The strange case of Doctor Ishmael and Mister Sparman

Meet Doctor Sparman: Cardiologist, Registered Sex Offender

On Saturday, December 11, 2010, Barbados Free Press learned that Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Dr. Richard Ishmael had been suspended for writing a letter on hospital letterhead. What exactly the letter said, we don’t know. The Nation reported…

“Reports indicated that lawyers representing Health Minister Inniss and Sparman have issued an ultimatum to Ishmael to apologise by tomorrow and pay damages for his comments about them. Ishmael, who has been practising medicine for over 21 years, had been a high-profile figure during Thompson’s battle with pancreatic cancer.”

… from Nation News Ishmael Suspended

The next we heard was that patients were at risk due to the suspension of Dr. Ishmael. That seems reasonable to us given that Dr. Ishmael is one of a handful of cardiologists on the island. The QEH issued a totally unbelievable statement that since Dr. Ishmael’s suspension, the slack is being taken up via teleconferencing with a replacement in the USA. Now THAT really brings confidence to a parent hearing that!

Dr Clyde Cave, the acting head of the Department of Paediatrics, said that heart care at the QEH had been significantly compromised by Dr. Ishmaiel’s suspension and the lives of at least four critically ill children were at stake.

The apparent subject of Dr. Ishamel’s letter, Dr. Alfred Sparman, came to Barbados under a cloud in 2002, but earned the respect of patients and colleagues over the years. It is not often that a man who is still registered as a sexual offender in the USA, and has been convicted of using false names and “false statements and representations and engaged in fraud and deceit in gaining admission to practice” becomes a cardiologist in Barbados.

No sir. Highly uncommon for a person with Dr. Sparman’s background to practice medicine in Barbados.

Bridgeland: Made in Barbados, coming to a theatre near you.

Bridgeland

“BRIDGELAND” is a contemporary drama set in Barbados. Two underprivileged teenage brothers
make a desperate attempt to rob a wealthy home, an which ends with the tragic death of the home-owner’s son. Twelve years later, as one brother lives a life of success built on a lie and the other other languishes in prison, the grief-stricken father weaves a Machiavellian web of revenge and betrayal to destroy his son’s killer.

Director: Marc Gibson
Cinematographer: Selwyne ‘Get Bizzy Browne
Sound Design: Brian Marshall @ Shoestring Studios
Props: Kenn Mayers
Assistant Director: Kerri Birch

Give thanks for the point to our friend Amit.

Tropical Storm Alert Barbados: 30% chance tropical cyclone next 48 hours

National Hurricane Center Alert: December 20, 2010 3:30pm EST

Keep your eyes and ears open for the next few days friends. The “well defined low” to the southeast might, or might not grow into a big boy.

It’s too bad that our Barbados Meteorological Department doesn’t have their Doppler Weather Radar up so we could have a look ourselves. That would keep folks interested in the weather and make for earlier warnings and independent actions by the populace.

Too bad that the acting director, Mr. Hampden Lovell, believes that Bajans aren’t intelligent enough to be given access to raw weather data.

NOAA Hurricane Center: Forecasters watching low-pressure system off Barbados