Health Services and crime addressed

Sandra Catron, Independent candidate for
Bodden Town

Tuesday,  April 26, 2005

At the third of her scheduled public meetings, first- time runner and independent candidate in the district of Bodden Town, Sandra Catron, addressed some topical national issues on her campaign trail for the forth coming 11 May Election.

“I have spoken with nurses and the stories are unbelievable,” she said speaking about the Health Services Authority. “Nurses have said that there have been occasions when they have been unable to change patients’ diapers because they ran out of diapers. Realising the problem, this particular nurse went to her supervisor for a solution but the supervisor just shrugged her shoulders. Not even to run to Foster’s to pick up some interim packs,” exclaimed Ms Catron.

“I have also been told that they have run out of IV and medication has run out on occasions.”

Ms Catron pointed next to the management of the hospital. “We need to put people on Boards who are specially qualified in the areas of expertise needed, “ added Ms Catron.

“We need to stop putting people on Boards simply as a favour. The primary concern in running the hospital should be providing good quality health care and doing whatever that takes. Someone with just a business background sees only the monetary side.”

Ms Catron said that the way in which new cut-back measures were implemented affected the morale of the staff.

“They did not even bother to tell them of the changes in their salaries. They just handed them their contracts. Everyone thought that they were getting their same contracts for renewal. It is not until a difference in their cheques was noticed that the HR department said oh, by the way, you now have to contribute your portion,” she explained.

Ms Catron said she had been very concerned about the appointment of the former CEO Michael Elliot. “And now the hospital is being sued by the former CEO and he will probably win. So, we will be paying money for bad expenditure. This, when I understand that the computer equipment is so old that, even though there is new software, the computers cannot handle it.”

Ms Catron also talked about education and immigration. “As a country, we have prioritised things wrong,” she said. 

“How can we brag that we are the fifth largest financial centre when Caymanians feel like second class citizens in the work environment. We have to train people to equip them for the future. But we also have to address immigration. The system has lost sight of its objective of the protection of Caymanians.”

Asked by a member of the audience for her suggestions to improve education, Ms Catron said smaller classes, recruitment of Caymanian teachers and encouraging parents to be more actively involved in children’s education.

Describing some of the hardships suffered by residents in her district, she said:

“Bodden Town was hit hard by Ivan and we can’t implement things when we have to live with debris, rats and the like,” she continued. Some districts that got very little damage got over $300,000. We have to get the garbage picked up.”

Well-known for speaking out on crime, Ms Catron raised her concerns over police resources and training. “Some RCIPS officers are not equipped to deal with the new breed of criminals. As well, people in the police force who are on the wrong side of the law need to go,” she said.

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