Children being used as drug couriers
Government senator said yesterday.
And Bermuda is in danger of losing its reputation as "one of the best countries in the world'' unless the community joins Government in a concerted effort to stamp out the problems associated with violent crime and drug abuse.
Sen. Yvette Swan (UBP) made these comments during the Upper House debate on the budget for the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Housing.
Sen. Swan touched on several highlights for the Ministry including the recent "Blow the Whistle'' on violence conference, the opening of the new Westgate Correctional Facility and the movement away from custodial sentences as a result of the Tumim Report.
Sen. Swan admitted there have been staffing problems at Probation Services but the Ministry was currently conducting a management survey of the staffing and case loads of workers so that a solution can be found.
But Opposition Senate Leader Sen. Milton Scott said the Health and Social Services budget represented "fiscal responsibility without social responsibility'', leading to irresponsible management.
Sen. Scott said the increases in violence against women and children required programmes to address them because much of the positive aspects of old Bermuda were gone.
Sen. Swan said Government had done much to assist Bermudians who required it in the past year.
Among the many programmes, she pointed to the residential care programme and the comprehensive health care programme geared towards the promotion of healthy lifestyles.
Sen. Swan said she was hopeful that the Child Development Project, which assists children between their second birthday until they entered primary school, could be extended until their eighth birthday and beyond.
A summer youth programme was launched last year for children between nine and 17 years, Sen. Swan said, and this programme would be continued this year.
This programme involved the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation, Child and Family Services, the National Drugs Commission, PRIDE and Youth to Youth.
"It must be pointed out that in order to win the war against drugs, violence and antisocial behaviour the greater community must work together,'' she said.
"A concerted effort and multifaceted approach is needed.'' Sen. Swan said parents and the extended family must recognise their responsibility to eliminate violence and drug abuse.
The Department of Health had been allocated $10,729,000 or 11 percent of the Budget for its role of identifying health problems and providing support and information against health threats.
Sen. Swan said the Department recently held a successful nurses' conference that attracted nurses from 23 countries.
The Government laboratory, which is responsible for drug screening, was recently accredited and joins only 12 labs around the world with this distinction from the United Nations Drug Control Programme.
The department of Child and Family Services was responsible for organising the summer youth programme for kids who were at risk.
But some, especially those with emotional problems, needed to be removed from the familial setting and placed in residential care facilities.
Moves away from custodial sentences in the courts had overextended staff at Probation Services but a management review was being conducted to resolve the problems there.
Sen. Swan said $47.9 million had been allocated for the hospitals as they are undergoing upgrading and the implementation of a waste management programme.
The upgrading will allow the hospitals to meet the guidelines set out at the Centres for Disease Control.
Sen. Swan said health care had increased but Bermuda's costs were below those in the US and hospital staff were using computers and working closely with doctors to ensure the administration in both facilities was as efficient as it could be.
Mrs. Sheila Manderson's hiring as the first Bermudian executive director at the hospital was another highlight for the King Edward VII Memorial hospital, which celebrated 100 years of service to Bermuda in 1994.
Sen. Swan said the Department of Prisons achieved a milestone on September 23, 1994 when it successfully transferred 137 inmates from Casemates to the new Westgate facility without any problems.
Some $6.5 million had been earmarked for Westgate in the budget and this was partly due to the need to maintain the electric monitoring system.
Sen. Swan said $1,870,000 was set aside for the Prison Farm where inmates were being introduced to rearing of chickens.
The Department of Financial Services, a new department, came on line on April 1, 1994, she said.
Part of its mandate was to screen first time applicants for financial assistance.
Sen. Scott assailed the Government for not paying enough attention to those persons who "had fallen through the cracks'' and were in need of help.
He said the days of the extended family had gone and this had left many people misplaced without a sense of being their brother's keeper.
"Crime has increased and the general respect for authority has eroded,'' he said.
But it was not going to get the community anywhere by placing the blame on single parents, Sen. Scott, said although they should share some of the responsibility.
"During the economic debate the PLP was accused of fostering a spirit of dependency. But we make no apologies for people who have fallen through the cracks and need help.
"How we treat the less fortunate among us is how we are measured.'' Sen. Scott said that while his party had to fulfil its sworn duty as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, not everything in the Health and Social Services and Housing budget was negative.
He said it was commendable that after years of neglect the Government was acknowledging that there were problems.
But he said the Finance Minister had not provided enough money to fund social programmes.
Sen. Scott questioned whether the new office for senior citizens and the disabled had been established.
He said care for the elderly had the potential to drain families and deplete their resources.
STAR, Agape House and the Lighthouse should be congratulated for their work and he asked whether Government intended to ask for a supplemental to deal with AIDS prevention.
Meanwhile Sen. Scott said he was sure the part-time orthodontist was oversubscribed.
He said Government needed to lead in the area of dental care by providing dental care for its employees in a 50-50 payment plan.
But Finance Minister the Hon. David Saul had consistently rejected this idea for the past six years.
Sen. Scott said there were school-age children using Addiction Services but it would be better if there were drug prevention programmes to complement the life skills and other programmes that were already in the schools.
"Last year we were told the residential care programme was going to be revamped. Has it been placed on the back burner?'' Sen. Swan responded that the residential care facility had found a site but it had been rejected. However as soon as a new site was found the facility would become a reality.
Sen. Scott said the problems in Probation Services had demonstrated Government has not taken the Tumim report seriously.
"We have people remanded in custody awaiting social inquiry reports. We need to have adequate staff in that department. Many of those needing social inquiry reports are young people.'' Sen. Scott said it was good to see that morale problems were receding in the prisons because of better communications between management and workers.
"What about drug testing in the prisons? Are the results (of positive) tests still as high as in the past? Is the sexual offenders programme still going on?'' Overall Sen. Scott said the department of Family Services had become more accessible but there was still a need for family counselling and health services for the elderly.
Sen. Lynda Milligan-Whyte (UBP) said violence in the community was a symptom of the changes that were going on in Bermuda generally but violence is a threat not just to individuals.
She said Government takes the threat from violence seriously.
Sen. Neletha Butterfield (PLP) said the Physical Abuse Centre and the Women's Resource Centre needed more money from Government if they are expected to carry out their important programmes.
Sen. Alf Oughton (Ind) said Bermuda had a first class health care system but more work had to be done to educate the public to prevent disease.
He said it was obvious the elderly were an important group when it comes to health care, although many would be better served at home than in hospital.
Sen. Oughton said day care centres for the elderly where they could meet their peers while their children worked would be a good idea.