Barbados Government Fails To Pay Children’s Eyeglasses Service For A Full Year!

Dear Barbados Free Press:

I am writing to you in the hope that you will publicise a disgrace which happening here in Barbados.

I know of a little boy has been off school for 2 weeks now. No, he is not ill, he has simply broken his glasses!

The optician who supplies the free spectacles for school children has suspended this service, as they have not been paid by the government for a full year. I understand that there are many tens of thousands of dollars outstanding!!!

Unfortunately, with the financial toll of Christmas the family has had no option but to keep the boy off school.

A free education is no use without the ability to see the chalkboard.

Yours truly,

(name withheld)

Also in the Nation News…

Not paying for glasses
Published on: 12/12/07.

I THINK the people of Barbados need to know what is going on at the Winston Scott Polyclinic.

My son was sent there, through his school, because his teacher noticed he could not see the chalkboard.

He was seen by a nice doctor who explained that the youngster was myopic and would need to wear glasses all the time and sit at the front
of the class.

After the eye test, he was given a prescription to get his free glasses, but I was told he could not get them as the polyclinic/Ministry of Health was not paying its bills to the company that was supplying glasses to schoolchildren.

I was very angry and upset about this as my son is sitting his 11-Plus examination in a few months’ time and cannot see. I was told to complain to the Minister of Health or my MP.

I went to the company that supplies the glasses and explained that the little boy’s eyes were very bad, he could not see. I begged the company to give him the glasses.

It was very understanding but could not help as it said it was not paid for 11 months by the polyclinic and could not pay its suppliers.

Maybe hundreds of children are unable to see because of this problem. The eye-clinic at Winston Scott Polyclinic is full of schoolchildren every day needing glasses.

– JAMAL BRATHWAITE

(Read this letter online at The Nation News – Link Here) 

Barbados Government Says Opera Telecom Fraudulent Contest “OK By Us” !

What is a reasonable time to wait for a response from a Government Ministry responsible for consumer protection?

When a series of ‘ad’s starting appearing in the Nation and on CBC television in late September including a half page ‘ad’ under the name of Barbados Lucky Numbers on 28th September 2007, I wrote to the Fair Trading Commission, Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Business Development and copied it personally to the Minister responsible at her personal email address.

My letter was dated 29th September 2007.

Today, ( 13th December 2007), I received a letter from the Ministry dated 29th November and mailed on the 10th December 2007.

It stated

‘Dear Sir,

Concerns regarding Operations of Opera Telecom

I refer to your correspondence dated 29th September and 2nd October 2007 respectively, expressing concerns about a series of television advertisements which invited persons to participate in a competition by telephoning or texting responses to various questions.

Pursuant to a request by this Ministry, The Fair Trading Commission undertook an investigation into the operation of Opera Interactive (Barbados) Limited. The company was requested to carryout a number of actions, including the modification of the terms and conditions of its Caribbean Phone Idol Competition, in order to achieve compliance with the Consumer Protection Act, CAP. 326D.

In view of the direct response given to yourself by the Fair Trading Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, Consumer Affairs and Business Development considers this matter to be closed at this stage. The Ministry thanks you for having brought this matter to our attention.

Yours faithfully

Anthony Nicholls
Permanent Secretary’

Comments: How possibly can this matter be ‘closed at this stage’?

Despite an assurance given by the FTC nearly a month ago, and a page three printed assurance given by the Sunday Sun nearly a week ago, the names of the ‘winners’ still have NOT been published.

I am afraid I do not consider this matter closed at all.

And I have still to receive ANY response from the Minister responsible for Consumer Affairs.

Adrian Loveridge
13 December 2007

Comment By Barbados Free Press

HOW MUCH MONEY did Opera Telecom give to the Barbados Labour Party as “campaign contributions” ? 😉

The people deserve to know.