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THURSDAY MARCH 12, 2026
PERSONS OF INTEREST US shares list with Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago’s Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander says the United States has provided the government with a list of “persons of interest” believed to be linked to illegal drugs, firearms trafficking and violent crime in the country. Speaking to the Trinidad Express, Alexander said he could not disclose further details due to national security concerns, but stressed that the information reflects the level of cooperation between Washington and Port of Spain in the fight against organized crime. continues on B4 – Persons of interest
Alexander
Diaspora nurses respond to Jamaica’s call to help fill vacancies The Jamaican Government has received nearly 140 applications from healthcare professionals overseas following an appeal to the diaspora for specialist nurses to help address shortages in the country’s public health system. Speaking during a virtual press briefing on Monday, Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness, said Jamaica is now moving to the next stage of the recruitment process. “We have shortlisted close to 70 specialist nurses from the diaspora but also beyond the diaspora, and those 70 are being scheduled for
Tufton
interviews through the Human Resources (HR) Department at the Ministry’s corporate office. So, in the coming week, week and a half or so, we will begin the process of interviewing, and the idea is to fast-track the engagement of
those persons,” Tufton said. The recruitment effort forms part of the Government’s strategy to fill staffing gaps following the end of a technical cooperation agreement with Cuba, under which hundreds of Cuban healthcare professionals had been working in Jamaica’s public health system. The outreach to the diaspora began in January when Tufton issued a public appeal to overseas-based Jamaican nurses through social media, encouraging them to consider returning home to work in the public sector. In a post on X, the minister invited “suitably qualified specialist nurses” living abroad to apply. According to the ministry, the recruitment drive targets nurses trained in several specialty areas where shortages persist, including
critical and intensive care, operating theatre services, oncology, pediatrics and neonatology, accident and emergency, nephrology and renal dialysis, ophthalmology, and mental health. Tufton also noted that additional locally trained medical professionals will begin entering the workforce this year through the Barry Wint Scholarship programme. A total of 48 nurses and 33 doctors are expected to join the health system and will be bonded to serve for at least three years. Another 100 nurses are currently enrolled in a specialist nursing programme and are scheduled to complete their training in October, after which they will be promoted to their respective areas of specialty. The ministry is also assessing the uptake of direct-contract offers to Cuban healthcare continues on B3 – Nurses
W H AT ’ S I N S I D E
NEWSMAKER Farewell to a drum legend: The nal salute to Sly Dunbar a3
CARIBBEAN Trinidad PM describes meeting with US Southern Command as ‘fruitful’ A4
WOMEN IN FOCUS Spice Island Beach Resort President Janelle Hopkin honored with PATWA Award B1
SPORTS India makes history with record T20 WC triumph B7