St Helena : News Items from St. Helena
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 09.02.2005 (Article Archived on 23.02.2005)
Garron Yon Tells us about some activities that are taking place overseas as well as in St. Helena.
NEWS ITEMS FROM ST. HELENA
By Garron Yon
Overseas Medical Referrals
The Public Health and Social Services Department’s overseas medical referrals’ budget has been depleted, which has resulted in a decision to only refer patients with life threatening conditions. Those patients with non-life threatening conditions have been placed on a waiting list and will be referred in the new financial year which will commence on 1 April 2005.
The Chief Administrative Health and Social Services Officer, Ivy Ellick, OBE, said that “this is rather unfortunate as the department strives to provide the best health care that is possible within the limitations of the departmental budget.” She stressed that funding has been made available to cover emergency cases. Some patients left on the RMS on Saturday.
Medical patients are normally referred to Cape Town as opposed to the UK, because it used to be the far cheaper option. The UK National Health Service allocates the Island four hospital beds free each year, these are used for patients needing long term and expensive treatment. The CAHSSO explained that the cost of treatment in Cape Town has escalated considerably over the past three years, besides which the budget is a very difficult one to estimate because it is impossible to determine at the beginning of the year what is likely to take place during the year.
When referring patients overseas for treatment the department is responsible for all expenses- accommodation, when not in hospital, travel and treatment. The department has made representation for an increase in next year’s budgetary provision.
Public Relations/Information Office: Office of the Chief Secretary 2 February 2005
£360,000 SHDA Project
Last year a project worth approximately £360,000 was approved by the Department For International Development for the expansion of the activities of SHDA. This has got off to a good start with the approval of five grants, which led to the creation of seven new jobs in the private sector.
Managing Director, Dave Tyler is pleased with the progress that is being made. He said: “The project is working.”
Dr Corinda Essex, who is responsible for monitoring DFID funded projects said “for the first two quarters the key activities have been the provision of training for local garages in vehicle diagnostics in relation to electronic control systems.” She added “another key activity has been strengthening links with a college in South Africa in relation to possible training in agriculture and horticulture.”
Other developments have taken place and Dr Essex explained that SHDA has also supported, along with its partners in the National Economic Forum, “the development of possible strategies to assist the private sector regarding the provision of services to new housing development.” She went on to say that SHDA has also been involved in discussions relating to having more NVQ courses for the Island. Training is high on the agenda, and the Agency was involved in discussions with Vocational Training Consultant, John Cocks about the formulation of an Island wide training strategy. Dave said: “At the moment our key emphasis is on training.” He went on to explain that much training has taken place within the Agency and they are now ready to go out to the private sector with training programmes.
SHDA’s mission is “to champion the private Sector and move the Island from dependency towards self-sufficiency”, and with the new funding from DFID they are in a better position to do this.
By using the £360,000 from DFID, the aim is to expand SHDA’s activities to enable the Agency to further develop its role in promoting sustainable private sector development within the changing environment on St Helena. SHDA is making progress towards this and is working with SHG to review opportunities for the private sector to assist with the delivery of public services.
Public Relations/Information Office: Office of the Chief Secretary 9 February 2005
Two Posts Advertised by SHG
The St Helena Government has advertised two posts, one for an Accountant, Financial Planning and Analysis, and another for a Qualifications Programme Administrator.
The post of Financial Planning and Analysis is being funded by DFID at £22,000 per year plus a relocation package if required. It is on a three year fixed term contract and is based in the Finance Department, reporting directly to the Financial Secretary. The key post deals mainly with the financial aspects of strategic and business planning including revenue and expenditure projections, providing recommendations for change, and planning and implementing such changes. The post holder will also be responsible for delivering financial training within SHG.
The post of Qualifications Programme Administrator is new. This post deals with the registration and administration of all public examinations on the Island, as well as assessment procedures for the newly introduced National Vocational Qualification courses. Recently the post of NVQ Quality Assurance Coordinator was also approved. Gillian Delahunty, Training Development Manager, explained that it was important to have these posts, as it is a requirement of City and Guilds the body which awards NVQ qualifications. Without personnel to deal with the registration and administration of public examinations and NVQ assessment procedures, it would not be possible to continue offering these internationally recognised courses, or to offer different NVQ courses in the future.
Public Relations/Information Office: Office of the Chief Secretary 9 February 2005
UK Rep to Attend Conference
For the first time, a Small Island Micro-Economics Conference will take place, that focus on small islands. St Helena’s UK Representative, Kedell Worboys, will be attending as St Helena’s rep.
The conference is due to be held in the Turks and Caicos Islands from 15 to 18 February with sixty delegates from about twenty countries. Local delegates will also attend as well as some international donor organisations.
The aim is for people from Overseas Countries and Territories and other small states to discuss and share experiences concerning issues affecting their development and to try and find solutions to them.
Areas for discussion will include education, health, transport, tourism, e-governance, and the environment, with options and solutions being presented to address challenges faced by small places. All of these issues are of interest to St Helena, and are linked to the Island’s Strategic Objectives which were agreed by the people of St Helena.
In commenting on how St Helena could benefit from her attendance, Kedell said: “This conference is specifically to discuss issues facing small islands. I have invited the relevant departments to let me have issues they would like raised at the conference. It also gives the opportunity to network before the EU-OCT Forum”.
The actual conference is being sponsored jointly by the European Commission, the Overseas Countries and Territories Association, and the Turks and Caicos Islands Government, therefore the cost of the UK Reps attendance will not be borne by SHG.
This conference will also give delegates an opportunity to discuss issues that should raised at the EU- OCT Forum which is now due to be held in French Polynesia at the end of March.
Following the conference, Kedell will report back to the St Helena Government on what was discussed. During her absence, the UK Reps office will remain open and be manned by the Clerical Assistant Loretta Coleman, who will still have email and telephone contact with Kedell.
Reference: www.turksandcaicosislands.gov.tc
Public Relations/Information Office: Office of the Chief Secretary 9 February 2005
Voting in the UK General Election
For British Citizens living Overseas
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised that the Electoral Commission, which is an independent body established by Parliament in 2000, is currently urging British Citizens living overseas to register to vote by 11 March 2005. This will enable them to take part in the UK General Election which can be called any time between now and June 2006.
The 11 March is the deadline for voter registration for English county council elections to be held on 5 May, and although overseas voters will not be able to vote in UK local elections, it is possible that a General Election will be taking place on the same day. Overseas voters therefore have just about four weeks to register to avoid potentially losing their vote in the UK General Election.
If you are a British Citizen over the age of 18 years, and you have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years, you can apply to be an overseas voter, as voting can be done by post or proxy. Full details are available at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. The site contains an online form which voters can fill in and download.
If you are eligible to vote, don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Remember the deadline is 11 March, 2005.
The following websites will be of interest:
www.electoralcommission.org.uk/media-centre/leafletsandforms.cfm
www.fco.gov.uk/travel Click on FAQs, then Travelling & Living Overseas, then Overseas Voter Registration
www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
Public Relations/Information Office: Office of the Chief Secretary 9 February 2005
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