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MINISTRY OF HEALTH REPORTS NEW CASES OF
HIV/AIDS
For the second quarter
of this year the
Ministry of
Health has reported a total of one hundred and thirty seven new cases
of HIV / AIDS. Ambassador Dolores Balderamos Garcia and Doctor
Jorge
Polanco from the National AIDS Commission were guests on Love F-M
morning show. Ambassador Balderamos Garcia commented that though the
result for this last quarter is not as alarming, it shows that more
people are testing.
Ambassador Balderamos Garcia: “For the last couple of years,we’ve been seeing an average of 120-130 new infections every quarter.So 137 is more yes,but it’s not such a massive spike that we need to panic.Now,we do need to be concerned because more and more people get tested,more and more infections will be uncovered,which means that the epidemic already has a tow-hold within the population and we will begin to uncover the true extent of the epidemic as more and more people get tested,because during that quarter with the 137,doubled about 2,400 people who were tested.What we feel is that,basically we will continue to see the infections as more and more infections are discovered.We will see the epidemic going up before it plateaus and capers off.So therefore,the conclusion is that we have a continuing serious situation.” Read More OMBUDSMAN COMMENTS ON
LATEST REPORT
Ombudsman Paul Rodriquez has released his eighth
annual report. Love News spoke with Rodriguez who told us although he
is in the second year of his third term as Ombudsman he is still
learning more about the office.
Ombudsman Paul Rodriquez: “I see evermore clearly,that the work of the Ombudsman is one of promoting law and order right across the board of all sectors of society.It does not apply only to the public authorities,but to every single citizen,and therefore,I would dare to say that if one of the main themes of the work of the Ombudsman is to promote civilized living throughout our country,and to promote the sense that without law and order,which we are all responsible for,there can be no civilized living.Therefore,every citizen has its duty to be a law abiding citizen and to abide by those rules of conduct in private and public,which are conducive to the health and well being and to the respect of the voice of every other person who lives in Belize and with whom they come in contact with.Now I’ve become convinced well it’s obvious that there are elements within our Belizean society that are bent on criminal behavior,and I think those elements have to know that law abiding citizens will not support them in their criminality.So that when people complain to me about police misbehavior,I am very careful to investigate properly before I would make any kind of recommendation or announcement that the police were wrong.” Rodriguez said once again complaints against the Police were the highest during the year. Ombudsman Paul Rodriquez: “In this report,there were 101 complaints against the police.Eighty-four of them were resolved one way or the other.Many,many of the complaints against the police we found not justified.In other words,people were just trying to make a cause to apostate,to blunt the charge against the prosecution to try to make up a case that would be presented in court claiming that whatever they said was forced by the police.So I think that the more citizens are aware that people don’t always tell the truth,and people sometimes talk in their own self interest,the more I think we’ll get back to that state where we listen to what people have to say,but then investigate and draw our conclusions based on the evidence.Another very area of our work with the police is education.We have what we call the Tripartite Council made up of the Human Rights Commission of Belize,the Police Internal Affairs and Discipline and the Office of the Ombudsman,and regularly,we meet with the police and different sections and formations of the police to try and get them trained in human rights issues.Let me tell you that we think that we have been able to change the behavior of many police through these sessions that we have had with them.Naturally,we won’t claim that there’s perfection,but I think that certainly there has been great improvement in the behavior of many policemen because of the conscientization done by the Tripartite Council.” Read More Canadian
Company
Wants 100
Belizean Meat Cutters The
Department of Labour
has a curious job opportunity. It’s for a meat cutter who would work in
a Canadian Slaughterhouse for two years. The Canadians are looking for
100 Belizeans between the ages of 24 and 35 who are married, with less
than three children, and who have a high school diploma to fill the
post. It pays thirteen Canadian dollars an hour and applicants would be
assisted in getting a visa. Merilyn Young, the National Coordinator of
Employment and Enterprise Development explained.
Merilyn Young, Ministry of Labor “The duties and responsibilities of the persons will be to work like ina slaughterhouse where you will be dealing with cattle and also to look at the agro-processing part of it so it is basically slaughter-housing if you want to look at it and also agro-processing.” Keith Swift, Why do they want Belizean meat cutters? Merilyn Young, “Keith you have companies in Canada, for example this same company also does recruiting in other countries all over the world. One of the advantages that Belize comes with is that we speak English.” Keith Swift, Aren’t you taking away labor from Belize? Driving labor away? Merilyn Young, “I think it is something that we need to look at in reference to brain drain if you want to look at it that way. This is a job for a person that is not really a skilled area, so you are not really taking away from anything.” “I don’t think that the exportation of the labor force will create any serious damage. I think actually it will help. When you look at the salary that these people will be making, thirteen Canadian dollars is a approximately the same amount in U.S. dollars and working forty hours a week, you can’t beat that type of salary so we are encouraging Belizeans that want to improve their quality of life that is not employed, that meets the qualifications to come in and apply for it.” Those who are interested can contact employment officers in Orange Walk, Belize City, Belmopan and San Ignacio. Read More NOTICES-
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Planned Power Outage- 1:30pm - 4:30pm. All that area by Caribbean Depot, including Bowen & Bowen Water treatment plant, San Pablo Subd., DFC Subdivision, Escalante Subd. San Pedro Flea Market- Located at Pasta La Vista and open Thursday-Sunday, 10am-10pm Lost Journal- Light Green Book w/Palm Tree on front. REWARD for return. rebecaribe@hotmail.com There
will be a NACNW
meeting this Saturday
Sept 29th at noon at the Palapa Bar, followed by a 'Northerners' meeting immediately after. Hope
to see you there!
Natalie
THOUGHT OF THE DAY When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before Mae West |
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 www.grandcaribe.bz debbiewade@gmail.com
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