What’s Trending: Hands off

Sun, October 07, 2012 - 1:00 PM

The Nation’s Associate Editor, Sherie Holder-Olutayo takes a look at what’s trending today in Barbados.

Today’s front page story on the CADRES poll indicates that Barbadians want to have continued access to free healthcare but feel that students should pay part of UWI fees. Our online readers weighed in on this issue.

Julia Moseley: The 21% need to realise Barbadians do pay a large portion of the cost through their taxes. It's Government that needs to start managing the finances better to enable QEH to provide better healthcare!!!

Carl Harper: While everyone will get sick at some point in their lives and may require hospitalization, it is evident that only a segment of the population will pursue university education. Hence, it would be good to have more information on the demographics of the respondents who think UWI students should pay a portion of the cost, while keeping it free at BCC and the Polytechnic. It is noteworthy, based on this most recent CADRES Poll, that the country is fast becoming more evenly split on whether or not it is willing to pay for higher education. These sentiments will certainly make it easier for Government to decide on this sensitive and delicate issue. With respect to those not preferring the new hospital located at Kingsland, it is interesting that on such a tiny island, a short 10-minute difference in commute from Bridgetown is a major talking point on where to site the new hospital. While everyone wants the new hospital located on their doorstep, no one is eager to have a dump in their backyard. As a matter of fact, those on other parts of the island are happy they do not have to endure the loud airplane engines on landing and takeoff, and therefore do not mind the "long and ardous" drive to the island's lone airport (except Denis Kellman who wants one in St Lucy for his constituents). We already enjoy and boast about our four- and ten-hour road trips on visits in North America and the U.K., and 20,000 journey to either the east coast road or Bushy Park to wukkup for Party Monarch without complaint. The point it, Barbados is a very small island and nowhere is far. It may be easier and faster for an ambulance to reach Kingsland, say, from the Warrens area, than if it goes to the QEH.