34-year-old Jason Forbes family desperately wants to know circumstances behind loved one’s death on the floor of the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine who waited, cried for stomach pain for 14 hours before he was called to received medical attention, but it was too late. .....Apologies not enough, laments mom

BY ANIKA RICHARDS Observer staff reporter richardsai@jamaicaobserver.com  Monday, October 06, 2014    
ALMOST a week after 76-year-old Unalee Edwards watched her son writhe on the floor of the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine for several hours before being pronounced dead, she still has several lingering questions.
Among them: Why did her son have to die? Edwards had taken her son, 34-year-old Jason Forbes, to the hospital some time after 7:00 pm last Tuesday because he was complaining of a pain in his stomach.
His sister, Carmen Gunn, recounted to the Jamaica Observer last Wednesday that it was not until some 14 hours later, on Wednesday morning, that her brother’s name was eventually called to received medical attention, but it was too late.
Gunn said her brother died while lying on the hospital’s floor. Edwards told the Observer that she does not want an apology, but instead wants answers.
“I was there the whole night, Jason bawling, ‘Lord Jesus help me; doctor, nurse, help me, mi a guh dead, mi a guh dead, unnu help me’,” the grieving mother recalled.
“When Jason bawl out at the outdoor patient (section)… him say, “Mama help me” and mi say, “Mi cyaan help yuh, memba seh mi and yuh did in deh and dem seh wi fi come out’.” Edwards said she told her son to return to the emergency area so that medical staff could see how much pain he was in.
“And he was there rolling, bawling, you could stay out by Spanish Town Hospital gate and hear him round the back,” the distraught mother shared, adding that nobody looked at him.
She said she watched her son toss and turn, restless on the floor, to the point where he urinated on himself because he was unable to make it to the restroom. more

MANDEVILLE, Manchester : Nineteen-year-old student of the Holmwood Technical High School, Jevaughn Daley, died in the Mandeville Regional Hospital on Saturday....Holmwood in mourning again as footballer dies

MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Published October 6, 2014 Jamaica Observer

Nineteen-year-old student of the Holmwood Technical High School, Jevaughn Daley, died in the Mandeville Regional Hospital on Saturday.
01A footballer at the institution, he is reported to have fallen ill after a tackle during a practice match between Holmwood and Munro College in late July at the Kirkvine Sports Club in Manchester.
"Jevaughn got a tackle and fell to the ground. He (then) left the field and started to vomit. He was feeling weak and a few players helped him to my vehicle," Holmwood football coach Dave Anderson told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
Anderson said that in the first instance Daley was taken to the Percy Junor Hospital in Spalding, on the border of Clarendon and Manchester, before being transferred to the Mandeville Regional Hospital.
Anderson said that it was found that during the fall, a cyst that the young footballer had on one of his intestines since birth had ruptured resulting in internal bleeding.
Daley, called "Tuffy," has reportedly been unwell since the July incident and was also at the University Hospital of the West Indies for a short period during his illness.
Following his second surgery at Mandeville Hospital last Sunday, however, Anderson said that there was hope that he would gradually recover although he was unable to eat and had deteriorated significantly. more

Dr. Ev Richardson of CRS and Rula Brown with Wayne J- "One Panadol" Chikungunya (Chik-V) song.



Dr. Ev Richardson and Rula Brown with Wayne J- "One Panadol" Chikungunya (Chik-V) song. The popular song in Jamaica which addresses the deadly virus in Jamaica....Mosquito one, mosquito two....one panadol.

The whole story.... FOR almost 30 years, Gary "Dr. Dread" Himelfarb negotiated countless deals with Jamaican artistes as principal of RAS Records, one of the largest distributors of reggae music during the 1980s and 1990s....with a catalogue containing albums by major acts such as Black Uhuru, Bunny Wailer, Culture, Israel Vibration, Yellowman, Gregory Isaacs and Freddie McGregor.

HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer  Sunday, October 05, 2014    
FFOR almost 30 years, Gary Himelfarb negotiated countless deals with Jamaican artistes as principal of RAS Records, one of the largest distributors of reggae music during the 1980s and 1990s.
Popularly known as Dr Dread, Himelfarb revisits his ties with Jamaica, its culture and some of reggae's most successful artistes in The Half That's Never Been Told, a book scheduled for release on March 3, 2015 by Akashic Books.
Dr. Dread and late Gregory Issacs
The 59-year-old Himelfarb made RAS one of the top independent companies in the world, with a catalogue containing albums by major acts such as Black Uhuru, Bunny Wailer, Culture, Israel Vibration, Yellowman, Gregory Isaacs and Freddie McGregor.
Some of the chapters in The Half That's Never Been Told are dedicated to Himelfarb's relationship with these artistes. Speaking to the Jamaica Observer recently, he described the book as a "page-turner", adding: "No one will be bored."
Himelfarb said over the years he has been encouraged to write a book on his time in the music business. But it was not until he read the biography of an industry giant that he took the plunge.
"I read a biography about Norman Granz who started Verve Records. It was sub-titled 'The Man Who Used Jazz For Justice' and spoke volumes of how he used music to bring a halt to segregation in America," Himelfarb explained. "I saw many parallels (with RAS) as to how he ran his label and his relationships with his jazz artistes."
Verve exposed a number of black jazz performers who were not attractive to major record companies. RAS did the same for reggae, helping to revive the careers of groups like Culture, Israel Vibration and Inner Circle in the 1990s. more

Wisynco, FOOD for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica donate furniture to Rousseau Primary....450 desks and chairs to Rousseau Primary School. The furniture was officially handed over to principal Owen Speid on October 1 on the compound of the Kingston school..

Sunday, October 05, 2014 Jamaica Observer   
FOOD for the Poor (FFP) Jamaica has collaborated with Wisynco Group Limited to donate 450 desks and chairs to Rousseau Primary School. The furniture was officially handed over to principal Owen Speid on October 1 on the compound of the Kingston school.
The initiative is part of FFP Jamaica's school furniture campaign which was launched last October.
Owen Speid (left), principal of Rousseau Primary School,
along with David Mair (centre), executive director, Food for
the Poor, and Richard Garel, food service supervisor, Wisynco,
 look through the books of grade four students Aaliyah
Campbell (left) and Shakara Lindsay.
"From the day I started my tenure as principal at this school, I wished for someone to help us to deal with this matter," Speid said.
"We thank Food for the Poor and Wisynco Group very much for their generous donation. Before, we had to separate the children when we were about to administer a test or a mock exam, because we did not have enough desks and chairs. During exams we had to put some of the students outside to wait until the first half of the class completed their exam. That was time-consuming for our teachers. With the new furniture, the teachers can now better plan and make better use of the time with our students."
He also said the old desks and chairs had rough and uneven surfaces.
David Mair, executive director, FFP, said Rousseau was chosen because of their great need.
"We at Food for the Poor want to help our schools in whatever way we possibly can, and they requested our assistance for desks and chairs. Now we have officially handed over 450 sets to them which has been made possible with the assistance of Wisynco Group Limited." more

IN JAMAICA (GREAT FOLLOW UP STORY): Georgia Lindsay is off to China Medical School! Overwhelming support from Observer readers sends grateful Hampton girl to medical school....Received donation from the mother of a Jamaican businessman who paid the $1 million. Additionally, I got half-a-million from the Office of the Prime Minister, and NCB gave us $400,000.

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, October 05, 2014 
GEORGE Lindsay, the Manchester father who was last week set on selling his house in order to help fund his daughter's dream of studying medicine in China, yesterday saw her off at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, thanks to Jamaica Observer readers, here and abroad, who were touched by his story.
Georgia Lindsay and her dad at airport in Jamaica
Easily, the largest donation he received was from the mother of a prominent Jamaican businessman who paid the $1 million required for the first year.
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, met the family in Mandeville last Wednesday and paid the sum over to the university through their account.
"Oh, my God!" Lindsay said as he tried to find words to express his feelings. "It is tremendous! It is just tremendous! Her money has been paid to the bank and a lot of persons have been giving; the help is more than what I did even expect! One person went and paid a million dollars for her. I got half-a-million from the Office of the Prime Minister, and NCB gave us $400,000. People called me from America and sent what they could and Jamaicans have been contributing. So it is adding up to covering more than her first year, because we are well on our way to covering her third year."
In fact, the Observer readers have been so generous that Lindsay said he has postponed his plan to sell his family house.
"Right now I have put that plan on hold, because persons have been encouraging me not to sell, and even that businessman whose mother gave the million said I should not sell," Lindsay told the Sunday Observer.
His daughter, Georgia, who graduated from Hampton School this year with 12 CSEC subjects (10 at grade one and two at grade two), and eight CAPE units (four grades one, three twos and one three), had always wanted to become a medical doctor.
She was accepted to start a six-year course at Anhui Medical School in China, which begins in five days, but her parents were unable to come up with the $1 million.
Two Fridays ago, Lindsay told the Sunday Observer that he had already given his daughter "about $300,000", while her mother, who is living abroad, had contributed additional funds.
He explained that he initially started operating a grocery shop, but it was not profitable enough to fund his daughter's education, so he leased it and went into farming after being loaned two acres of land by a childhood friend living in New York.
Lindsay also tried his hand at butchering, and during the recent drought he planted melons, which thrive in dry conditions. He also planted tomatoes in-between seasons to make up the funds. After the melons were depleted Lindsay turned his hand at rearing 50 chickens, which he sold and handed that money over to his daughter. more

IN JAMAICA (CRAZY STORY): Man's body still lying in funeral parlour for 7 years amid money row.....Man said to have died leaving over JA$55 million. the body of a Jamaican who is believed to have served as a pilot in the British Navy has been locked away in storage at a funeral parlour in downtown Kingston.

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Sunday Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, October 05, 2014    
FOR approximately seven years the body of a Jamaican who is believed to have served as a pilot in the British Navy has been locked away in storage at a funeral parlour in downtown Kingston.
Doubt still surrounds when the man will finally be laid to rest, and speculation is that a legal procedure will have to be used to settle the issue.
The director of the funeral parlour holding the body, Michael Jones, claimed that he is planning to take legal action against the dead man's family to recover millions of dollars he said are owed to him for storage of the body.
Jones claimed that for the past seven years he has been left waiting on family members to bring the necessary documents and payments to allow him to proceed with the burial, but they have failed to complete the transaction.
"The man died in 2007 and we made contact with family members," Jones told the Jamaica Observer, adding that after a series of discussions, burial preparations began.
"The preparations were placed on hold as we had to wait on the burial order and other documents to allow for us to proceed," Jones told the Sunday Observer.
He said that, despite the discussions, the family members failed to complete their end of the procedure.
Jones claimed that, at the time, family members requested that the man be buried and promised that payments would be made at a later date. But he said he refused to do that.
Jones said that, in the past, he had encountered cases where people were unable to pay for funeral expenses and he offered to cover the costs.
He said if that was the case in this instance he would have had no problem taking that route.
However, he said he was told that the man died leaving millions of dollars in both cash and assets to family members, to which they have access.
"Information we received is that the man passed away leaving more than $40 million and at least two properties valued at close to $15 million, and left instructions that funds should be used from his assets to cover his funeral expenses," the funeral director said. more

Thomas Eric Duncan, Dallas Ebola Patient, Now In Critical Condition.....Currently, there are about 50 people being monitored for Ebola in Texas

The Huffington Post | By Amanda L. Chan Email Posted: 10/04/2014 2:36 pm EDT 
Dallas Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan is now in critical condition, according to information released Saturday afternoon by Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, the hospital where he is staying.
America’s first Ebola patient has been identified by Liberian officials as Thomas Eric Duncan, a resident of Monrovia.
America’s first Ebola patient has
been identified by Liberian officials as
Thomas Eric Duncan
Duncan had previously been listed as being in serious condition. He was admitted to the hospital Sept. 28. His diagnosis with Ebola was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control on Sept. 30.
Currently, there are about 50 people being monitored for Ebola after having known or possible contact with Duncan. Nine of these people had direct contact with Duncan, including his four relatives, with whom he was staying before he was sent to the hospital. The other 40 are being monitored for Ebola symptoms, but their contact with Duncan is less certain, health officials said today.
So far, none of the individuals being monitored by health officials are showing any signs of Ebola. more

IN JAMAICA: 9-Y-O Natahlia Miller Crowned Trelawny Spelling Bee Champion

Kerry-Ann Hepburn, Children's Own Coordinator Published: Saturday | October 4, 2014
Falmouth, Trelawny:
WHILE TOURISTS explored the 187-year-old William Knibb Memorial Baptist Church in Falmouth, Trelawny, 23 of the parish's top spellers lined up for spellmistress Marlene Stephenson Dalley at the church hall just a stone's throw away. With no defending champion, the race for the title of parish champion was wide open with a fresh cohort.
Spelling Bee champion for Trelawny, Natahlia Miller of Hague Primary School.-Ian Allen/photographer
Spelling Bee champion for Trelawny, Natahlia Miller
of Hague Primary School.-Ian Allen/photographer
After a few rounds, the numbers had dwindled, leaving the final 10 to battle. With each round, the competition got harder to predict as it seemed that everyone was in it for the long haul.
The top five were decided after Theondra Hamilton of Clark's Town Primary dropped out. That's when the real battle started. Four rounds down and then there were three, and the champion boy, Jordan Nugent of Granville Primary, was announced, but sadly, left the competition soon after.
Toni-Ann Watson of Granville Primary and Natahlia Miller of Hague Primary were the Bees remaining. In the end, Natahlia, with quiet confidence, came through, when she spelt the word N-A-U-T-I-C-A-L.
In a true show of sportsmanship, the first thing Natahlia did was hug Toni-Ann, who was disappointed at not winning the title.
When asked about her win, nine-year-old Natahlia paused, then replied: "Words can't describe how I feel."
The precocious speller says she wasn't worried about winning going into the competition.
"I did my part and trusted that the Lord would do the rest," she told The Gleaner.
First-time coach Latoya Basco was pleased with the results.
"We started at the beginning of September, and I've asked for all their spare time, and Natahlia gave me that. She is always ready and willing to work," said Coach Basco. more

PRINCE EA - "Why I Think This World Should End" - Sorry if This Offends You.

Black Genocide - Maafa 21 (Full Length Documentary)



Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America is a 2009 pro-life documentary film which draws a connection between the targeting of African Americans by the eugenics movement in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, and the modern-day prevalence of abortion among African Americans. The film argues that abortion is an attempted genocide or maafa of black people, and has been so since the 19th 

SPANISH TOWN, JAMAICA: A 14-year-old St Jago High School student, Azee Baker dies at Spanish Town Hospital after chikungunya virus (chik-v) symptoms, heart complications....Azee's last words "Him say to mi, 'Daddy, mi cyaan breathe', and mi bring him back to the hospital," Baker said. "The last thing he said to me was 'Daddy, mi waah vomit', and him vomit and then he said 'Daddy, mi a run outa breath'."

BY KIMBERLY WILSON Observer writer  Friday, October 03, 2014 
A 14-year-old St Jago High School student died at the Spanish Town Hospital on Wednesday from what his father said were complications triggered by the chikungunya virus.
The death of Azee Baker plunged the school community into gloom yesterday and raised more concern about the wait period at the hospital, as the Jamaica Observer was told that pleas for help by the boy's father, Abraham Baker, were ignored for some time until the boy collapsed.
"His father was calling out for help but nobody came to help," a hospital employee told the Observer last night. "Is after the boy collapsed that they came to help him. By then it was too late."
Abraham Baker said his son started exhibiting signs of illness on Wednesday, September 24, but managed to go to school up to Friday, September 26.
On Monday, September 29, he took Azee, his only child, to the hospital where he was seen and released with a prescription for Panadol. However, on Wednesday, October 1, the father had to take his son back to the hospital.
"Him say to mi, 'Daddy, mi cyaan breathe', and mi bring him back to the hospital," Baker said. "The last thing he said to me was 'Daddy, mi waah vomit', and him vomit and then he said 'Daddy, mi a run outa breath'."
"Mi deh right behind the screen a hol' him foot and dem pump breath inna him and him nuh come back," the grieving father said, breaking down into tears. more

Highlights of this day in history (OCT. 3rd): O.J. Simpson found not guilty of murder at his criminal trial; St. Francis of Assisi dies; Germany reunifies; Baseball's 'shot heard 'round the world'; 'Captain Kangaroo' and 'Mickey Mouse Club' hit TV. (Oct. 3)

IN JAMAICA: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce urges scholarship recipients to dream big....awards 8 academic scholarships through her Pocket Rocket Foundation

BY SHERDON COWAN  Friday, October 03, 2014  
JAMAICA'S queen of sprint Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce urged this year's recipients of academic scholarships through her Pocket Rocket Foundation to rise above difficult circumstances in order to excel and fulfil their dreams.
Olympian Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (centre) shares a moment
with recipients of academic scholarships from her Pocket Rocket
 Foundation (from left) Zinedine Russell (Convent of Mercy);
Okhalia Buchanan (Wolmer's); Nicholas Haughton (Campion
College); Janeek Brown (Wolmer's); Pierce-Matthew McKenzie
 (Campion College); Romae Quarrie (Campion College);
 Shadae Grant (St Jago) and Patrick Morgan (Jonathan Grant)
at a meet and greet at Sagicor's head office yesterday.
"Be persistent... persevere even when others think you are not going to make it, or when the challenge seems so overwhelming for most of you and you sit and wonder how are you going to get to the next level... just know it is possible. I am your testimony, standing right here, that it is possible and that is the reality that I want to give you," she said while addressing the meet-and-greet session at Sagicor's head office yesterday.
Fraser-Pryce declared to the recipients that she has travelled the same path in her life before she ascended to prominence, and encouraged them not to be "ashamed of their circumstances" but instead think about how to deal with [these circumstances], because that will lead ultimately to fulfilment.
"I want to give you the opportunity to not worry about the book, not to worry about uniform, not to worry about not having the basic things to survive. But what I want you to worry about is what you are going to do when you sit around that desk with that paper in front of you... I want you to think about your dreams; I want you to think about when you are going to do CXC or CAPE.
"I want you to think about athletics; I want you to think about the time that you are going on the track... whatever you do as a sport ,that is what I want you to think about. So you are building your dream and your life through education and your sport and you are combining both of them and giving yourself a chance to excel", added the double sprint champion. more

Ebola Help for JAMAICA: PAHO, CARICOM Pledge Assistance To Help Jamaica With Preparedness and readiness to deal with an Ebola outbreak, should the deadly virus pose a threat to the country.....World Health Organization revealing that, so far, more than 6,574 persons have been affected, and more than 3,091 have died from it. The worst affected countries are Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Anastasia Cunningham, Health Coordinator Published: Friday | October 3, 2014 
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and some CARICOM countries have committed to assist Jamaica in its preparedness and readiness to deal with an Ebola outbreak, should the deadly virus pose a threat to the country. This comes in light of the fact that the United States is now on high alert with its first confirmed Ebola case earlier this week and the tracing and isolation of persons the patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, is suspected to have come in contact with.
A pedestrian wears a surgical mask as he crosses the street in front of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital yesterday morning, in Dallas, where Thomas Eric Duncan, the Ebola patient who traveled from Liberia to Dallas last week, is being treated. AP
A pedestrian wears a surgical mask as he crosses the street
in front of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital yesterday
 morning, in Dallas, where Thomas Eric Duncan, the
 Ebola patient who traveled from Liberia to
Dallas last week, is being treated. AP
Among the commitments is to provide personal protection equipment (PPE) and gear for health-care workers. Special gear include gloves, masks, gowns or full-body suits, high boots and eye or face shields.
"PAHO has confirmed support for the provision of PPEs from its warehouse in Panama. If the need arises in Jamaica, items can be made available within 24 hours of notification of a case," acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Kevin Harvey, said in a statement yesterday.
TALKS WITH UNITED STATES
He said the Government was also in dialogue with the United States to provide additional PPEs.
Harvey said although Jamaica had available supplies, the ministry has fast-tracked the procurement of additional gear.
Yesterday, health officials expressed concern that Jamaica did not have adequate supply of PPEs and other gear to deal with an Ebola outbreak.
The deadly disease, which kills up to 90 per cent of its victims, is transmitted through direct contact with blood and body fluids of infected persons. During an outbreak, the disease can spread quickly in health-care facilities, hence the importance of quarantine areas and protective gear for health-care workers and those who have to care for infected persons. more

33-year-old NBC News Freelancer In Africa Diagnosed With Ebola....Four Americans have now contracted Ebola in Liberia, NBC notes.

The Huffington Post | By Andrew Hart Email 10/2/14
NBC News reported that one of its American freelancers working in Liberia has tested positive for Ebola, the network reported Thursday night.
EBOLAThe 33-year-old man was a freelance cameraman on NBC News' reporting team covering the Ebola epidemic in Monrovia, Liberia. The freelancer started showing symptoms on Wednesday, and was then found to have a fever. He immediately quarantined himself. On Thursday morning, he was tested by Medicins Sans Frontieres for the virus. A positive result came back hours later.
The network has not released the name of the cameraman. He is to be flown back to the U.S. for treatment, according to NBC News President Deborah Turness. The rest of the NBC News crew that the diagnosed man was working with is being monitored, but were not showing signs of infection at the time. They are to be flown back to the U.S. as well, and will be placed under quarantine. Below is the full statement from Turness that was released Thursday evening. more

Dr. Evelyn Richardson to speak with Rula Brown about the Ebola Virus & Chikungunya (Chick-V)....History of the organisms, Transmission, Symptoms, prevention, treatment, affects in JAMAICA, Govt. readiness @ www.RulaBrownNetwork.com at 10:30am ET on 10/3/14

The first locally acquired case of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease, was reported July 17 in Florida. This newly reported case represents the first time that mosquitoes in the continental United States are thought to have spread the virus to a non-traveler. Although CDC does not expect widespread cases of chikungunya in the United States this summer, American travelers infected overseas may continue to return and bring the virus with them.
  • Chikungunya virus is transmitted to people by two species of mosquitoesAedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Both species are found in the southeastern United States and limited parts of the Southwest; Aedes albopictusis also found further north up the East Coast, through the Mid-Atlantic States, and is also found in the lower Midwest.
  • People infected with chikungunya virus typically develop fever and joint pain. Other symptoms can include muscle aches, headaches, joint swelling or rash. This virus is not spread person to person. There is no vaccine and no specific treatment for infection.
  • The best way to protect yourself and your family from chikungunya is to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes by using insect repellent, wearing long sleeves and pants, using air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside, and reducing mosquito breeding ground such as standing water. more

WAYNE J- ORIGINAL SONG "One Panadol" TELLS CHIK-V STORY (Most Popular Out of JAMAICA about killer Chikungunya Virus.


Post by Bring Back Our JAMAICA, #BBOJ.
WAYNE J- ORIGINAL SONG, TELLS CHIKV STORY (Most Popular Out of JAMAICA about killer Chikungunya Virus. -- Using a song out of Jamaica, Magnetic Media has put together the web's most popular images, video and warnings regarding the now, killer Chikungunya Virus.
The illness was first recorded in the Caribbean last November, and many believe original recordings like these will continue to heighten awareness for a stop on the spread of Chik V and other mosquito borne illnesses.

BREAKING NEWS EBOLA: Did officials lied again?.....Health Officials Say Up To 100 People May Have Been Exposed To Texas Ebola Patient....The disease has killed at least 3,338 people in West Africa in the worst such outbreak on record....My question is could terrorist start to spread the virus here in America?

DALLAS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - HuffingtonPost

Up to 100 people may have had direct or indirect contact with the first person to be diagnosed with the deadly Ebola virus in the United States, and four of his relatives have been quarantined in their homes as a precaution, health officials said Thursday.
Ebola Virus
Dallas County officials said 12 to 18 people had direct contact with the Texas patient, and they in turn had contact with scores of others. Officials said none of those thought to have had direct or indirect contact with the patient, who was being treated at a Dallas hospital, were showing symptoms of Ebola. The disease has killed at least 3,338 people in West Africa in the worst such outbreak on record.
A top health official urged U.S. hospitals to heed lessons from Dallas, where the hospital initially sent the ailing patient home, despite information that he had recently visited West Africa, potentially exposing more people to the virus.
America’s first Ebola patient has been identified by Liberian officials as Thomas Eric Duncan, a resident of Monrovia.
America’s first Ebola patient has
been identified by Liberian officials as
Thomas Eric Duncan, a
resident of Monrovia.
U.S. officials initially described the number of people potentially exposed as a handful, and on Wednesday said it was up to 18.
But on Thursday, the Texas health department said there were about 100 potential contacts. However, Dallas County officials said more than 80 had direct or indirect contact with the patient.
"We are working from a list of about 100 potential or possible contacts," Texas health department spokeswoman Carrie Williams said.
"Out of an abundance of caution, we're starting with this very wide net, including people who have had even brief encounters with the patient or the patient's home. The number will drop as we focus in on those whose contact may represent a potential risk of infection."
Ebola Virus
Texas health officials told four "close" relatives of the patient not to entertain visitors and said they could be arrested if they left their homes without permission through Oct. 19. The four did not exhibit symptoms, they said.
"We have tried-and-true protocols to protect the public and stop the spread of this disease," said Dr. David Lakey, the Texas health commissioner. more

Today in History for October 2nd....Mohandes Gandhi born; President Woodrow Wilson suffers stroke; Thurgood Marshall sworn in as US Supreme Court justice; Rock Hudson dies



Highlights of this day in history: Mohandes Gandhi born; President Woodrow Wilson suffers stroke; Thurgood Marshall sworn in as US Supreme Court justice; Rock Hudson dies; Peanuts comic strip debut. (Oct. 2)

Highlights of the day in history - a retrospective view on political events, historic battles, and life changing decisions. More:http://smarturl.it/TodayInHistory

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Ebola Panic in JAMAICA: Local Doctors Say They Are Not Equipped To Handle Deadly Virus....If the Ebola virus should reach Jamaica, doctors at the nation's hospitals, particularly the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), do not have the safety gear needed to treat affected persons

Corey Robinson, Staff Reporter Published: Thursday | October 2, 2014
If the Ebola virus should reach Jamaica, doctors at the nation's hospitals, particularly the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), do not have the safety gear needed to treat affected persons, and some say they will not expose themselves or their charges by treating Ebola patients.
Nine-year-old Nowa Paye is taken to an ambulance after showing signs of the Ebola infection in the village of Freeman Reserve, Liberia, on Tuesday. Aid donations are still inadequate, as the international community tries to increase the ability to care for the spiraling number of people infected with the disease which has hit Liberia the hardest. AP Photo
Nine-year-old Nowa Paye is taken to an ambulance
after showing signs of the Ebola infection in the
 village of Freeman Reserve, Liberia, on Tuesday.
Aid donations are still inadequate, as the international
 community tries to increase the ability to care
 for the spiraling number of people infected with
 the disease which has hit Liberia the hardest.
AP Photo
A workshop put on yesterday, in light of the outbreak in Africa, erupted in concerns after it was disclosed that health officials in Jamaica do not have the requisite hazard-management gear, or even the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved personal protection equipment (PPE) to deal with the Ebola virus. Only standard PPE gear, consisting of a regular fabric medical gown, goggles, and N95 or N100 oxygen masks are available, and these are useless against the disease, the forum of medical doctors, firefighters and other emergency-response workers were told. The N95 can only last for four hours, according to doctors, while the N100 for 24 hours.
"If the Government doesn't supply us with these things, who is going out towork?" asked one doctor from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the UHWI, sparking murmurs among the gathering.
The doctor hinted at the possibility of an outbreak, suggesting that there are students from countries affected by the virus currently at the University of the West Indies, and frowned on the Government's lacklustre approach in preparing for the disease, which has presented itself in the United States. more

IN JAMAICA: Death on hospital floor....Mother, sister of Jason Forbes blame hospital for man’s death..... “Mi belly ah hurt mi, unnu help mi nuh, unnu a guh mek mi dead,”

 BY ANIKA RICHARDS Observer staff reporter richardsai@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, October 02, 2014    
JASON Forbes seemingly foresaw his death while lying on the floor of the Spanish Town Hospital Tuesday night, complaining about a pain in his stomach and pleading for assistance from health care workers.
When his name was eventually called on Wednesday morning and a security guard lifted him from the floor onto a wheelchair, he was dead.
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Jason Forbes died at Spanish Town Hospital
“Mi belly ah hurt mi, unnu help mi nuh, unnu a guh mek mi dead,” Forbes, the father of a 13-year-old daughter, pleaded on Tuesday night, according to his sister Carmen Gunn.
His 76-year-old mother, who spent the night at the Spanish Town Hospital with Forbes waiting for him to be attended to, also tried to get some assistance for him, but was repeatedly told to sit down.
Gunn told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that, after getting to the hospital, some time after 7:00 pm, her mother was told to get Forbes registered, which she did. Gunn said that after her mother registered Forbes they sent her back out with him.
But he kept on crying, and her mother, who had suffered a stroke, said: “‘Listen, I have a stroke and my son is out there dying with his stomach, somebody need to tend to him’,” Gunn said.
“The lady who was at the desk said to her, ‘Mother, go and sit down; many persons are here’.
“So my mother turn to her and said, ‘Listen, many out here, but none dying. My son is dying’,” the obviously distraught sister told the Observer.
On Tuesday he complained about feeling a pain in his stomach and was taken to the hospital that evening. Gunn said that her mother was there with her brother, who was lying on a towel on the hospital’s floor because there was no bed or chair available, until about 9:10 yesterday morning when his name was called. more

TRELAWNY, JAMAICA: Missing 13 y-o Trelawny student, Aliesha Brown found dead.... whose face appeared to be bashed in, was found partially covered by a car bumper....Aliesha's distraught, weeping mother, Stacy Douglas, could not contain her grief and had to be consoled by relatives. "Mek me go look! Me want see me pickney!" she wailed.

BY HORACE HINES Observer staff reporter hinesh@jamaicaobserver.com  Thursday, October 02, 2014   
STEWART CASTLE, Trelawny — 
Blood-curdling screams reverberated throughout an isolated section of this community after a member of a search party discovered the body of a 13-year-old girl who went missing after leaving home for school on Monday morning.
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Mourners and Aliesha Brown, affectionately
called 'Miss Chin'
The body of Aliesha Brown, affectionately called 'Miss Chin', was found clad in her maroon and white Muschett High School uniform, covered with a black motorcar bumper in bushes near the ruins of the Stewart Castle Great House.
The grade eight student, left her home in Refuge district in the parish, early Monday morning to be on time for the morning shift at her school in Wakefield about 14 miles away.
But she did not arrive. When the teen did not return home at the usual time, her mother became worried and made contact with the school but was told her daughter had been absent from classes for the day.
A large search party, consisting of relatives and members of the community, unsuccessfully scoured the bushy areas of the community late into Monday night.
Their fears intensified after the search throughout the entire Tuesday also ended in futility.
But, yesterday their worst fears were realised after they launched out of their community and headed for Stewart Castle, which is separated by the Duncans to Falmouth main road.
A member of the search party Anthony Loney said early yesterday afternoon after searching through the remains of an old great house, some of the searchers decided to rest, but he ventured further along the isolated road and was alerted by the buzzing of flies.
Upon closer inspection the body of the teenaged student, whose face appeared to be bashed in, was found partially covered by a car bumper.
"Ah from morning we a search, everybody come together and say them ago come a Stewart Castle to search. Five of us came here and searched the big house and we never find her so them say them a go rest and me say alright me a go walk and by the time me walk go over there I saw the black container and when I peeped over I saw a lot of flies so I had to run," Loney told the Jamaica Observer.
Shortly after, several mourning onlookers gathered along the dirt road in the rustic Stewart Castle community, near where the body was found. more