an undisclosed number of older doctors have decided to call it a day, rather than risk exposure to COVID-19.
Among those who have retired early citing COVID-19 is a popular family physician and former Independent Senator Dr Carol Jacobs.
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Central Bank Governor Cleviston Haynes advised anyone taking part in any financial schemes such as “blessing circles” to exercise caution and seek advice first.
While he admitted he did not know all the details concerning blessing circles, he said “it seems to be speculative” and there was risk with any such mechanism.
“There could be a relationship between adversity and the emergence of schemes which appear to be somewhat disingenuous. You probably stand a good chance of being a loser at the end of the day –which goes back to education and understanding.
“If you are being asked to make a significant investment of that type, perhaps it may be wise to have someone who you can sit with and who can give you [sound] advice,” he said.
Barbados Today
By Geralyn Edward
She has become the face and voice of the local medical fraternity, unafraid to challenge policymakers as she advocates for homegrown responses to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic now gripping the island.
She is Dr Lynda Williams, a medical practitioner in general practice. But her passion and advanced studies has been in the specialised area of epidemiology. Dr Williams is a Masters’s degree graduate of the University of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Williams is among the school’s distinguished alumni, who include Dr Tedros Adhanom, the Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Other graduates include Dr David Heymann, the WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment.