N Touch

Minister irrelevant on plan for Caura Hospital

THE EDITOR: SARS has revealed that our health-care service is not SARS quality!

The Minister of Health has repeatedly stated that he has mandated the Medical Director of Caura Hospital to get his institution ready for SARS patients. But while he makes these statements, the technocrats of the Ministry are planning for patients to be placed in Port-of-Spain General Hospital and Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. Small wonder, the Minister does not know what is taking place in his Ministry. Nothing new.

Caura Hospital was built for the purposes of quarantine and isolation, especially for tuberculosis. Over the years, especially the last ten, it was neglected and is now dilapidated. Health Sector Reform saw to that. As a result, it is in no position to house patients, that is, if the patients are to be housed under standardised and acceptable conditions. Presently patients are left on chairs, corridors and sometimes the floor. Health-care workers wait with bated breath for the implementation of the Patient’s Charter.

Not only is the infrastructure absent, there is no equipment and more importantly, no staff. SARS patients will need artificial ventilation and intensive care nursing. None is present at Caura Hospital. The statement of the Minister of Health is thus irrelevant.
* The infrastructure at the major institutions is not conducive to quarantine. But we have no choice but to work around the situation.
* There is presently a chronic and severe shortage of intensive care nurses as they have all left Trinidad and Tobago. The chairman of the SWRHA says that he does not need to retain local professionals in Trinidad and Tobago.
* There is a lack of ventilators, more importantly functioning ventilators. Patients with severe SARS infection and respiratory failure may run into problems.

By the end of April and certainly into May, many Trinbagonian students will be returning from Canada, especially the province of Ontario. These students will certainly change the epidemiology of SARS. During the summer vacation, international travel will further change the epidemiology, both locally and internationally. It is again expected that the Government and more importantly, the Ministry of Health will pay heed to the voices in the wilderness, the voices of the doctors who have been clamouring for improvement in the health-care system. Not only do we need local doctors but also our local doctors need to have an influential input in the planning of the health services.


PHILIP AYOUNG-CHEE
Urological Surgeon

Retired public servants waiting for money

THE EDITOR: The following letter is for Mr Manning.

The Right Honourable Mr Patrick Manning
Office of the Prime Minister
Whitehall
Maraval Road
Port-of-Spain.


Dear Mr Prime Minister,


In your budget presentation to the Honourable House of Representatives for the fiscal year 2002-2003, you promised that all public servants would be paid the long outstanding monies due them for the past fifteen (15) years. You said that it would be paid between November, 2002 and January 2003. To date, April 23, 2003 it has not been paid. I am a retired monthly paid worker of the Port Authority trying to make ends meet on my small but welcomed pension.
Please Mr Manning if you could see it fit to pay us our increments and the 10 percent owed to us you would make retired public servants very happy. We are aware that your hands are full with the current situations in the country, but we public servant pensioners are anxiously awaiting a speedy and positive response.


RAYMOND GOMES – A Proud PNM Voter
Cascade

Howizatt? Mr Umpire

THE EDITOR: It’s inevitable! The technology now available is going to be utilised to the max but the question is why wait any longer? The ICC as a matter of urgency must move decisively to address this unacceptable situation.

Whenever in doubt a batsman or bowler must be afforded the opportunity to refer to the third umpire for a final decision. Everyone agrees that the standard of umpiring these days has been way, way below expectations and these questionable decisions will eventually kill the lovely game that is cricket. Players and fans alike are fast becoming frustrated and angry with the nonsense and no one can blame them. Over to you, Messrs ICC.


G WILDMAN
Glencoe

Aussies plunder Vice Chancellor’s bowlers

BRIDGETOWN, Barba-dos: Built on a double-century opening partnership between Justin Langer and Jimmy Maher, who hit a hundred, Australia took a 68-run first innings lead over the UWI Vice Chancellor’s XI on the second day of the three-day match at the 3Ws Oval, Cave Hill today.

The Australians declared at 358 for six in reply to a total of 290 all out, and by the close, the Vice Chancellor’s XI were 32 for two off 13 overs in their second innings — still 36 runs in arrears with eight wickets standing. At the crease are captain Philo Wallace on 19 and Darry Balgobin, who is yet to score. The VC XI’s second innings started disastrously when first innings century-maker Chris Gayle was run out without scoring off the third ball. The left-hander pushed pacer Glen McGrath into the covers and went for a non-existent single as Brad Hogg pounced on the ball and with his natural left-arm hit the stumps in one motion at the wicketkeeper’s end as Gayle desperately tried to regain his ground. Jason Haynes, another left-hander who made 58 in a 195-run second wicket stand with Gayle in the first innings, was comprehensively bowled for two as played over a pitched up ball by pacer Brad Williams.

Earlier, the left-handed pair of Langer and Maher added 202 in 228 minutes off 53.4 overs with Langer scoring 96 off 167 balls including eight fours and a six before he was first out, leg before wicket from a pull off occasional off-spinner Ricardo Powell half-an-hour after lunch. The 29-year-old Maher, who is still to play a Test match but who has turned out in 21 One-Day Internationals, went on to slam 142 — his 18th first-class hundred in his 123rd match. The Queenslander was at the crease for 266 minutes, faced 187 balls and hit 21 boundaries and a six. Barbados fast bowler Corey Collymore, a member of the West Indies World Cup team at the recent tournament in South Africa, was the most impressive bowler, taking two for 54 off 22 overs. One of his victims was veteran captain Steve Waugh, who was fifth out for 46 in 92 minutes with the score 332. Waugh was undone by a vicious lifting delivery, which he fended for a lobbed catch behind the stumps for wicketkeeper Matthew Sinclair to take. Apart from Collymore, Powell took two for 66 off 14.3 overs and Kenyan leg-spinner Collins Obuya two for 77 off 15 overs.

PowerGen crush Queen’s Park

POWERGEN registered a 10-wicket victory over Queen’s Park yesterday at Syne Village, which  now puts them in with a good chance of winning the Carib National League Division I cricket title with two rounds to go.

Replying to the Parkites’ first innings of 206, PowerGen scored an 355 for eight wickets declared. Sherwin Ganga topscored with 59 as all their batsmen contributed to the effort. Batting a second time Queen’s Park folded for 170 with Imran Jan 52, the only batsman getting a significant score. David Williams grabbed two wickets for nine runs and Dave Mohammed followed up his five-wicket first innings haul with three for 44. Also among the wickets was Amit Jaggernauth who took two for 55 after grabbing four for 75 in the first innings. PowerGen then knocked of the winning runs without losing a wicket. The  victory gave them 29 points.

Summarised scores:
At St James Barracks: CLARKE ROAD 300/9 declared  — Gregory Mahabir 127, Damodar Dasrath 48, Anstey Allen 4/58 vs  POLICE 130 — Damian Hanuman 30, Robert Mahabir 21, Mukesh Persad 5/51, Mahadeo Bodoe 4/25 and  66 — M Bodoe 6/24, M Persad 3/14.
At Inshan Ali Park: CLICO PREYSAL 477/5 declared — Shazam Babwah 201 not out,  Denesh Ramdin 151 not out, Keith Arthurton 51 vs ALSECON COMET  324 — Anil Balliram 127 not out, Suruj Ragoonath 62, Marlon Black 3/54, Ravi Rampaul 3/74.
At Syne Village: QUEEN’S PARK 206 — Imran Jan 43, Jerome Beepath 27, Dwayne Bravo 56, Earnil Ryan 25, Dave Mohammed 5/56, Amit Jaggernauth 4/75 and 170 — Imran Jan 52, Dave Mohammed 3/44, David Williams 2/9, Amit Jaggernauth 2/55, Samuel Badree3/38 vs  POWERGEN 355/8 declared — Winston Duncan 46, Joel Surujbally 37, Sherwin Ganga 59, Samuel Badree 26, David Williams 41 not out, Amit Jaggernauth 30, Rajkumar Mahadeo 35, Imran Jan 3/95, Dwayne Bravo 2/58 and 25 for no wicket.
At Presentation College: CENTRAL SPORTS 214 — Zaheer Ali 50, Lennox Cush 48, Ryad Emrit 43, Chris Ramdath 24, Kenneth Hazel 3/20, Kapil Subran 3/35, Ryan Best 2/35 and 250/8 declared — Lennox Cush 105, Navin Chan 55, Richard Kelly 2/26, Kenneth Hazel 2/75 vs  MERRYBOYS 225 — Kenneth Hazel 71, Aneil Kanhai  38, Lincoln Roberts 23, Lendl Simmons 22, Devindra Krishna 7/40 and 104/4.
MERRYBOYS 17 pts; CENTRAL SPORTS 14 pts.

Hooper opting out disappoints Lara

WEST INDIES captain Brian Lara was disappointed that former West Indies captain Carl Hooper had decided not to play in the current Test series against Australia, after he was named in the first Test squad.

Lara said: “Well, first of all I do not know where Carl is, so it is hard for me to have a discussion with someone whom I cannot find. “Carl was welcomed into the team by the selectors and unfortunately he saw other reasons for him not to be there and noble reasons maybe…seeing it necessary to pick younger players but I think that sort of decision as to who picks younger players and who picks stalwarts of the game should be left to the selectors.

“If you are fit enough to play and available to play, you should make your skills available to us and it is unfortunate that we do not have Carl Hooper as I personally think it would have made a different story,”said Lara in an interview. “But I cannot discuss anything with him, as I do not know where he is. “Carl is always welcome in WI cricket, be it as a player, be it as a past player, whatever it is. He has represented West Indies in over 100 Test matches. There are only a few people who have done that and kudos must go to someone like that. “Well as I said, if someone thinks that he still has a contribution to make, leave it up to whomever to decide. “I have a contribution to make. If tomorrow comes and I am not captain of this team or Carl returns as captain in the next series or whatever or Sarwan, I would make myself available to play for West Indies cricket because this is what my life is all about …representing West Indies and not making quick decisions on personal matters,”noted Lara.

“You must get the broader picture and the broader picture is that you are a servant of West Indies cricket and you must serve it for as long as you are physically capable.” Lara believes that there needs to be better communication between the West Indies Cricket Board and the players. “I think the relationship with the Board and the West Indies Players Association is of paramount importance. I think transparency between both parties is important to know exactly where each of us stands instead of the tugging and pulling all over the place. It  is not necessary and is not going to help us.” Lara still believes in his current West Indies team. “Definitely I think that this team is full of talent. This team is pretty raw still and the guys are now getting into the team in Test matches and it takes time to learn about cricket at this level.

“I mean you could be how good you want to be. This thing they call Test cricket. Playing against Australia and bigger Commonwealth Countries, England and these sorts of places is a daunting task and I think the team at present is well composed. “I think the team is well put-together and I expect to see a lot of forward movement within everybody …within all members of the team and actually getting back that invincibility we had in the seventies and eighties and that the Australian team has at present.,” Lara threw a sideswipe at the standard of wickets in the West Indies when questioned on the lack of penetration in the current West Indies bowling and stating: ,”Well, first of all I would move away from the cricketer when I am trying to make my point here. “I think the pitches in the Caribbean are not encouraging anything. We do not have the greatest spinners in the world yet we are playing on slow turning wickets. That in itself is not even conducive to proper spin bowling because the ball is not ripping off the wicket and of course anybody who calls himself a fast bowler will know that these tracks really do not suit them., “So I would focus my attention on getting the people in authority to ensure that we have pitches that are of good quality because that is one of our weaponry. “That is one of the things in the past that we were very well known for and that has been discouraged for some time…maybe we can pay some sort of attention to it. You know we might have two three-day first class matches. You know normally it is a four-day match, you know the batsmen might not be able to handle it but so be it. At the end of the day, the best batsmen are going to come up against good bowlers that can bowl on good pitches,”he added.

Lara would just like the people to understand that he cares about cricket and the West Indies very much. “I personally would like to be understood, If I am understood I would definitely leave a legacy. If I am not understood then you never know, you might just go to the wayside. “I think if people take time out to realise that I entered the arena from a very early age..from a toddler..about 4-5 years old….wanting to play for West Indies, dreaming of playing for West Indies, having idols from the West Indies team, you know someone who has devoted all of his life for West Indies cricket and still some people do not understand me, will affect the legacy I have in this game,” He said, “Legacy is not something someone nurtures. It is something people consider that this person represented and he will carry on representing that even beyond his playing days. It is not something that I can nurture from my standpoint..It is something that I can leave and the only thing I can ask people is to try and understand me, because I am very simple. “ I need to be understood and I need to be allowed to grow and to express myself,” he concluded.

Windies need better bowling options

WEST INDIES are playing better cricket these days than in the recent past, but this has nothing to do with the bowlers. The batting has plastered the cracks in the wall of West Indies cricket but although the willow men can bat teams out of matches they need to get the opposition out to claim victory.

In analysing the bowling quarters, let’s start with Mervyn Dillon. The tall Toco-born pacer must stay on the team. People have been calling for his exclusion but they are short-sighted and also command poor memory. Even after the ICC World Cup, cricket ‘experts’ were calling for his dismissal which I could not understand. The man played a big hand in the victory against South Africa. In his first spell he removed South Africa’s most dangerous batsman in Hershelle Gibbs. In his second he sent back the South African ‘rock’ Gary Kirsten. And to top this off, Dillon bowled very economically throughout the entire series and got crucial wickets, yet there are calls for his head. Dillon remains the only bowler we have that can take wickets and take big wickets at that. The man has talent and has been our best bowler for the past few seasons.

People repeatedly compare him with Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh and that’s why he gets the wrong end of the stick. I admit that at the moment he is not bowling well, but with sustained training and matches he would get back into groove. The other member of the party that should remain is the sensible Vasbert Drakes. The Barbadian has proved to all that he is a mature cricketer and has already bagged a five-wicket haul in the series. Drakes was harshly treated  at the Oval as was everybody else and I think he would come back into his own for the Barbados Test. I am sorry, but Pedro Collins must go. He has shown that the Test grade is just above him and maybe he needs to go back to the basics and work for a while.

Collins has to seek out Bernard Julien for example to help him improve his art. He must however remain in the framework of West Indies cricket because he is by far the best left arm seamer we have at our disposal. Collins must be replaced by Jermaine Lawson who has the ability to get wickets on any pitch. This youngster consistently bowls at around 90 miles per hour and would be cause for concern to top class batsmen. Lawson showed this with his dismissals of Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian Test series. He also toppled four of the highly touted Indian batsmen in the final one-day cricket match in India.

The fourth bowling option should go to the young and impressive fastman Tino Best. This 21-year old is a very good investment and is one who listens and is willing to learn. He has matured tremendously over the last season and has put his house in order after his aberrations on tour with the West Indies ‘A’ team in Canada. Best bowls as quick as Jamaican Patrick Patterson and would be a handful on his home turf in Barbados. He has the ability to swing the ball at tremendous pace.

Young Devon Smith should be taken out before more damage is done to him. The West Indies with this attack will definitely do better than the posse that was hit for 814 runs, taking just seven wickets at the Oval. The West Indies should aim for a draw in this series against the rampaging Australians as this would be a moral victory over them. The men from Down Under want to destroy every team in every match and our boys will have to take it one step at a time and at least go for a draw to begin with.

United go five clear in Premiership

LONDON: England’s Paul Scholes headed home a Ryan Giggs cross in the 69th minute to send Manchester United on their way to a 2-0 win yesterday at Tottenham Hotspur — a victory that lifts them five points clear of Arsenal.

Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy added the second in injury time from a finely judged chipped cross from the left by South African substitute Quinton Fortune. United have 77 points with two games to play and Arsenal 72 with a match in hand in a two-horse race for the Premier League crown held by the Gunners, who lost a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. For United’s opener, Scholes, in the middle, nodded a high ball from the defence on out to the left wing and then raced into the box to head Giggs’s centre past wrong-footed US goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Uruguayan midfielder Gustavo Poyet nearly snatched a late equaliser for Spurs when he headed a free kick just wide of the far post. In an earlier match, striker Frederic Kanoute gave West Ham United a huge boost in their desperate battle to avoid relegation with a late scrambled goal in a 1-0 win at Manchester City. Frenchman Kanoute, who vowed to leave West Ham earlier this month because of a lack of first-team football, converted from right on the goalline 10 minutes from time to hand caretaker manager Trevor Brooking a win in his first match in charge. With just two games remaining, West Ham are two points adrift of safety in the third remaining relegation place. They have 38 points from 36 matches, with Bolton Wanderers one place above on 40 points and Leeds United in 16th on 41.

Ramsammy wakes ‘em up at Woodbine

TORONTO: Trinidadian jockey Emile Ramsammy had his best day in the saddle in more than a year when he captured the Vigil Stakes among five winners at Woodbine on Saturday.

Ramsammy guided horse of the year Wake At Noon to a smart win in the Can$164,000 Vigil, adding to victories in the first, ninth, 10th and 11th races at Canada’s premier race track. The effort swept Ramsammy to the top of the jockeys’ standings with 15 wins, two ahead of Todd Kabel (13) with Barbadian Patrick Husbands, the reigning champion jockey, lying third on 12 wins. Husbands had one winner and Barbadian trainer Ronald Burke had another, as Caribbean racing men secured seven wins on the 11-race card.

After a disappointing fourth-place finish in his seasonal debut, the six-year-old Wake At Noon came alive in Saturday’s Vigil Stakes. Wake At Noon was involved in an early four-wide tussle with Forever Grand, Krz Ruckus and Davids Expectation through a first quarter mile in 22.15 seconds. But it did not take long for him to gain the lead, and he eventually pulled away to win by 3-1/4 lengths over late charging rivals Shaws Creek (25-1) and Husbands’ mount Cheap Talk (4-1). The time of the seven-furlong race was one minute 23.25 seconds. “He’s a champion and he has a lot to live up to. It’s really an honour to ride a nice horse like this,” said Ramsammy, a two-time Canadian champion jockey.

In 38 career starts, Wake At Noon has 17 wins, including 11 stakes scores, and Can$1.36 million in lifetime earnings. Ramsammy had kicked off the programme with a narrow 1/2-length win aboard H Que (7-2) over Flowers on the Wall (Husbands) in the first, and after his Vigil win, he rode three consecutive upset winners. He pushed Tempered Appeal (15-1) to a 4-3/4 length win in the ninth, landed the 10th by 1-3/4 lengths with Sultry Fluff (13-1), and closed the card with a 2-1/4 length triumph astride 10-1 chance Sweet Carson. A career winner of over 1,200 races and Can$40 million in purse earnings, Ramsammy last accomplished the incredible five-win feat on November 24, 2001, also while riding at Woodbine.

Trainer Burke had Trinidad and Tobago-born jockey Richard Dos Ramos aboard his three-year-old colt Mr Tickety Boo, who won the second race as the 6-5 favourite. And Husbands scored his win in the fourth race aboard hot 2-5 favourite Angel’s Sweep, winning by 1-3/4 lengths over Tracy’s Tonka, who was ridden by his older brother Simon Husbands. Current jockeys’ standings: 1. Emile Ramsammy 15 wins; 2. Todd Kabel 13; 3. Patrick Husbands 12; 4. James McAleney, Dino Luciani 10; 6. Chantal Sutherland 9; 7. Constant Montpellier, Steven Ronald Bahen 8; 9. Robert Landry, David Clark 7.

Abraham wins 30-lap, off to Europe

NATIONAL road cycling king Emile Abraham won his final race of the local 2003 season – the Republic Bank-sponsored International 30-lap event, as the Beacon Insurance Cycling Series — “West Indies versus The World” — continued at the Arima Velodrome.

Tobago-born Abraham was scheduled to leave yesterday to begin a professional stint in Europe. But on Saturday night, Abraham overcame the tiring Cuban Joel Marino and Barbadian Carlitos Jones to claim victory in front of a crowd numbering approximately 1,000, ahead of England’s Glen Rendell and Filip Sustr of the Czech Republic. Abraham was third in the elimination race, with Marino crossing the finish line first with Czech Pavel Buran a close second. And Marino sped to the gold medal in the night’s first event, the international six-laps, in three minutes 32.40 seconds, followed by countryman Michael Pedrosa, M Kammerman of Switzerland and Rendell. Pedrosa copped the international kieren with Buran the runner-up, while fellow Cuban Julio Herreira won the international four-lap sprint, with Pedrosa, Marino and Abraham trailing.

Other Results – Juniors 2 laps: 1. Adam Alexander 1:17.68; 2. Christopher Sellier; 3. George Emerson.
Juveniles 2 laps: 1. Quincy Jones 1:16.78; 2. Jonathan Rawlins; 3. Dwayne Auguste; 4.Bevon Luces.
Category 2&3 6 laps: 1. Sheldon Ramjit 3:56.07; 2. David Alves; 3. Rocky Hosein; 4.E Vanwil.
Category 4&5 6 laps: 1. Colin Wilson 1:12.70; 2. Barry Luces; 3. Roger Malco; 4. C Cush.
Veterans 40+ 2 laps:1. M Antonio 1:14.28; 2. D Davis (USA); 3. Gregory D’andrade; 4.Wayne Samuel.
Veterans 50+ 6 laps: 1. Ronald Peters 4:15.68; 2. Godfrey Clyne; 3. Earl La Fond; 4. Peter Hernandez.
Juveniles 5 laps: 1. Jonahtan Rawlins 3:25.41; 2. Dwayne Auguste; 3. Bevon Luces; 4. Rehan Haspoodeen.
Category 4, 5 and Open 4 laps: 1. Simon Spicer 2:37.89; 2. Barry Luces; 3. Colin Wilson; 4. Earl Rawlins.
Category 1 2 laps: 1. Clinton Grant 1:14.92; 2. Ako Kellar; 3. Shannon Metivier; 4. Ray Phillips.