DR News
Dr. Clemente Terrero, the deputy director of the Robert Reid Cabral Children’s Hospital, told the Diario Libre that a five-year old boy who had been hospitalized with the clinical symptoms of human rabies had not been administered the anti-rabies vaccine within the timeframe established in the protocols for these cases. This was in the Elio Fiallo Hospital in Pedernales. This apparent neglect is more bewildering given two recent fatalities from this disease in recent weeks being reported in that region.
Terrero said in a telephone interview that “in this case the child was not vaccinated when he was taken to the hospital, but ten days later they began the vaccination process, but by then it was too late.” Dr. Terrero said: “We have a serious situation in the country. An outbreak of canine rabies and now we can say that we have human rabies, because there have been three cases in Pedernales. There have been four deaths attributed to the disease this year, which if it shows clinical symptoms is nearly impossible to cure. The doctors said that the chances of curing it are minimal.
Public Health Minister Rafael Sanchez Cardenas confirmed to reporters that the failure to follow protocols at the Elio Fiallo Hospital in Pedernales was a major factor in the two fatalities registered, so far, and he called upon the National Health Service (SNS) to investigate and apply sanctions against those that acted with negligence in these cases. The minister also expressed regret that the child who is currently being treated at the Robert Reid Cabral Hospital has to be officially diagnosed at the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, because the local rabies center is undergoing a major remodeling.
Dr. Sanchez Cardenas said that there is a team of specialists in Pedernales going house to house to investigate if other persons have been bitten by dogs of other animals. The Ministry is also using social media to inform the public regarding of the dangers and symptoms of human and canine rabies. The Ministry has an on-going campaign to vaccinate all the dogs and cats in the city of Pedernales as well as in the countryside.
Dr. Chanel Rosa Chupany, director of the SNS, said that persons bitten by an animal need to take several doses of anti-rabies vaccine in the first 28 days, undergo lab tests and the animal needs to be taken under surveillance. He urged that all cases be immediately reported to the Direcciones Provinciales de Salud (DPS), the regional health agencies.
He explained that the anti-rabies center was closed following a recommendation from the Panamerican Health Organization that said that vaccines should be available at all health centers and not in a single specialized center.
The former president of the Dominican Medical Guild (CMD) observed that while the Centro Antirrabico operated with limitations tests to determine rabies were made there. Now the samples have to be sent to the Atlanta-based CDC labs in the United States. He said this increases the vulnerability to the mortal illness. Rabies cannot be treated in humans, only in the dogs.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Dec 26, 2018
The Center for Emergency Operations reported 10 persons dead in violent incidents and over 200 injjured over the Christmas holiday. Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo said the 911 Emergency System attended to 1,087 emergency cases and 196 road assistance cases on the peak days of 24 and 25 December 2018.
But the focus is on prevention, especially when driving in these days when there is no restriction on alcohol sales.
With more than 1,000 accidents being attended to in just one public hospital in Santo Domingo, the month of December has shown an alarming propensity for the public to disregard highway safety and common sense. The director of the Public Trauma Hospital Dario Contreras is calling for a ban or strict limitations on motorcycles over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The Minister of Public Health was one of the first to voice this possible solution to the traffic dangers on the nation’s roads.
Of the 1,190 accident victims treated at the Dario Contreras, 735 were either the driver or a passenger on motorcycles, some 66.7%. Dr. Jose Aponte said that 49% of the yearly expenditures at the hospital involve treating accident victims, the majority of whom need intensive care that costs RD$50,000 a day. Fractures can cost RD$70,000 for three months of rehab work.
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Dec 26, 2018
Sunday evening a spectacular Christmas gala concert took place in the amphitheater at the Malecón of Puerto Plata. Thanks to the sponsorship by Senator José Ignacio Paliza and some companies in Puerto Plata, the Gala was free of charge to the public. That was noticeable, because the amphitheater was packed with the most enthusiastic crowd.
The gala opened early in the evening by the 95 musicians of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra. They played well-known folk songs and the audience sang along. Next singer Maridalia Hernández performed beautiful ballads accompanied by the National Youth Symphony Orchestra. Then followed a performance by the well-known accordionist Francisco Ulloa with traditional merengue songs. The National Youth Symphony Orchestra played a mix of well-known Christmas carols at which the audience once again sang along. The musical evening ended with a performance by Fernando Villalona, also known as El Mayimbe and the king of the merengue and ballads. The concert eventually ended with a fantastic fireworks show.
Source: Sosua News
Dec 26, 2018
Those who had hopes President Danilo Medina would veto the bill that divides the city of Santiago could be soon disappointed. As of 26 December 2018, with the 10-day deadline looming for the bill that passed on 19 December, this had not happened. It is likely the end of year date was chosen so as to take advantage that people were more into partying than serious issues. The Constitution says if the bill is not observed or signed into law, it will become law just with the publishing by the Chamber of Deputies instead of the Presidency.
The bill has already met with the opposition of the top echelons of the business community. The Archbishop of Santiago, Monsignor Freddy de Jesús Bretón Martínez expressed his opposition saying that the split would bring chaos and anarchy to the modern city that is organized because of the joint efforts of social, business and city authorities.
Yet a minority is jumping with joy over the legislative approval of the separation of “West Santiago” from Santiago de los Caballeros, there are other sectors that see the division of the nation’s second largest city as a disaster-in-waiting. Some of the local teachers and so-called “popular leaders” held a press conference to announce that several civic sectors were overjoyed by the news of the congressional approval of the plan to divide the city. They said that the measure that separates Cienfuegos, El Ingenio and some 80 smaller communities from Santiago de los Caballeros was the result of 10 years of lobbying.
Nevertheless, in a meeting with Santiago Mayor Abel Martinez, other leaders, business and industrial community leaders told the mayor they totally reject the move to divide the city. The head of the Santiago Strategic Development Council, Juan Carlos Ortiz, called instead for all to work for common goals. The head of the Chamber of Commerce noted that cities in other countries that underwent sub-divisions are now reverting to their former status.
While there are obvious political maneuverings involved in creating a new municipal district, there are other, more important economic issues to consider. As reported in the El Caribe, the city of Santiago de los Caballeros could lose as much as 30% of its budget if the President signs off on this legislation. This is due to the fact that the area that would become the new municipality comprises about 33% of the population of Santiago, and according to the Municipal Law176-07 on cities and municipal districts, each district has to have a director and three councilmembers. The proposed West Santiago, with a population of over 200,000 would have an even greater number of council members than the city of Santiago.
The position of the Santiago Development Council is that the division would not solve problems but would create a great number of new problems: access to the municipal garbage site in Rafey; access to the Santiago Municipal Cemetery at El Ingenio and the water supply for the area would fall under the new authorities of Santiago West.
If the President does not veto the legislative bill that splits Santiago into two, the city government of Abel Martinez will lose an important revenue source, the Rafey garbage treatment center and the municipal El Ingenio cemetery. There is speculation a legal battle over the rights to these areas and services could be forthcoming. An estimated 33% of the 700,000 inhabitants of the city of Santiago would now fall under the to-be-created city government of Santiago West.
Several of those in opposition to the measure foresee legal battles looming on the horizon. According to Edwin Espinal Hernandez, Article 193 of the Constitution calls for territorial organization that leads to development and stability. Espinal notes that “everything points to the fact that rational decision making, in all aspects, was absent with the creation of Santiago West.”
Source: DR1, DiarioLibre
Dec 26, 2018
PUERTO PLATA.- A total of 6 thousand 900 tourists arrived Tuesday at the modern Amber Cove terminal of Maimon in the western part of this San Felipe municipality of Puerto Plata, aboard the Carnival Magic cruises, coming from Miami and Carnival Ecstasy, coming from Charleston. The guests stayed in “The Bride of the Atlantic” for 8 hours enjoying excursions to different attractions and then set sail at 6:00 in the afternoon towards Grand Turks and Saint Thomas, respectively.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
Dec 20, 2018
PUERTO PLATA.- The athlete Ravel Jiménez, representative of the North Zone, became the winner of the gold medal of the windsurfing event held on the beaches of Cabarete.
Cabarete, located in the eastern part of the province of Puerto Plata, was sub-headquarters of the XIV Mirabal Hermanas Mirabal 2018 National Games, where Jimenez, from the Northern zone, won the gold medal.
Jiménez was followed by Jesús Burgos, representative of the Metropolitan Area, who won the silver medal and Yeudy Vásquez, from Zone 5, who won the bronze medal.
The sports province director in Puerto Plata, Neftalí Lamouth and Tamara Valdez, the secretary general of the Dominican Sailing Federation, handed medals to the winners of the sailing competition.
Source: Puerto Plata Digital
Dec 20, 2018
The Center for Emergency Operations (COE) announced its Safe Christmas Operation 2018-2019 that calls for the participation of 39,233 persons, including physicians, paramedics, military, police, search and rescue specialists and volunteers. The effort includes prevention awareness actions to reduce food and alcohol intoxication and traffic accidents.
On roads around the country, some 1,831 aid stations have been set up at critical points. Assisting the brigades are 139 ambulances, three helicopters, 95 units for rapid response, 23 vehicular rescue units and nine regional command centers, as well as 33 mobile car workshops.
The National Transit and Transport Institute (Intrant) announced the usual ban on cargo trucks transiting from Sunday, 23 December through Wednesday, 26 December 2018 and from Sunday, 30 December through Wednesday, 2 January 2019.
Source: DR1
Dec 20, 2018
The South Zone is celebrating having been chosen by the government to host the 15th National Sports Games scheduled for 2020. The tournament that gathers the best in Dominican athletes under 23 years old will next take place in venues in the provinces of Azua, San Jose de Ocoa and Baní (Peravia) in the southcentral region.
On Sunday, 16 December 2018, on occasion of the closing of the 14th Games that took place in venues in the central and north central region, President Danilo Medina issued Decree 447-18 appointing the southcentral region to host the next games. As reported, key persons lobbying for the south region were the president of the Dominican Olympic Committee, Luis Mejia, who is from Baní. Also senators Wilton Guerrero, Rafael Calderon and Pedro Alegría of Peravia, Azua and San Jose de Ocoa, respectively. Also Azua Mayor Rafael Hidalgo.
Source: DR1, Eldia
Dec 20, 2018
President’s Donald Trump’s new real estate deal in the Dominican Republic could, if completed, violate the U.S. constitution’s Emoluments Clause, according to a new undercover investigation by the organization Global Witness.
The Trump Organization abandoned its ambitious plans to build dozens of luxury buildings in the Dominican Republic around a decade ago when the global economy crashed. The project ended with an acrimonious lawsuit in which the Trump Organization accused the Dominican developers, Ricardo and Fernando Hazoury, of fraud.
Despite his promise not to pursue new foreign business deals while in office, evidence has emerged that the Trump Organization, which is now run on a day-to-day basis by the president’s two adult sons, is again pursuing a similar deal with the same Dominican developers the organization cut ties with many years ago. Many lawmakers and experts note that this project could constitute a conflict of interest, and the Global Witness report released Monday argues that the project could violate the Constitution.
“The Trump Organization’s business in the Dominican Republic has also spurred questions about the relationship between the U.S. president and Dominican officials,” the report reads. “In particular, questions have arisen over whether Dominican officials changed rules so that buildings could be constructed higher to benefit a Trump company project, which could be a potential violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.”
Shortly after Trump’s inauguration, his son Eric Trump visited the Dominican Republic, reportedly to discuss the real estate project. Eight months after his visit, the Caribbean country’s government changed regulations that restricted building heights. The change only applied to the eastern tourist region of the country, where the Trump real estate projects would reportedly be built.
The Trump Organization denies that it is involved in any project in the Dominican Republic. Salespeople speaking with undercover investigators from Global Witness, however, told a different story.
The Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution prohibits the president from accepting emoluments, which include a salary, fee or any other type of profit from his or her employment or office, from a foreign official. The clause was written by the Founding Fathers to avoid the type of transnational deals that often influenced the foreign policy decisions of Europe’s monarchs.
“What you have here is not a payment in cash, but allegedly a benefit of tremendous business value, from a foreign state. Benefits come in many forms and the founders understood that benefits come in many forms,” Jed Shugerman, a professor at Fordham Law, told Newsweek. “The Founding Fathers weren’t building high-rises, but they did understand the role of foreign states providing benefits to foreign leaders as a corrupt way of doing business, and the foreign emoluments clause was meant to be not just cash payments or bribes.”
On December 3, a federal judge gave the green light for attorneys general in Maryland and D.C. to issue subpoenas in ongoing lawsuits that alleged that President Trump had violated the Emoluments Clause. Shugerman said the evidence from the Global Witness report could be added to these lawsuits.
It is not illegal for Trump to run a private business while in office, but most senior government officials are required to divest completely from private financial interests that could influence their work. In Trump’s case, his children are running his business through a trust, but the president could retake control of the business at any time. Investigators note that the president will still profit from Trump Organization deals. This fact could give incentives to foreign governments and officials to make deals that are good for the Trump Organization in order to curry favor with the president, experts have said.
Senator Ben Cardin recently said that lawmakers in Washington expect the president to avoid the type of conflict of interest represented in the case of the Dominican Republic. In February, anti-corruption campaigners told Newsweek that the Dominican Republic projects could be grounds for impeachment. Meanwhile, some experts argued that, even if there was no evidence of corruption, the appearance of a conflict of interest could hurt the presidency.
“Donald Trump’s decision not to divest from his business interests once he took office is an albatross on his presidency. It is obviously unacceptable for the president to benefit personally by getting business favors from foreign governments that seek to curry favor with the American government. But it is damaging to the presidency even when there is not an actual corrupt effort underway,” Andrew Wright, former associate White House counsel, told Newsweek.
“When President Trump makes decisions in good faith on behalf of the American people that incidentally benefit a country in which he has business interests, we are left to wonder what his true motives were. It breeds mistrust in government and undermines public confidence in his decisions,” Wright added.
President Trump, meanwhile, still refuses to release his tax returns to the public.
Last year, the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, fellow White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, spent a weekend visiting a luxury hotel in the Dominican Republic. It is unclear whether their visit was related to the real estate project, but it is estimated to have cost U.S. taxpayers almost $60,000 in security costs.
Source: Newsweek
Dec 20, 2018
Caribe Tours that offers commuter bus service around the country and to Haiti announced it has added 42 new buses to its fleet. The buses have capacity for 54 passengers. The company has more than 550 vehicles in service, according to company executive vice president Paul Guerrero Melo.
The new buses are of the Marcopolo brand, year 2019, model New G7 and are of the most advanced in service in Latin America and the Caribbean, says the company executive. He says the new buses have seats for persons with special needs and are equipped with an anti-rollover protection system. The buses offer wi-fi service, chargers for mobile devices and are equipped with modern bathrooms. The company transports around 16 milion persons a year.
Source: DR1
Dec 20, 2018
