Stuart was responding to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s statement after meeting with Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Tuesday.

In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Stuart said neither the Ministry of Health nor the Government contacted them or asked their opinion on how it is going to be treated with.

He said the Port-of- Spain General Hospital crisis has been an issue they have been brining up with hospital officials concerning the central block for years.

“If you walk on the floor, you can actually see cement breaking away from the columns of the hospital,” Stuart said.

“Imagine your hospital is supposed to be one of the strongest buildings in the country because when there is a disaster everyone from any area will end up in the hospital and (you have a situation where) the hospital cannot stand up to any significant type of earthquake.

“We have been witnessing this because we have actually seen the ceiling and the columns crumbling.

This is an ongoing issue and is a real course for concern.

What if the seismologists are saying, that TT is due for a major earthquake, is true? The hospital will come down with staff and patients inside.” Stuart said the staff is willing to work in the institution because they know the immediate need.

However, he said one of his concerns was, if they are moved, where are the staff going to be relocated? “The staff at Port-of- Spain Hospital is employed with the NWRHA and the Couva hospital is under the South West Regional Health Authority.

We don’t know how it is going to operate.

Are they going to ask people to resign from the NWRHA and work with the SWRHA? No word has come to us and we are only hearing what is reported in the media.” Stuart said the original plan, even before the Children’s hospital was considered, was to build a new Port-of-Spain general hospital in the vacant area adjacent to the current compound.

“It shows how politics can cost an entire society gravely because imagine you never had that hospital on a plan, none of the three hospitals that was on the plan has come off the ground to date, except the Point Fortin Hospital that has been recently started and the Arima Hospital.

The Port-of-Spain hospital has not been touched as yet.

“The three hospitals that should have been built during that period were not built.

More than a billion dollars was spent and we got a hospital that its location poses severe difficulties for people to reach it.

You built a hospital basically seven minutes away from the district health facility in Couva which was recently extended the other day.” Stuart said there is a need for better planning and a need to listen to stakeholders to avoid similar situations.

Managerial misdirection, I would have to day.

The monosyllabic street names of Duke, Prince, Queen and King (former name, now Independence Square) make sense.

They tell us about the country’s history. So do the Indian-named streets in St James and the Frenchnamed streets in Woodbrook. Will these names all be gone in time if this insensible exercise of the corporation continues unabated and unopposed? The corporation has already violated history by renaming King George V Park the Nelson Mandela Park and it will be decades if this name sticks, if it ever does.

In any case, Mandela has done nothing for this country and I don’t think South Africa will name a street after any Trini, regardless.

Why did it do this? Doesn’t make sense to me.

I am rooting for Penny Commissiong as a national darling and I think renaming the twin towers (Eric Williams Financial Complex) to sit alongside the Brian Lara Promenade would be so much better. More significant than that messy, nasty Queen Street which disgraces her image.

The twin towers are a huge city monument befitting Commissiong and actually it is also used as a postal address.

That seems much more acceptable and respectable. They are a modern development in the country’s history.

Michael Anthony has it right. I agree with his arguments against changing the name of Queen Street. What kind of politicians do we have? If this is the best that can come from these people, may God really help our nation.

PETER S MORALLES Cascade

The boys beach soccer team won both of their matches, with a 4-3 result over St Lucia and a 2-0 triumph over the Bahamas II outfit.

But the TT girls, on the other hand, were whipped 5-2 by Jamaica and 2-0 by Australia.

In the girls rugby sevens, there were mixed results for the TT girls team, as they were blanked 31-0 by Canada, but followed up with a 20-0 licking on Bermuda.

The tennis pair of Aidan Carter and Emma-Rose Trestrail were eliminated in the respective boys and girls singles categories.

Carter fell to India’s Siddhant Banthia by two sets to love, while Trestrail was beaten by South Africa’s Minette Van Vreden by two sets to one.

And, in the quarter-final stage of the boys 75-kilogramme division, boxer Nickelle Joseph was defeated by Aaron Bowen of England by five points to none.

An autopsy done in New York determined the woman died from ligature strangulation with a rope or cord being used. Mulzac’s relatives who lived in Trinidad said she was attacked in the past by the male relative but survived. NYPD officers are still searching for a male suspect for questioning in the matter. On Monday last, Mulzac’s daughter and her (the daughter) boyfriend discovered her body in Mulzac’s 10541 Flatlands 3Rd St, Canarsie, Brooklyn home. She was lying on her side and her feet bound with electrical cord.

Mulzac lived in New York for more than 19 years and worked as a nurse.

Although they had not been in contact for a number of years, local relatives told Newsday that they would always remember her as a jovial, fun-loving and caring woman.

Moses was speaking at a reception held to celebrate the French national day known as Bastille Day on July 14 and hosted by France Ambassador to TT Héidi Picquart.

On the perpetration of a number of terrorist attacks carried out on French soil in recent times, Moses said the this country’s government has joined with the international community in condemning them. The attacks, he said, violates the fundamental rights and freedoms enjoyed in a democratic society.

France’s resilience in combating these incidents, he said, has shown that the inherent “joie de vivre” (joy of living) embodied in the French spirit cannot be dimmed.

Noting the exemplary bilateral relations that exist between TT and France since they established diplomatic relations in 1962, he said the two countries have collaborated in a range of sectors including health, water management, aviation, education, construction, culture and crime and security.

It was his hope, he said, that TT and France continue to mutually benefit from the sharing of their rich cultures, and to move towards deeper collaboration in the future.

In his address, Picquart spoke about the universal ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity associated with the French Revolution of 1789.

The challenges of climate change and transnational crime, he said, were critical issues affecting TT, France and the world at large.

Noting the close cultural ties between TT and France, he referred to local cultural icon Calypso Rose, “who experienced great success in France where she was awarded a Victoire de la Musique in February this year.”

This triggered a transformation among mourners from one of tears and sorrow to anger and confusion as arguments broke out and exclamations of, “what is this?” and, “what really going on here?”, could be heard. In the end, as Fr Pierre left the church, Holder’s casket was hurriedly placed back into the hearse and whisked away to the Funeral home.

The service for Holder, who lost her battle to lupus last Saturday, was scheduled to begin at 9.30 am.

Shortly after it began and while prayers were being said, it came to an abrupt end.

Asked later as the reason for the cancellation, Holder’s brother Carlyle told Newsday, “Somebody made plans without the family.

My other sister and I were not made aware that the funeral was taking place today. I was supposed to get in at 2.25 this afternoon but I had to buy a new ticket and leave my home in New York in order to be here this morning.” He said that what matters now, is that his sister gets an “appropriate” funeral and receives “appropriate respect.” Holder told Newsday that other relatives including another sister were due to arrive in Trinidad late yesterday.

“Look at this programme.

How can you have a funeral and not mention any family member’s name in the programme,” Holder asked.

Family friend Criminologist Renee Cummings told Newsday, “Carlet had love for many people.

What happened today is just an expression of love from all the people who knew her and she was larger than life and fabulous.

This kind of thing only happens to fabulous people.” Cummings added that she was told by a female relative of Holder that flights couldn’t be arranged on time, so many family members couldn’t make the service.

She said this was the reason why the funeral service was halted and postponed to a later date.

Maricel ‘Empress’, who said she was Holder’s adopted sister along with another very close friend of the deceased, who asked not to be identified, expressed sorrow at the feud between relatives and friends which led to the service being cancelled and denying Holder the send-off, “she deserves.” Referring to a close relative of Holder, Maricel claimed, “He stopped the funeral for no reason.” Holder who worked in both radio and television succumbed to her ailment last Saturday, the same day another media worker and soca artiste Devon Matthews suffered a massive heart attack and died shortly after performing at the Tribe band launch.

Newsday was told Holder’s funeral will be held tomorrow at Allen’s Funeral Home in Arima.

Efforts were being made for the service to remain at St Theresa RC, but the Church was booked fully for tomorrow.

She named such disorders as muscular dystrophy and the heart-disease cardiomyopathy.

While such disorders can be passed on to children, Ramlachan said they can be identified by tests and then guidance given to couples on procreation.

She said the technology now exists to screen embryos for genetic abnormalities before a doctor performs implantation during an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedure.

Ramlachan mulled aloud the issue of possible “designer babies” whereby couples select to have babies with particular features such as high IQ and an absence of diseases.

“It will be available,” she said, but adding that such choices could be made against a backdrop of ethical and moral considerations.

Saying that people in the Caribbean need to start thinking about these issues, Ramlachan declared, “It is happening right now.” She said American actress Angelina Jollie’s bout with breast cancer had helped to raise the question of the mandatory screening for genetic diseases.

Another famous case as that of Layla Richards, a one-yearold British child suffering leukemia or cancer of the blood, who in 2015 was the first person to be cured of cancer by the use of genetics.

Ramlachan lamented a degree of public ignorance over genetics some of it caused by media hype.

She said genetics has helped humans to arrive at their present place as a species, as she cited its past use in helping to tame animals, grow food crops and fight disease.

Underling the power and mystique of genetics, she said that 60 percent of the human DNA sequence is the same as that of a banana.

DNA is a material found in every living cell that acts as a code to convey the characteristics of individuals from generation to generation.

Likewise, all that separates a human from a chimpanzee genetically is just 1.5 percent of their DNA sequences.

It was the first truly homegrown conglomerate that mushroomed into CL Financial (CLF) and spread its wings beyond our narrow national and even regional boundaries.

It demonstrated what is possible for our local business community and it is therefore important how we treat with it in this its hour of need. To simply dismantle and abandon it should, in my view, be the last option, if it is an option at all.

CLF was a victim, like many other major conglomerates, of the recent global economic depression.

In addition, one may claim it was run by some who were too adventurous.

Be that as it may, there should be dialogue with its shareholders and a close look at their plan of restructuring and repayment of its debt.

We must try to find a solution and let the legacy of Duprey live on. To do otherwise would be a sad day in the history of our country.

However, I firmly believe that those individuals at the helm when CLF experienced its “difficulties” should not be part of its new “hierarchy.” Also, in my opinion, it should be clear that the extremely broad range of areas of interest should be rationalised.

Prof emeritus Harold Ramkissoon via ema

Through this partnership, Crix is demonstrating its support for the Trinidad and Tobago-based Knight Riders cricket team in the fifth instalment of the popular regional T20 league.

Having won the tournament once, Crix believes the Trinbago Knight Riders have a great chance of winning the competition for the second time with the likes of popular Trinidadian cricketers, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Kevon Cooper, and the brother pairing of captain Dwayne Bravo and Darren Bravo. They are joined by international franchise players, Brendon McCullum and Hashim Amla, who return for their second stint with the team.

“Associating our Crix brand with the Trinbago Knight Riders was an easy decision and a perfect fit as the partnership allows us to promote our brand to a global audience and strategically align ourselves with this beloved sport, while supporting our local franchise,” said Andre Jacelon, Commercial General Manager at Bermudez Biscuit Company Limited.

“We are 100 percent behind the Trinbago Knight Riders.” Much like Crix, the Trinbago Knight Riders team is versatile, featuring a team of multi-skilled players, who together, will go for gold in the tournament. The team is excited about the local brand’s support and looks forward to making them and the country proud.

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with Crix, who shares the same passion and love for cricket and sense of national pride as we do, at the Trinbago Knight Riders,” said Colin Borde, TKR’s team manager.

As part of the campaign, Crix will be offering lucky fans a chance to see the Trinbago Knight Riders play live at the Queen’s Park Oval through its forthcoming social media and radio contests, as well as in-store contests at select supermarkets nationwide. In addition to match tickets, the contests, which kick off on July 17, will offer other great prizes.

Stay tuned to your radio and follow Crix on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/crixcrackers, and you could be one of many winners.

The Classic will take the form. of a T20 match. The match is. being played as a farewell to the. Trinidad and Tobago Lawyers. who will form part of the West. Indies Lawyers Cricket team for. the Sixth Lawyers’ World Cup in. Sri Lanka from August 10-21.

The other lawyers on the West. Indies team will come from Antigua,. Barbados, and Guyana. The. Trinidad and Tobago lawyers fly. out on August 7.

The teams for the North/South. Classic:. SOUTH – Shashi Seecharan. (captain), Prakash Maharaj. (vice-captain), Lennox Sankersingh,. Shaun Teekasingh, Martin. Jadoonanan, Bryan Basdeo,. Shirvan Ramdhanie, Krishna. Jaglal, Narendra Latchman, Chris. Ramlal, Brian Baig, Chris Singh,. Marc Koylass, Rhon Mitchell,. Rodney Jaglal, Ainsley Bachan.

NORTH – Justice Joseph Tam. (co-captain), Justice Vasheist. Kokaram (co-captain), Neil Mohammed,. Tejprakash Persaud,. Stefan Ramkissoon, Brent Halpike,. Naveen Maraj, Francis Joseph,. Caryl Welch, Nigel Patrick,. Christopher Tam, Ganesh Mahabir,. Steve Hosein, Ian Lennard.

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