ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 SPORTS | PAGE 18 U17 NATIONAL TEAM TO TRAIN ON THE BRAC High of 85 Low of 74 Seas: Rough with wave heights of 4 to 6 feet. Small craft advisory is in effect. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 TURN FOR THE WORSE: HSA’S ACCELERATING UNPAID DEBTS 180913_PRINT-Ad-Strip-BOTY-6colxPage 1 11/30/15 12:30:30 PM Lawmakers’ pensions need $1.76M a year BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com It has been recommended that government pay about $35 million over the next 20 years to cover a severely underfunded retirement plan for Cayman Islands lawmakers, according to records obtained by the Cayman Compass. That amount is the total the Mercer con- sulting firm recommended – as of Jan. 1, 2014 – that government and the legislators would have to contribute to keep the lawmakers’ pensions solvent through 2034. Cabinet is not mandated to follow any recommendations from the report, which is done every three years as an evaluation of the public sector re- tirement system. The vast majority of the $1.765 million pro- jected annual contributions would come from government coffers. About $1.3 million of that would go to cover “funding of deficiency over 20 years” in the legislators’ defined benefit re- tirement scheme. That scheme – which pays a monthly pension to lawmakers and their spouses based on how long the lawmakers have served – had a total of $22.2 million in liabilities as of Jan. 1, 2014, the latest date for which fig- ures are available. The liabilities are measured over a 20-year period, so they are not amounts that are all due immediately. The plan had about $8.1 million in assets at the time the report was done, meaning it was underfunded by about $14 million with assets covering only 36 percent of plan liabilities, ac- cording to assessments produced by Mercer. Lawmakers’ required contributions to the defined benefit retirement scheme were esti- mated at $40,000, while the government con- tributed an estimated $384,000 to the plan, as- suming retirement plan investments earned about 7 percent each year. The additional $1.3 million was recom- mended to settle the underfunded amount, re- ferred to as the “deficiency,” between 2014 and 2034. All of that would have to be paid by gov- ernment as well. JPs QUESTION MISSING BOATERS REPORT BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com A separate collection of documents re- garding the search for five missing Caymanian boaters including two children, was released on Monday. The details in the records come from two local Justices of the Peace who participated in a review of the March 6-8 search and ap- peared to dispute some of the findings and methods used in compiling that report. The five boaters, Gary Mullings, his nephews Nicholas Watler, Kamron Brown, 11, and Kanyi Brown, 9, and his friend Edsell Haylock were reported missing on March 6, after they did not return from a fishing trip to 12 Mile Bank. Their overturned vessel was lo- cated 20 miles offshore the following day. Its occupants were never found. Opposition Leader McKeeva Bush said Friday that the two Cayman Islands JPs, Kirk- land Nixon and Mary Lawrence, who partici- pated in the recent review of the incident by U.K. Coastguard Commander Andrew Jen- kins, would produce their own evaluation of the situation. “We are going to get a report from the two of them,” Mr. Bush said Friday. Mr. Nixon, Cayman’s former fire chief, said last week that he had no plan to issue such a report and was not sure what Mr. Bush was speaking about. Mr. Nixon said he met with MLAs Friday to discuss the issue. He said the two JPs had made some comments on the coastguard commander’s review and indicated there was concern those comments had not been included in the final report. Mr. Nixon did not characterize what was given to MLAs Friday as a “report,” but said CCMI hosts coral reef symposium in London The Central Caribbean Marine Institute is hosting a two-day international symposium about the future of the world’s coral reefs. The symposium began Monday at St. James’s Palace in London. The symposium, called “Rethinking the Future for Coral Reefs,” has attracted a cross- section of the world’s top marine scientists, conservationists and foundations, to discuss new ways to take action to reverse what sci- entists describe as “the critical decline” of tropical coral reefs worldwide. “We continue to promote measures that simply haven’t worked, and we’re running out of time to save coral reefs,” CCMI research di- rector Carrie Manfrino said in a press release. 60 percent of reefs threatened More than 60 percent of the world’s coral reefs are under threat from human activity, according to CCMI, but the aim of the con- ference is to move beyond the message that reefs are in bad shape, by focusing instead on the conditions, actions and strategies that have allowed reefs to survive and to identify what needs to be done to ensure a future for coral reefs. “It’s time to move beyond the gloom and doom and look for solutions,” said Terry Hughes, director of Australia’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. “But if we continue to ignore the impact of climate change on coral reefs, no amount of local ac- tion will make a difference.” A Central Caribbean Marine Institute researcher collects data on coral reefs in Little Cayman. CCMI is hosting an international symposium in London this week in an effort to figure out how to save the world’s reefs. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. y x *Additional charges will apply per 3D ticket requested. - TUESDAY - KEANU (R) 2:00 I 4:30 I 7:30 I 10:00 ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS 3D (PG) 1:10 2D I 4:20 I 7:00 2D I 9:50 X-MEN: APOCALYPSE 3D(PG13) 1:00 I 3:50 2D I 6:50 I 9:30 2D TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES OUT OF THE SHADOWS 3D (PG13) 1:00 I 3:40 2D I 6:50 I 9:40 2D ANGRY BIRDS 3D (PG) 1:30 2D I 4:10 I 7:10 2D I 10:00 BARBERSHOP 3 THE NEXT CUT(PG13) 1:20 I 4:00 I 7:20 I 9:50 Daily Matinees Every Day $8.00 Seniors, Mon-Fri Before 6pm Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 640-FILM (640-3456) CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com With the start of the rainy season and the first possible case of Zika linked to Cayman, the Mosquito Research and Control Unit is ramping up its opera- tions to combat nuisance and disease- carrying mosquitoes. The MRCU plane last week wrapped up its rounds of dropping pesticide pel- lets in mosquito-breeding areas, and the unit’s researchers are monitoring mos- quito traps to treat problem areas with the fogging truck, according to MRCU director Bill Petrie. “Now that the rains have started, we will probably see more Aedes aegypti,” Mr. Petrie said, referring to the mos- quitoes that carry Zika, chikungunya and dengue. Mr. Petrie said he is awaiting a report from the Public Health Department to find out whether the tourist who tested positive for Zika contracted the virus on the island or elsewhere. Mr. Petrie said the MRCU has a two-phase strategy to deal with Zika in Cayman. The first phase, he said, is treating areas known to have Aedes ae- gypti to reduce the population before the virus comes to Cayman. The second phase will focus on eliminating adult mosquitoes instead of the larvae. Regardless of the possible case of Zika, the MRCU director said his de- partment plans to increase spraying be- cause the recent rains will have resulted in an increase in mosquito populations of all types. Zika has attracted international con- cern this year, with the World Health Organization declaring a global health emergency after Zika spread rapidly through South and Central America and much of the Caribbean. Most people who contract Zika will never show symp- toms, though about 20 percent will have a fever, joint and muscle pains, and other symptoms similar to dengue and chikungunya. The main concern with Zika is for pregnant woman. The virus can cause microcephaly and other severe brain de- fects in babies of infected mothers. Dr. Samuel Williams-Rodriguez, acting medical officer of health and the head of public health for the Health Ser- vices Authority, said last week that a tourist is reported to have tested posi- tive for Zika after returning home from Cayman. It is unclear where the person contracted the virus. The MRCU plane last week wrapped up its rounds of dropping pesticide pellets in mosquito-breeding areas. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Tropical Storm Colin was gaining speed and strength Monday on its way to strike Florida, threatening rains fore- casters said could cause some serious flooding along much of the state’s Gulf coast. A large portion of Flor- ida’s western and Pan- handle coast was already under a tropical storm warning when the Na- tional Hurricane Center announced that a quickly moving depression had become a named storm. The center said it is the earliest that a third named storm has ever formed in the Atlantic basin. Colin’s maximum sus- tained winds Monday morning had increased to near 50 mph with some slow strengthening pos- sible during the next two days. The storm was cen- tered about 360 miles west-southwest of Tampa and moving north-north- east near 14 mph. Tropical storms carry wind speeds of between 39 mph and 73 mph. “It’s going to impact most of the state in some way,” Gov. Rick Scott said in a phone inter- view. “Hopefully we won’t have any significant is- sues here, but we can have some storm surge, some rain, tornados and some flooding.” The latest forecast for Colin called for the storm to make landfall near the Big Bend area of Florida, move across the Florida peninsula into Georgia and then move along or just off the South Carolina coast before heading out to sea. Colin is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches and fore- casters said up to 8 inches possible across western Florida, eastern Georgia, and coastal areas of the Carolinas through Tuesday. Forecasters said storm surge and high tide could combine to flood normally dry areas along Florida’s coastline. They also de- scribed Colin as a lop- sided storm, with trop- ical storm-force winds extending up to 185 miles east of its center. A tropical storm watch was issued for the lower South Carolina coast. The watch was in effect from near McClellanville south- west along the coast to near Brunswick, Georgia. A watch means that tropical storm condi- tions are possible in the watch area in the next 36 to 48 hours. Scott postponed a po- litical meeting with pre- sumptive Republican pres- idential nominee Donald Trump scheduled Monday in New York so he can re- main in the state capital to monitor the weather. Tropical Storm Colin gains speed, strength Mosquito Unit ramps up as rainy season gets under way Three Caymanian students studying abroad have been appointed to leadership roles for the 2016-2017 academic year at the Trinity College School in Ontario, Canada. Jazz Pitcairn and Ryan Kirkaldy have been appointed Head of House for their re- spective boarding houses, and Drew Lerikos has been appointed peer counselor. Student leadership roles at Trinity are distributed among six boarding houses and four day-houses. Headmaster Stuart Grainger said, “Jazz, Ryan and Drew are all out- standing students and mem- bers of the TCS community. Having Caymanians leading two out of our six boarding houses is a testimony to the strong links between TCS and Cayman.” The school has 18 stu- dents from the Cayman Is- lands enrolled. Trinity College, through the Donald F. Hunter Scholar- ship, has offered full-tuition, merit-based scholarships to 11 Caymanian students over the past 23 years. The Hunter Scholarship concluded last year, but Trinity continued to offer scholarships to prom- ising Caymanian students. Zo- roro Mutomba received the scholarship this year. Caymanian students promoted in Canada From left, Caymanian students Jazz Pitcairn, Ryan Kirkaldy and Drew Lerikos, with Trinity College School headmaster Stuart Grainger. Roy Bodden, the president of the University College of the Cayman Is- lands, is to become a mentor in the Mas- terCard Foundation scholars program. The program provides scholar- ship money and support for students to attend schools and universities around the world. The aim is to help educate and coach future leaders, largely from sub- Saharan Africa. The students are sup- ported by a community of mentors, now including Mr. Bodden. Mr. Bodden said, “I am humbled by this invitation, especially in light of the fact that the good work being accom- plished at UCCI is on the radar of an international corporation of the mag- nitude of MasterCard. It will be my delight to offer mentorship, and I am sure that the experience will be highly rewarding and mutually beneficial.” It is anticipated that he will be as- signed a cohort of four scholars in October. Associate Program Manager Faith Biyapo stated in his invitation to Mr. Bodden, “When looking at our net- work, we thought of you as a natural choice, since your background, experi- ence and expertise would provide such a benefit to our scholars.” Mr. Bodden is the former educa- tion minister and founder of the col- lege’s Men of Standards mentoring and job skills development program for young men. UCCI PRESIDENT TAPPED FOR GLOBAL MENTORING ROLE3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 FLOWERS SEA SWIM 2016 SATURDAY JUNE 11 PHOTO CONTEST PHOTO CONTEST • www.caymancompass.com/contests • ENTER TO WIN • A private charter for up to 15 people on Cayman Private Charters’ 44 ft. ‘Paradise Breeze’ catamaran AND • A three course dinner (of their choosing) for 4 people at Ristorante Prima to include one bottle of Prosecco and two bottles of wine VISIT THE COMPASS PHOTO TENT 2016 Police defend Taser use Video shows police using Taser on suspect, pointing rifle at crowd CHARLES DUNCAN cduncan@pinnaclemedialtd.com Video footage of police of- ficers using a Taser on a man in George Town early Sat- urday morning has circulated widely around Cayman, gar- nering almost 40,000 views as of press time Monday. Po- lice say the man, who had a flare gun painted black to look like a real firearm, re- sisted arrest. The dark, shaky video, shot outside the Rooftop bar on Mary Street around 3 a.m., shows one officer push the suspect and another use a Taser on him in the middle of the street. The first officer points a rifle at a crowd gath- ered on the street, estimated by a police spokeswoman to be about 20 people, and yells at them to “get back” just be- fore the suspect stands up and runs away. Police say they caught up with the 22-year-old from East End, who again resisted arrest, and the officers used a Taser on him a second time. The video was posted to Facebook about 12 hours later on Saturday afternoon, prompting outraged com- ments, a debate over po- lice use of force, and threats against the officers involved. Jamal McLaughlin, who shot the video, said the first two officers on the scene “were being very aggressive.” He said he went out onto the street to look for a man he describes as his cousin. He said the two armed officers pulled the man’s hair and kicked him. In the video, the officer uses the Taser on the suspect more than once. With the of- ficers distracted by the crowd on the street, the man pulls out the probes from the Taser and runs down the street, ac- cording to the video and a police statement. In a statement released by police, spokeswoman Jacque- line Carpenter writes, “Since Friday night, a truncated video portraying only a slice of the incident described above has circulated widely on social media. Based on this video several people on- line have drawn conclusions about the incident in its en- tirety and added comments regarding officers’ conduct during a difficult and dan- gerous incident, even though not in possession of all the facts.” The statement continues, “Such commentary may even give validation to recalcitrant young people who are cre- ating a very unsafe environ- ment around places of en- tertainment for law-abiding citizens. In some cases, those online have even threatened certain officers who are as- sumed to have played some role in this incident.” In an unusual move, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service released a detailed narrative of what happened before and after the incident that was caught on film. Police say the two officers were responding to a 911 call about a man who showed a gun in the area. What is not seen in the video, police say, is that officers directed the man to stop and show his hands. “The man would not comply, at which point offi- cers commanded him to get down on the ground. The sus- pect still refused, backing away as if to run. One officer stepped forward to detain the man, who wriggled out of his grasp and escaped, during the course of which an ob- ject resembling a firearm fell from the man’s waistband,” police said. The police statement con- tinues, “The second officer pursued the man, who con- tinued to resist arrest and struggle with the officer, be- having in a threatening and aggressive manner. At this point, the officer deployed a Taser to contain the suspect. A crowd in the vicinity had gathered and advanced to- ward the officers in an ag- gressive and threatening manner. In the course of this, the suspect pulled the Taser probes from his body and ran away, pursued by the first officer along the side of building. Again the suspect challenged both officers and lunged at one of them, during which time the Taser was de- ployed again.” Mr. McLaughlin said po- lice used pepper spray on the crowd. “They sprayed pepper spray in a lot of people’s eyes,” he said. The police spokeswoman could not con- firm whether pepper spray was used on the crowd, but in a second video a red can- ister of spray is clearly vis- ible in a police officer’s hand as police push the crowd, including the man who took the video, away from the scene. Police say the suspect is now out on bail while inves- tigations continue. A second man, age 34, from George Town, was also arrested during the incident on sus- picion of obstructing po- lice. He was also released on police bail, according to the statement. Separate incident uncovers gun, drugs Police say this was not the first gun-related inci- dent of the night. At about 11:30 p.m., police say, they responded to a report re- garding three men on North Sound Road, one of whom allegedly had a gun. Police say one of the men ran off when they approached. Officers chased him behind a building near Welly’s Cool Spot, but he got away, police say. Of- ficers found a gun loaded with five rounds of ammu- nition in the area. Police also found “numerous pack- ages of ganja” in an aban- doned vehicle nearby. Ms. Carpenter, the po- lice spokeswoman, wrote in her statement, “Several in- cidents in recent months, including these last Friday, indicate an increased level of threat in the vicinity of night clubs on the week- ends. A firearm was recov- ered by police outside one night club on May 7, and in addition to these incidents outlined above last Friday, police also learned that ten knives were taken off pa- trons of another popular night club that night by se- curity guards.” In this image taken from video, a suspect lies on the ground as a police officer uses a Taser on him.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS The estimated $90 million in bad debts for public healthcare says much — but not much good — about the state of these islands. Last year, the revelation that Cayman Islands public hospitals had “doubtful debts” (i.e., bills that have been outstanding for more than 12 months) of more than $70 million sparked cries of outrage and consterna- tion among many of our readers, particularly since the cause of the accumulation of bad debts had been iden- tified as the deliberate decision by the government, as far back as 2010, not to pursue collection of debts through the courts. And yet, despite the harsh spotlight, the Health Services Authority’s unpaid receivables have accu- mulated at an accelerating rate — with $20 million in further bad debts racked up in the past year, twice as much as officials had estimated. Now, official expectations are that HSA will have more than $108 million in bad debts by Dec. 31, 2017. Whatever kind of calculator you’re using, it is clear that, in spite of very public warnings from auditors, top HSA brass and others in the community, our elected officials are allowing bad debts not only to go in the wrong direction, but to go in the wrong direction faster than ever. We can’t help but be reminded of former Com- plaints Commissioner Nicola Williams’s bombshell report showing that, in 2010, some 670 local busi- nesses were delinquent in paying their employee pensions. Three years later, that number had grown to 1,144 delinquent businesses. Where is the accountability? Contrast the government’s hands-off approach to the collection of the $90 million in public healthcare debts with police officers’ “handcuffs-on” approach to ensuring the payment of private debts, exempli- fied by the recent arrest and overnight detention of an American “soccer mom” over a disputed hotel bill of $233. We fail to see the proportionality. From the perspective of an individual, it only makes sense that the government’s pronouncement that it will not pursue healthcare debts would directly lead to an increase in those debts. Why should someone make financial sacrifices to pay (oftentimes astronomical) bills that the government essentially has announced it will waive? From the perspective of politicians, it is fairly unthinkable that anything will be done to collect on, reduce or even slow the accumulation of bad health- care debts — given that the next election is less than one year away, and, in all likelihood, much if not most of that debt is owed by voters. The problem, however, with “free” healthcare is that it isn’t free. Those debts that people aren’t paying (not to mention the $50 million or more in taxpayer money that flows annually to CINICO) represent subsi- dies being paid by “everyone else” in society. Some may argue that the public hospital can’t be expected to turn away sick or injured people without treatment, and point out that many hospitals (including Health City Cayman Islands) offer services at no cost, or according to patients’ ability to pay. That’s true, but there is a difference between those practices, and HSA’s bad debts — particularly because officials are not even attempting to make a distinction between those who can’t pay, and those who won’t. If our government’s position is that, as a matter of policy, everyone in Cayman has a right to “free” public healthcare — then at the very least it is a position that must be articulated, codified, calculated and budgeted for. A word of caution: That course, if our elected law- makers indeed choose to follow it, is a potentially disas- trous one. Universal healthcare, public pension enti- tlements and runaway civil service spending — as exemplified by places such as Greece and Venezuela — are, as we have written before, potential “country killers.” Turn for the worse: HSA’s accelerating unpaid debts In defense of vultures and bottom-feeders They clean up the mess beside the road that has been left there to rot. It is not a pleasant sight, but who can really object to the service these birds perform? Actually, the vultures I want to defend are not the feathered ones but the even uglier, so called, “bottom-feeders,” who take advantage of asset fire sales. I am trying to find words to explain the stupidity of the attack on people who swoop in to buy things when their prices are depressed that will not be insulting to the intelli- gence of non-economists. I think that every one un- derstands that if the demand for something increases its price will go up (or not fall as far). A so-called fire sale is when someone, often a com- pany facing bankruptcy, is forced to liquidate some or all of its assets in order to pay its bills. The forced sale often pushes the price of the asset below its true long-run value (to the extent anyone knows what that is). Bottom- feeders step in and buy when they think the price has fallen to or below that long- run value. If they are right, they will make money in the long run when the price of the asset recovers. Are they doing a bad thing? If we somehow could keep them out of the market, what would happen to the price of the asset being sold under duress? It would fall further, of course! If you think that these vultures are exploiting distressed sellers, you are free to offer a higher price. The attack on “payday lenders,” so called because borrowers use an upcoming paycheck as collateral, is a bit more subtle. Interest fees on these emergency loans are very high, as these risky borrowers don’t qualify for normal bank loans. Ac- cording to the Washington Post, “Each loan comes with steep fees. The CFPB found that payday borrowers pay a median US$15 in fees for every US$100 they borrow, amounting to an annual per- centage rate of 391 percent on a median loan of US$350.” The new Consumer Finan- cial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has just proposed “sweeping new rules” that will limit their use. As with restrictions on vulture investors (which for- tunately have not been pro- posed by the administration), restricting access to payday loans would force such bor- rowers to seek out loans with still worse terms or suffer the consequences of no loan. If you think that payday lenders are exploiting their customers, you are free to lend to them at better terms. However, restrictions on payday loans have a big brother, paternalistic purpose. The argument is that these emergency borrowers can’t be trusted to use the money re- sponsibly. “The agency found that about 80 percent of payday loans are rolled over into a repeat loan, causing fees to pile up for borrowers. Roughly 45 percent of payday customers take out at least four loans in a row.” It is appropriate to take away the freedom of choice from people judged mentally or emotionally incapable of exercising that judgment in their own best interest. The power to do this is poten- tially dangerous and should only be used sparingly and with careful judicial guide- lines and oversight. Danger- ously, our government has pushed this boundary far be- yond what can be justified in a free society. Big Brother has grown fat. A further step in the di- rection of ever more intrusive government is the new rules issued by the Obama ad- ministration that would re- quire investment advisors to put the interests of their cli- ents above their own. “Trade groups representing busi- nesses, Wall Street firms and other financial professionals joined forces to file a legal challenge against a new rule from the Obama administra- tion that would restrict the advice brokers and advisers can offer to retirement savers … The groups are attempting to block a rule announced by the Labor Department in April that created a higher standard for the invest- ment advice offered to re- tirement savers. The new regulations require brokers selling in- vestments for retirement ac- counts to put their clients’ interest ahead of their own,” according to the Post. Putting the interests of in- vestors above those of their advisors is a perfectly good standard. It is what I, and most people, expect from their financial advisors. The ques- tionable self-interest of the trade groups opposing it is obvious. It doesn’t follow that every good practice should be made a legal requirement enforced by the government, which is the direction we have been going in recent decades resulting in thousands and thousands of pages of regu- lations in almost every area of economic activity. Markets tend to adopt good practice on their own. Investment advisors who give the best advice from their clients’ point of view (rather than investments that might pay the advisors the highest commissions) are certainly more desirable to investors. The marketing issue is how to know and insure that is the standard followed by a particular advisor. If such a standard is written into your contract with your invest- ment advisor – something she would surely proudly ad- vertize – you would have the legal basis to sue if that stan- dard were violated. Private markets don’t have the best solutions to all prob- lems of product quality but they do have the best solu- tions in an ever-changing technical world for most of them when given the chance. Warren Coats, a former director of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, and former senior monetary policy adviser to the Central Bank of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kenya for the International Monetary Fund, is on the Editorial Board of Cayman Financial Review. WARREN COATS WARREN COATS PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” If you think that payday lenders are exploiting their customers, you are free to lend to them at better terms.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 Romanian fugitive fails in extradition appeal JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com The founder of Roma- nia’s secret police service will be sent home to face jail for corruption after his appeal against extradition from the Cayman Islands failed. Mihai Tanjala, also a former politician and entre- preneur in the former Com- munist country, had been on the run since 2011, when he was sentenced to five years in prison over a fraudulent business deal. He was caught in Cayman at the end of last year and, after a hearing in front of Chief Magistrate Nova Hall, he was ordered to be extra- dited back to Romania to serve out his sentence. He filed a writ of habeas corpus, alleging wrongful imprisonment in connec- tion with the extradition, the only legal avenue of appeal open to him. In a hearing last week, Tanjala repeated claims that he was innocent and suggested his prosecution in Romania had been politically motivated, in part, because of his links to the former Com- munist regime. Justice Malcolm Swift dis- missed those claims Friday. He said the matters raised by the defendant in his applica- tion were without foundation. “I can find no causal link between the allegations of impropriety raised by the applicant and his prosecu- tion/conviction. There is no credible evidence that the Romanian proceedings were conducted otherwise than in accordance with nat- ural justice or were unfair or were political or that it would be unjust or oppres- sive to return the applicant to Romania to serve his sen- tence. The application is re- fused and the warrant of committal stands.” During the original hearing in December last year, Tanjala, pleaded with the court not to send him back to Romania, claiming his life would be in danger. At one point during the hearing, he offered to serve out his sentence in the Cayman Islands and pay for the cost of his jail time. Tanjala had been living in the U.S. and seeking asylum prior to his arrival in Cayman. Court docu- ments suggest he dropped his asylum application and paid US$50,000 to allow him to depart the country. He entered Cayman un- detected after previously traveling through Cuba and the Bahamas. It was not until he tried to enter Ja- maica that officials spotted his name on an Interpol red list and found there was an international warrant out for his arrest. Prosecutor Cheryll Richards said during last week’s hearings that Tan- jala’s conduct did not sug- gest someone desperately seeking political asylum as he had suggested. “Rather it suggests someone seeking to escape justice whose plans were disrupted by his enforced re- turn from Jamaica to Grand Cayman,” she said. The judge’s decision means the original order for a writ of committal to be is- sued stands, and he will be handed over to Romanian authorities. Tanjala was con- victed in 2011 of deliber- ately underselling property of a company, part-owned by the Romanian state, to a family member. It was alleged that as administrator of the com- pany IC IGMUG SA Giurgiu, he had become aware of an offer to buy the property from another firm, Zone Li- bere SA. Instead of authorizing the deal, he orchestrated the sale of the asset to a com- pany owned by his wife for a fraction of the price. That company then made the deal with Zone Libere SA at a massive profit. The court heard that he had absconded from Ro- mania immediately after his conviction and had been a fugitive ever since. He claimed he was fleeing an in- justice and was attempting to reopen his case from exile in the U.S. Mihai Tanjala, also a former politician and entrepreneur in the former Communist country, had been on the run since 2011, when he was sentenced to five years in prison over a fraudulent business deal. KELSEY JUKAM kjukam@pinnaclemedialtd.com Speakers from around the world will gather in Grand Cayman this weekend at the “Queering Paradigms” con- ference to discuss social in- justices faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, in- tersex and queer and ques- tioning people in the Cayman Islands, the Caribbean and beyond. The conference, which is open to the public, is spon- sored by Canterbury Christ Church University in the U.K. It will be held Saturday and Sunday in the audito- rium of the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce in Governors Square. This is the first time the conference will be held in the Caribbean. Leonardo Raznovich, one of the organizers and a former Truman Bodden Law School lecturer, said the con- ference will highlight the so- cietal and legal plights of LG- BTIQ citizens in the Cayman Islands, acknowledging the difficulties of Cayma- nians whose voices have not been heard. “We really worked hard to put together something that could actually leave impor- tant tools for the government, for the people of the Cayman Islands, even for those who oppose the LGBT lifestyle, to just think about the issues,” Mr. Raznovich said. He said the aim of the con- ference is not to change peo- ple’s minds about whether they approve of LGBT life- styles, but he hopes it will help those opposed to LGBT lifestyles accept and respect LGBT people. “My spouse and I are currently in the midst of a legal challenge in respect of the Cayman Island govern- ment’s refusal to apply its own existing laws and grant me residency based on my same-sex marital status,” Mr. Raznovich said. “Unfor- tunately, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the U.K. has been of little sup- port, perhaps more occupied by tax matters rather than human rights violations. This conference is therefore timely and apposite.” He said he hopes the conference will also act as a “catalyst” to decrimi- nalize homosexuality in the Caribbean region. The conference kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Friday with a screening of the award- winning documentary “The Abominable Crime,” which explores the culture of ho- mophobia in Jamaica through the eyes of gay Ja- maicans who are forced to choose between their home- land and their lives after their sexual orientations are exposed. Jamaican activist Maurice Tomlinson will lead a dis- cussion about the film. Mr. Tomlinson, who has been a leading gay rights and HIV activist in the Caribbean for more than two decades, will also speak on Saturday during the first panel discus- sion, which focuses on LG- BTIQ issues in Jamaica. The second panel on Sat- urday will bring the is- sues home, focusing on Cay- manian voices. The panel features local LGBT ac- tivist Billy Bryan, Cayman Islands Red Cross Pro- grams Manager Carolina Ferreira, David Matheson and Olivia Connolly. Also on Saturday, panel- ists from around the world will discuss LGBTIQ is- sues in countries such as Ghana, Russia, Italy, Britain and France. On Sunday, panels during the first half of the day will focus on the topics of “Queer Kinship, Law and Philosophy” and “Queer US (His)Stories and Discourses.” The keynote panels begin Sunday afternoon, first with a discussion of human rights. Mr. Raznovich will give an in- troductory talk titled “Queer Aggression? The ‘unorth- odoxy’ of Human Rights Claims in the Cayman Is- lands,” discussing the trials and tribulations of his own human rights challenges in the jurisdiction. Then, keynote speaker Eu- genio Raúl Zaffaroni, judge at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, will give a talk about the criminal pros- ecution of sexual orientation and its effect on the mental health of a society. There are still 11 jurisdictions in the Caribbean where LGBTIQ individuals are criminalized. The conference wraps up Sunday with a panel on the topic of queer religion. Bee Scherer, founder of the “Queering Paradigms” con- ference series and director of the INCISE (Intersectional Centre for Inclusion and So- cial Justice) research insti- tute at Canterbury Christ Church University, will give an introductory talk before the Bishop of Buckingham, Bishop Alan Wilson will speak on “Same-sex marriage and the queering project of Jesus.” He will discuss the U.K.’s experience with the in- troduction of same-sex mar- riage and describe the im- pact of changes in the U.K. marriage practice on both church and state. His talk will link this experience to an “emerging notion that queering is an activity man- dated by various subversive elements in the teaching of Jesus,” according to the con- ference program. Mr. Raznovich said he hopes religious people will take the opportunity to come to the conference and speak and debate with Bishop Wilson, and that the confer- ence will help everyone in the Cayman Islands understand that people in this part of the world “want to live in a free and peaceful society.” “This is a great oppor- tunity to learn about issues that are perhaps not properly covered here through educa- tion or policies of the govern- ment,” Mr. Raznovich said. The conference runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. No registration is required to attend. Capacity is limited to 90 people. Conference will address LGBT issues in Cayman and beyond BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands elected officials will not receive a modest bonus being given to civil servants this month, Finance Minister Marco Ar- cher confirmed Monday. The one-time bonus paid to civil servants will equal 2.2 percent of the em- ployee’s annual salary. For example, someone in the civil service who earns $40,000 per year will re- ceive an extra $880. The payment will be made be- fore the end of the current 2015/16 budget year, which closes on June 30. Minister Archer said there is no plan for an across-the-board pay raise for civil servants during the upcoming 2016/17 fiscal year, although there may be some targeted pay raises for civil servants to address ongoing pay disparities where those workers have not received an increase in salary for a number of years. The pay bonuses in June were given to recog- nize “valuable contribu- tions civil servants have made in the past year,” Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin an- nounced during his budget policy address. The targeted salary raises in certain civil ser- vice departments – which have not been identi- fied – will arise in situ- ations where the annual pay for civil service em- ployees who have been in jobs for a number of years has been “frozen” due to budget constraints. Mean- while, new hires in the civil service are brought in at the “market rate,” creating a pay disparity. “Some civil ser- vants have had their pay frozen for seven years, but new entrants can get pay increases,” Mr. McLaughlin said. Some $2 million has been set aside in the up- coming budget to address the disparity issue, Mr. Ar- cher said. LAWMAKERS WILL NOT GET 2.2 PERCENT BONUS Leonardo Raznovich The 2.2 percent increase applies only to civil servants, not legislators. – PHOTO: MATT LAMERSTUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS 6 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay In the June, 8, 1966 edition of the Caymanian Weekly, a precursor of the Cayman Compass, West Bay correspondent Leila Yates wrote: “Mr. Arthur Ebanks, an officer of the Customs Department, is on 3 months leave. He has taken an ex- cursion trip to the U.S. to visit his daughter, Grace, who is at Wilson College in Pennsylvania, and other relatives in the U.S. “Mr. and Mrs. Creswell Powery and son returned on May 29. Mr. Powery was in Jamaica attending the police training school. His wife and son went to be with him. “Mr. Tom Ashton Hopkins is on vacation. He arrived from Jamaica on the 4th and left for his home in Miami on the 5th. “Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Bush ar- rived on the 4th from Jamaica. Mrs. Gertie Bush came on the same plane, after spending a few weeks with her daughter Celeste. “Mr. and Mrs. Calvert Ebanks are the happy parents of an 8 pound son, born on the 1st. “A daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Mellis McKenzie on the 3rd, weighing 7 and a half pounds. “Mrs. Kaisley Welds and two children left on the 2nd for Jamaica. “Mrs. Joseph Ebanks (Nessie) passed away on the night of Saturday the 4th. She was 75 years of age and had been in failing health for quite a while. She became worse on Saturday and was taken to hospital where she died. Fu- neral service was held in the United Church, conducted by the Rev. Ray- mond Coke on the 5th. “Left to mourn are her husband, four sons – Ellsworth and Harris in the U.S., and Cecil and John at home – two daughters, Mrs. Wyman Hydes and Hilda, West Bay, one son- in-law and one daughter-in-law, one granddaughter, two sisters, Mrs. Carson Yates and Mrs. Karl Jackson in the U.S. Her body was interred in the West Bay Cemetery.” 50 years ago: Summer visitors and new babies Sweethearts tie the knot ALMA CHOLLETTE achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com For Kimberlee Rivers and Michael Taylor, officially tying the knot was naturally the next step, after spending four years together and being engaged for nine months. On May 25, officiant Joy Basdeo married the couple be- fore a number of guests in an intimate ceremony at the Simply Weddings studio in George Town. The bride, an early childhood education major at Northern Caribbean Univer- sity, and the groom, a safety of- ficer, both met five years ago at Cayman Academy, where they were students. Mr. Taylor waited three years to ask his now-wife for her hand. “He proposed to me on the 27th of August,” she said the bride. “We were at Camana Bay.” Said Mrs. Rivers-Taylor, who has always wanted to get married, “I giggled and said, ‘Of course.’” She was given away in a flower-embellished, ivory knee- length dress by Tamykal James, a close friend of her husband’s. She said her favorite part of the wedding was when the couple exchanged their vows. “It reminded me that we’ll be in this for the long run, [and] that I’ll get to spend the rest of my life annoying my very best friend.” As for the groom, sealing their marriage with a kiss was his favorite recollection. The bride decided to adopt her husband’s surname and re- tain her own, “as there is only a handful of us with that last name,” she said. “The majority of my father’s family is in Honduras, so I’d like to keep the only real thing that I have to represent them.” Mrs. Rivers-Taylor, who turns 20 in July, was born in Stake Bay, Cayman Brac. Her husband, Michael, who hails from Georgetown, Guyana, is 20. The couple reside in West Bay, and will be taking their honeymoon this summer. “It has always been my dream to visit Sea World and Disney World. I never had the opportunity as a child,” she said. “However, now that I’m mar- ried, I would love to fulfill my childhood dreams.” “We’re still contemplating on whether [our honeymoon] should be on a seven-day Ca- ribbean cruise or in Orlando for seven days where we could visit Sea World and Disney World and tackle shopping simultane- ously,” she said. “I think we are beginning to gear towards the Orlando trip.” For the couple, who held their reception at Alfresco, an- other ceremony and recep- tion in December are in the works to allow members of both their families to attend, as the majority of the bride’s family was absent. When asked of what had prompted him to ask Kim- berlee for her hand in mar- riage nine months ago, Mr. Rivers said: “I love her end- lessly, and she has always been a wonderful encourage- ment to me. As a man, I ap- preciated that and knew that it was she that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.” “I would like to give a little piece of advice to other young couples wishing to marry each other, whether it’s in the near or distant future,” said Mrs. Rivers-Taylor. “You should always en- sure that both parties love each other and are somewhat if not fully compatible. Other than that, everything and everyone else is irrelevant.”Newlyweds Kimberlee and Michael. - PHOTOS: TRAVIS THOMPSON West Bay residents Michael Taylor and Kimberlee Rivers-Taylor at Simply Weddings, moments after being pronounced husband and wife.CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 7 DISTRICT DAYS District Days West Bay Sharks celebrated at West Bay festival There were sharks galore at the “SharKY Fest” in West Bay on Sat- urday – on a big projector screen, on children’s posters, on photographs, on arm and ankle tattoos, beer cans and, of course, on everyone’s lips. SharKY Fest, organized by the Department of Environment and Marine Conservation Interna- tional, aimed to educate people on the importance of sharks to Cay- man’s marine environment and to the economy. The event, at Divetech at Light- house Point on North West Point Road, was part awareness and edu- cation effort, and part celebration of the one-year anniversary of legisla- tion that gives sharks legal protec- tion in the Cayman Islands. Heavy rain and blustery condi- tions throughout Grand Cayman did not keep the crowds away from the family friendly day, which fea- tured video and Powerpoint dem- onstrations on shark identification, tagging and conservation; shark- themed face painting and cup- cakes; temporary shark tattoos: and some free White Tip beer from the Cayman Islands Brewery. Tim Austin and John Bothwell of the Department of Environment dis- cussed the National Conservation Law, adopted in 2015, which pro- vides complete protection of sharks in Cayman waters. The DoE urged people to sign up as spotters to help keep track of the number of sharks in local wa- ters and thus keep tabs on sharks that are already tagged as part of a monitoring program. They also want help in gathering photographs and details of untagged sharks. Underwater photographer Ellen Cuylaerts posted a small exhibit of her shark photos and photos of other marine life, including manta rays. “I love sharks,” Ms. Cuylaerts said in her presentation, in which she discussed how she manages to get so close to them for her photos. She has been in the water with enough sharks to recognize when they are calm and pose no threat. She pointed to one example which shows a shark with its fins pointing down and its mouth closed, seemingly gliding se- renely through the water. The an- imal seems to be just inches from the camera. “See, the shark is very calm,” Ms. Cuylaerts told the wide- eyed audience. “I trust sharks enough that I let my teenage children in the water with them,” she said, showing images of her son and daughter swimming with sharks. She showed another image of a group of four or five sharks, crowded together just under the water’s surface, side by side. “This is one of my favorites,” she said. “They look like gossiping housewives.” Marine Conservation Interna- tional shark researcher Mauvis Gore highlighted the monetary rewards of having a healthy shark popula- tion in local waters. She gave de- tails from one study that estimates the total potential value of sharks to Cayman’s economy as between $46.8 million and $62.6 million. She pointed out that divers and other tourists who come to Cayman to explore its underwater world want to see sharks and will return to a destination where seeing the creatures regularly is likely. Between presentations, the Swanky Kitchen Band kept toes tapping, and staff at Vivo restau- rant circulated with plates of free lionfish and falafel sandwiches. Kids also got in on the act with artwork for a poster competition that attracted dozens of entries. Some highlighted man’s ongoing ill-treatment of sharks, and others emphasized how vital the animals are to a balanced ecosystem. First prizes in the senior and junior poster competition went to Maleek Powell, 13, and Sashka Parker, 6, respectively. Maleek won a helicopter ride and Sashka won a camera from Cathy Church’s camera shop. Bijou Forget took second place in the senior competition and Lauren Doud was third. Matthew Parchment and Ava Brown placed second and third, respectively, in the junior competition. The posters will be displayed at the Government Administration Building over the next month. The winning poster in the senior competition, by Maleek Powell. Marine biology student on track to success A young West Bay woman studying in England is making her mark overseas and recently scored a notable first for the Cayman Islands. Monique Banker, who is studying marine biology and coastal ecology at Plym- outh University, was se- lected this year to represent her school in the annual Mr. and Mrs. ACS (African-Carib- bean Society) UK 2016 cam- paign. She placed among the top competitors, a notable finish for Caribbean pageant participants. The African-Caribbean Society aims to inspire, cul- tivate and connect young university students of Af- rican and Caribbean heritage across the U.K. Each partici- pating school’s representative to the competition was se- lected after an audition, and the finalists were chosen by online voting. “I was able to make it through to the finals at the pageant, which took place on April 4, and I placed second runner-up against 11 other contestants who were from African descent,” said Ms. Banker. “From an initial field of competitors from over 60 uni- versities, I am the first Carib- bean student that has placed in the top three of this cul- tural pageant, and I was the only Caribbean student this year in the competition. I not only represent Cayman, but the Caribbean as a whole,” she said. With the pageant over, Ms. Banker is now more focused than ever on achieving her goals. Ms. Banker, who attended West Bay Primary and Triple C High School, has had a pas- sion for the sea from an early age. She graduated from Charles W. Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and then headed to the U.K. to attend university. For a year after high school, she was a natu- ralist assistant for the Ambassadors of the Environ- ment program at The Ritz- Carlton, Grand Cayman. She worked with marine biolo- gists to educate children and adults about environmental protection and conservation, presenting lessons on sting- rays, turtles and parrot fish, and assisting with snorkel excursions, kayaking, under- water photography, Botanic Park tours and sustainable living lessons. Ms. Banker says working with renowned marine ecol- ogist Richard C. Murphy in- spired her to pursue a career in marine biology. She said that witnessing the tremen- dous amount of rubbish that is dumped in the ocean each year sparked her desire to preserve marine animals and their habitats. Ms. Banker plans on fin- ishing her undergraduate de- gree in two years and wants to continue her studies for a master’s degree and a Ph.D., with the goal of pursuing the area of marine affairs. “I’m very passionate about the environment because I would like for future gen- erations to appreciate what I got to love and appreciate growing up in the Cayman Islands. I also would like to gain experience working overseas before coming back to work in Cayman,” she said. “[Ultimately] I would like to come back to Cayman and run for a seat in government to help [put] in place laws that will help protect and conserve the environment and surrounding waters of Cayman.” Monique Banker at the pageant. Junior poster competition Sashka Parker, 6, receives her prize from the Department of Environment’s Wendy Williams. Photographer Ellen Cuylaerts with some of her photos of sharks, many taken up close and personal. - PHOTOS: NORMA CONNOLLY Sashka Parker’s winning poster. Monique Banker is studying at Plymouth University.8 HEALTH NEWS TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 • CAYMAN COMPASS DIRECTOR Y & WEBSITE Health & Wellness CAYMAN’S PREMIER GUIDE T O DIRECTORY • WEBSITE • MAGAZINE • APP CAYMAN HEALTH IS A PUBLICATION OF PINNACLE MEDIA LTD. T: 345-949-5111 ext. 247 E: sales@caymanhealth.com The launch of Cayman Health Directory and Caymanhealth.com is approaching! Don’t miss your opportunity to be in this annual health and wellness resource for the Cayman Islands. • Free access (print & online) by all residents and visitors • Print distribution to residences, practitioners, businesses and hotels • Powerful online search engine with Google Maps • Online glossary of health and wellness terms • Online “Health Alert” links Time is running out… “Our goal is to provide informative and comprehensive resources to help improve and save lives in the Cayman Islands.” – VICKI LEGGE PUBLISHER, CAYMAN HEALTH Spotlight your health and wellness products and medical services. • Introductory Bonus Offers available until June 24th Hospital waiting room upgraded ALMA CHOLLETTE achollette@pinnaclemedialtd.com The critical care unit of the Cayman Islands Hospital is now a more welcoming place, thanks largely to the efforts of one woman who has spent many hours in the hospital’s waiting rooms over the years. Heather Bodden, whose family and friends have been in and out of the hos- pital, found common ground with others who had to sit and wait for hours for news about their loved ones. She spent a lot of time at the hospital because her fa- ther was there often in the three years before he passed away, and she could not help but be aware of the uncom- fortable chairs and bare environment in the drab waiting area. “I just thought one day I would just take matters into my own hands,” said Ms. Bodden, who joined the hospi- tal’s beautification committee. Now, instead of hard chairs, tiles and pale walls, the waiting room features a sectional sofa, laminated wood flooring, brightly painted walls and custom window treatments. The yearlong project was completed in mid-May and officially opened last week. After Ms. Bodden joined the beautification committee, she reached out to people for help and received many pos- itive responses, with nearly a dozen donors coming on board. “I told them what I was spearheading and what I was doing it for,” she said. “They were happy to be a part of [the project].” As the project got under way, the most challenging aspect turned out to be the furniture. According to Lizzette Yearwood, chief executive of- ficer of the Health Services Authority, “We need hospital- grade furniture [and] it’s not any and every furniture that you can get [that can be used in the hospital]. It has to be medical furniture.” After the flooring and the blinds were installed, other details, like plant decorations, were added. However, the project does not end there. “There are other areas of the hospital that need atten- tion,” Ms. Bodden said, “and we’re appealing to companies to come forward and take one of the little areas that we are hoping to improve.” Waiting rooms in the pe- diatrics, maternity and med- ical wards and the ambula- tory care unit are considered to be those most in need of a makeover. “We have worked with many people on [this project], and we’re not [refurbishing] only for the people visiting their loved ones,” she said. “We’re doing this for the staff also.” From left, Primrose Clarke, Stephanie McLean and Ian Miller sit in the newly redecorated waiting room of the Cayman Islands Hospital’s critical care unit. – PHOTO: ALMA CHOLLETTE HEALTH CITY NEAR AGREEMENT TO BRING PATIENTS FROM BVI TAD STONER tstoner@pinnaclemedialtd.com A visit to Cayman last week by the British Virgin Is- lands health minister marks the final stage of an agree- ment to bring between 300 and 500 patients annually to Health City Cayman Islands. The three-day visit by Minister of Health and Social Development Ronnie Skelton will put Health City at the top of the BVI government’s list for medical tourism, rec- ommending Health City Cayman Islands to patients who otherwise would have to fly to Miami for attention. Health City Marketing Di- rector Shomari Scott said of Mr. Skelton’s visit, “We have all the pieces lined up, and he was here for a last visit to get the paperwork in order.” Health City, which opened in February 2014, was de- signed for medical tourism, to offer patients in the Carib- bean and the Americas less costly healthcare in a range of areas, including cardiac and orthopedic procedures, at a fraction of North Amer- ican prices. “We have a lot of other agreements in the region,” Mr. Scott said, “like the Turks and Caicos Islands, Antigua and Jamaica, and we have people working on others in Anguilla, St. Kitts and Hon- duras. We’ve done St. Martin as well. “We’ve had the Montserrat health minister here also. BVI is just part of the mix.” Health City officials have met with BVI insurers, in- cluding the national health agency, which, Mr. Scott said, has given its approval for treatment at the facility in East End. “The region has 31 is- lands and that means 31 different healthcare sys- tems, so, depending on each country, we develop some- thing appropriate. You need to go the health insurers in every country. “But we have established our part now in BVI,” he said. “This could mean, say, be- tween 300 patients and 500 patients each year, mostly cardiac cases, but some or- thopedic, some spine [pa- tients] and some neurosur- gery,” he added.9 HEALTH NEWS 9 CAYMAN COMPASS • TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2016 Myths and facts about back pain When it comes to back pain, it is difficult to com- pare one person’s experience to another’s as there are so many possible causes. Often it is even more difficult to de- termine what is the best way to go forward with treatment. Typically, people present to a healthcare professional for help after trying var- ious home remedies, some of which work and some which may make things worse. The many myths about the causes of back pain and the best way to treat back pain only further complicates matters. Myth: Back pain is what happens to other people. Fact: Statistically, back pain affects anywhere from 70 percent to 80 percent of the adult population at some point in their lifetime. Issues related to back pain are the leading cause of disability of men over the age of 45. Back pain is the second most common reason for a visit to a primary care doctor. If you have a spine, it is not if you will experience back pain but when. Myth: Paralysis can occur with a bad low back injury. Fact: The spinal cord ends in the upper part of the low back at the top of the lumbar spine just below the ribcage. Past that point, the spinal cord turns into what is called the Cauda Equina because it looks like a horse’s tail. These filaments are very tough and difficult to compress. Pa- ralysis is only seen with se- vere issues such as spinal in- fections/tumors and severe spine fractures. Myth: Severe back pain means something is really wrong. Fact: The perception of pain can be magnified for several reasons. Depression, acute inflammation, emotional responses and muscle spasm can all magnify the level of pain that is experienced due to what would otherwise be considered minor issues. Myth: An MRI scan or other diagnostic test is needed to diagnose my back problem. Fact: Almost all back problems can be success- fully treated based on the information from a thor- ough history and phys- ical examination. An MRI scan should be performed if you are experiencing fever, muscle weakness in the legs, a change in bowel/bladder function, have a history of cancer, recent severe trauma or failure to respond to appropriate treatment. Myth: Every problem found on the MRI should be treated. Fact: Many people who have never had an episode of low back pain will have issues pop up on their MRI scan. Herniated discs and degenerative discs will typi- cally show up on adults with no history of low back pain. An MRI scan may lead to unnecessary surgery and is thought to be the reason why there has been a 300 per- cent increase in surgery rates over the past decade. Typi- cally, only 4 percent to 6 per- cent of low back problems require surgery. Myth: There is a stan- dard “cure” for most causes of back and neck pain. Fact: It is likely the more spine specialists you see for low back pain, the more opposing diagnosis and treatment recommendations you will receive. Practitio- ners in different fields (chi- ropractors, physical thera- pists, orthopedics, family medicine) will often disagree on the diagnosis and the proper way to treat the con- dition. It is not uncommon for practitioners in the same field to widely differ in their opinions. Myth: Low back pain means bed rest. Fact: A short period of bed rest may help acute low back pain, particularly if there is disc involvement. However, more than two days of rest can actually prolong your recovery, increase pain and lead to other health issues. Myth: Chiropractors crack your bones. Fact: A chiropractic ad- justment is a manual proce- dure that decrease pain and restores function of joints by improving joint mobility and the tone of the sur- rounding soft tissues. The au- dible sound sometimes heard during an adjustment is caused by the slight opening of the joint space and the release of gas within that space. It is the same sound heard when someone “cracks” their knuckles. Myth: Obesity does not cause back pain. Fact: The American Obe- sity Association reports epi- sodes of back pain are prev- alent among the nearly one-third of Americans who are obese. It is not known exactly how excess weight causes back pain. The leading theory is that the extra body weight compresses the joints of the spine and squeezes the intervertebral discs. Also, high amounts of belly fat can contribute to a “sway- back” posture which places greater stress on the joints of the low back. Dr. Jemal Khan is a chiropractor based in the Cayman Islands. TIME to ALIGN DR. JEMAL KHAN When to give up: Treatment or comfort for late-stage cancer? CHICAGO (AP) – Two months before Joe Clark died of colon cancer at age 31, a doctor gently told him it was time to stop treatment. He had suffered through more than a year of che- motherapy that produced painful sores in his mouth, last-ditch major abdom- inal surgery had left be- hind excruciating scar tissue, and hope had dried up. But the end of treatment had a surprise effect on Clark and his wife. “It was a whole new way of thinking to wrap our minds around,” his widow, Amanda Evans-Clark re- called. No more “fight mode,” she said. “We finally felt like we were allowed to live.” When to stop aggres- sive treatment is one of the most wrenching decisions in cancer care. Medical guide- lines say dying cancer pa- tients should not get harsh and painful treatment, but new research suggests it hap- pens almost all of the time. During their last month alive, three out four cancer patients younger than 65 got too-aggressive treatment and only a handful got com- fort-based hospice care in- stead, according to the re- cent study. There are many reasons why, but one of them is this, said University of Chicago palliative care specialist Dr. Monica Malec: “There’s nearly nothing harder than being faced with a patient who’s begging you not to give up on them.” Dying patients and their families are sometimes in de- nial about their illness, and sometimes do not understand the limitations of medical treatment, the researchers and other specialists say. Those misunderstandings can often be avoided if doc- tors begin end-of-life conver- sations early in the process of treating patients whose cancers are likely to be deadly. But those talks often never happen, Malec said, or they do not happen until the situation has progressed to crisis, because they’re just too difficult. The new study is an anal- ysis of health claims data in- volving more than 28,000 cancer patients who died be- tween 2007 and 2014. Their end-of-life treatment included hospitalizations, chemo- therapy and invasive proce- dures. Fewer than one in five patients received hospice care. “There are hundreds if not thousands who undergo too much therapy and too much suffering for every one person that we have who ends up having a miracle,” said Dr. Otis Brawley, the American Cancer Society’s chief medical officer. The study was presented Monday in Chicago at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting. Dr. Ronald Chen, the study’s lead author and a cancer specialist at the Uni- versity of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, said the deci- sion is still a struggle, even when he knows hospice might be the right choice. “If I can offer chemotherapy or if I can offer radiation treat- ment, then I’m not giving up hope,” he said. Wendy Sparks of Okla- homa City says watching her elderly mother and younger sister both die of cancer within the last three years changed her thoughts about end-of-life treatment. Her mother stopped chemo after her doctor assured her that ending treatment did not mean giving up. But her sister, Nikki Stienman, kept up the treatment and suffered severe side effects from what her sister thinks was a needless final round of chemotherapy before she died at 38 of meta- static lung cancer in 2013. “You’re not giving up if you don’t do treatment,” Sparks said. “You’re still fighting for your life, in a dif- ferent way. You’re fighting to have good days.” Dr. Andrew Epstein, a pal- liative care expert with the oncology society, said the new research, which echoes studies in older cancer pa- tients, is important because less is known about end-of life care for younger patients. Too few doctors know about hospice, which is among the best but most under-used resources, he said. But abandoning treat- ment and seeking hospice care is sometimes seen as surrendering, especially with young patients, said Amer- ican Cancer Society’s Brawley. “When you’re dealing with young people, in their ‘40s, ‘50s, even ‘60s, it’s just so diffi- cult to accept that this person is going to die,” he said. Back pain affects between 70 and 80 percent of the adult population at some point in their lifetime. Dr. Ronald C. Chen consults with colleague Misty Lehman-Davis on a cancer patient’s scans at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Chen is the lead author on a new study of aggressive cancer treatment in the last month of a patient’s life. – PHOTO: AP Medical guidelines say dying cancer patients should not get harsh and painful treatment, but new research suggests it happens almost all of the time.Next >