The Editor speaks: health, garbage, and marine preservation

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The Editor speaks: health, garbage, and marine preservation
Colin Wilson

What exactly did Health Minister,
Dwayne Seymour, tell us in his two hour address to the latest budget
debate in the Legislative Assembly last Monday?

For me - very little of any importance.

Greater focus on mental health was one
that includes a mental care unit for adolescents.

Some services would be moved away from
the George Town Hospital to the Smith Road building, was another.

Garbage collection will be improved
after the delivery of ELEVEN new trucks. I hope he can find the
manpower to operate them. Wasn't there a problem with finding the
necessary labour to run the ones that we already have and keep
breaking down? Maybe these will be the new robotic ones or driven by
drones?

Plans to expand recycling. I don't
think he means the pedal type, although if it was, it would cut down
on pollution and make us more fit.

Culture. That, of course, is a top
priority. To find out what exactly Cayman culture is.

The Department of Environmental Health
is buying a quantity of small processors.

A satellite hospital in Bodden Town.
Isn't that where the Minister actually lives? Of course, that has
nothing to do with being elected again. Absolutely not.

Now what are the most pressing matters
we wanted to hear about?

Free healthcare for children?

Update regarding a special health
insurance plan for the over 65's? I was all ears waiting on that.
Wasn't some money spent on consultants coming up with something about
a Standard Health Insurance Contract? The whole idea, I have to
confess, is absolutely ridiculous. Where is the money going to come
from to pay for this? Our premiums? If we own a home we will have to
mortgage it.

The struggle a large proportion of us
have in obtaining health care cover? The insurance companies only
want to cover the healthy and pocket the profits. He did say the
government was looking at ways to lower health care costs. Yes. How?

When are the proposed changes to the
National Conservation Law going to be enacted?

Marine Parks? Any enhancements? It was
talked about.

The Dump? He did say he EXPECTED work
to start on remediating part of the George Town landfill in the New
Year.

There is probably a lot of things I've
missed but that is probably enough for now. I know I missed the
culture topic in my headline. Somehow it seemed to have got lost in
the other real important matters. I suppose this ends my hope of
getting a piece of plastic this year from the CNCF!

Published November 20, 2019

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