Submission 77
Sent: Wednesday, August 3, 2022
To: ConstitutionalReform
Subject: Ideas re: Constitution Reform
Good morning,
Following are my ideas to be considered when seeking to reform our constitution:
The disparity between private companies’ pensionable age and the NIS pensionable age. Employers who insist on employees retiring at the pensionable age of 65 should be mandated to pay the amount of NIS pension to be received by the retired employees until the NIS pensionable age of 67 or equivalent is reached. In this way the employees are not disadvantaged or placed in hardship through no fault of their own.
Autonomy of nurses. Although I have never had any affiliation with the Nursing programme at the Barbados Community College or elsewhere, I feel confident that the nurses are capable of handling tasks such as insertion of IVs. The nurses should be given more autonomy in this aspect, thereby reducing the stress placed on interns . There is absolutely no need to call an intern each time a patient has to have an IV replaced or a patient has developed a fever. Nurses in Barbados should have their job functions brought more in line with international standards.
Re-assessment of intern work hours. I am aware that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is a teaching hospital. However, it Is absolutely ridiculous the hours the junior doctors are made to work. No one can perform at their best if they are made to work extremely long hours (sometimes every 3 days) and then proceed to work full hours on the following day. After all that, they are required to work full hours again the following day and then (sometimes) go on call again the next day. So, to simplify, if they are on a 3 day call shift: they perform a 24 hour work day, then 2 full work days, then go on call again on the third day. The cycle remains the same, the only change is when they perform a call every 4 days or every 7 days.
Re-assessment of punishment for those who commit crime. It should be mandated that those who commit serious crime such as assault and murder, be made to compensate their victims or the children of the victims. Accountability is key. Punishment should not only be viewed in terms of being a deterrent, it should be about the perpetrator being held accountable. Therefore, the skills being learnt in prison should be utilized in order to provide compensation. This can be adapted to suit all crimes committed.
Parental involvement in child-rearing. Like the above point, this will take a lot of assessment before it can be fully implemented, but it is worth a try. Neglect and abandonment of children have played a role in the disintegration of our society. Financial support is not enough. It should be mandated for both parents to be emotionally involved in the lives of their children, even if it means both parents being mandated to attend a parenting course during the pregnancy stage. There will, of course, be denials by some about being the father. In these instances, DNA tests should be performed and the state compensated if the results prove that the gentleman is indeed the father. In cases where the male is still unwilling to offer emotional support to the mother and child, the Child Care Board can think of ways to implement programmes where the mother can assess this support.
Thank you. Regards
