CaribPR Wire

ABC Paediatrics to be the first to unveil the device at their medical facility on 11/1/22

CARIBPR WIRE, MIAMI, FL., Thurs. October, 27, 2022: The first ever portable hematology analytical instrument by Sight Diagnostics called the OLO has been installed in the Caribbean to provide near-immediate Complete Blood Count (CBC) results to patients of Trinidad and Tobago, especially within the areas of the critically ill, oncology, and pediatrics. The CBC analyzer that accelerates the time to diagnosis and treatment will be deployed at ABC Paediatrics on November 1 at a gathering of country officials in conjunction with the medical community. This cutting-edge technology is meant to replace the bulky Flow Cytometers in low-volume and critical-need point-of-care testing (POCT) sites and settings.

A CBC test is the most elemental of medical laboratory tests and therefore, the “base camp” for diagnosing a medical condition. Up until this point, the residents of CARICOM and Trinidad and Tobago’s more remote areas had a long and involved process for getting CBC tests completed as the current method requires multiple steps, facilities, and large flow cytometer instruments at central labs. While highly accurate and fast, they proved expensive to buy and keep. With the introduction of the OLO, medical facilities won’t have to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire a flow cytometer.

The 22-pound device measuring 12.7 inches x 11.2 inches x 10 inches will bring readily available, portable, and cost-effective CBC testing without compromising the accuracy of the blood test. This device will only require two drops of blood from a finger prick of a patient aged three months or over versus the usual blood vial, though sample collection from a traditional blood collection tube is also possible. In addition, it will only take minutes to deliver results via a touchscreen interface, printout, or email.

Johann Ali, Managing Director of the distributor companies, says, “We’re known for bringing revolutionary technology to the Caribbean, and we’re incredibly honored to be involved with the distribution of the first method for ‘digitizing’ blood to the region.  Sapphire Export Group is the authorized distributor in the CARICOM region, while in Trinidad and Tobago, the product will be sold through JT Rapid Diagnostics, Ltd.  Both are pioneers in rapid point-of-care diagnostics in the Caribbean for more than 30 years. Making this happen will be ABC Paediatrics, a group pediatric practice in St. Augustine, Trinidad led by Dr. Leonardo Akan, who was Chief Resident at Jackson/U Health in Miami, Florida, and Dr. Tricia Jailal, who trained in the UK. Both doctors, executives from the manufacturer, and city officials will be present during the deployment, led by Sight Diagnostics, Inc. In addition, executives of Sapphire Export Group, LLC and JT Rapid Diagnostics, Ltd will be on hand for questions.

The historical deployment will take place at 10:00 am on November 1, 2022, at ABC Paediatrics #139 Eastern Main Road, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. For questions contact Johann Ali, representing both distributors, by email at [email protected].

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ABOUT SIGHT DIAGNOSTICS

Founded in 2011, Sight Diagnostics® is a blood diagnostic company that combines machine vision and AI to improve health through fast, convenient, and pain-free diagnostic testing. Sight’s technology, developed over almost a decade of research, represents innovations in blood sample preparation and optics, as well as advancements in chemistry, biology, physics, and computer science. Sight’s first product, Parasight ™, has been used to detect malaria in almost 1 million tests across 24 countries. Sight OLO®, Sight’s latest blood analyzer aimed at improving how Complete Blood Count (CBC) tests are performed, received FDA 510(k) clearance for use in moderately complex settings. With just 2 drops of blood obtained from a finger prick or venous sample, OLO digitizes each blood sample with more than 1,000 high-resolution images to provide accurate, lab-grade CBC results in minutes. Across Europe and the US, OLO has been adopted by both public and private healthcare institutions. Sight has also established partnerships to bring OLO to market in Asia, South America, Africa, and Australia. Sight is committed to applying its AI-based technology to transform health systems in a world where decentralized diagnostics play an increasingly important role in patient outcomes. For full indications for use and safety information, please visit https://sightdx.com/en-us.

ABOUT JT RAPID DIAGNOSTICS, LTD.

JT Rapid Diagnostics, Ltd. is a manufacturer representative focused primarily on the medical, oil and gas, and hospitality & food safety industries. JT Rapid has been a pioneer in rapid point-of-care diagnostics in the Caribbean for more than 30 years. Our founder brought modern, home-based patient-managed diabetes care to the Caribbean region in 1984, and we have led the way since. Today, we are the sole distributor of top-rated, exceptionally high-quality products for multiple points of care and critical-need areas of public and industrial health. For more info, visit https://jtrapid.com/.

ABOUT SAPHIRE EXPORT GROUP, LLC.

Sapphire Export Group is a manufacturer representative focused primarily on the medical, oil and gas, and hospitality & food safety industries, and services all of CARICOM including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarteen/Saint Martin.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Image for use with this article can be accessed HERE

The donation will be instrumental in helping Nature Seekers protect the ancient, endangered leatherback turtles nesting in Trinidad

MATURA, Trinidad and Tobago and MONTREAL, Sept. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – Age of Union Alliance, led by tech leader and environmental activist Dax Dasilva, is proud to announce a USD $1.5 million donation to Nature Seekers, a non-profit community-based organization in the village of Matura, on the east coast of Trinidad, with a focus on the conservation and protection of sea turtles. This will be the single largest private donation in Nature Seekers’ history. Age of Union’s support will be instrumental in the protection of endangered leatherback turtles whose nesting grounds on Matura Beach are in more danger than ever before due to climate change and pollution.

Matura Beach is one of the last remaining major turtle nesting sites in the world for leatherback turtles, which have existed for over 100 million years, dating back to the age of dinosaurs. These massive creatures, as long as 2.2 metres, are the largest sea turtle species in the world and also one of the most migratory, crossing the Atlantic Ocean. New GPS technology has allowed scientists to track their journeys, and many have migrated to Canada’s Atlantic coasts in recent years where they feed on the abundant jellyfish every summer and fall.

The population of these turtles has declined drastically in the last century as a result of intense egg collection, poaching, fishery bycatch, habitat loss, climate change, and much more. They are listed as Vulnerable on International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of Threatened Species. Nature Seekers, who have been working to conserve these turtles for over 30 years, were in desperate need of help after beach closures during the pandemic nearly eradicated their historical revenue sources.

• Patrol and protect the nesting site throughout the annual season to maintain or increase the survival rates of both adult and hatchling leatherback turtles. New drone technology will now extend their capabilities.
• Collect data during nesting season to better understand the physical health of the nesting population and monitor inter-nesting movement and migration of satellite-tagged turtles. This work is done in partnership with Dr. Michael James of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Sea Turtle Network.
• Collect data and assess the potential impacts of climate change on the turtle population at the Matura nesting site; create climate adaptation and/or mitigation plans.
• Design and deploy artificial hatcheries to promote the survival of at-risk nests and allow for the collection of new data sets.
• Increase community engagement and provide opportunities for sustainable livelihood activities that align with conservation goals, such as becoming a ranger to patrol the beach during nesting season.

This marks the ninth conservation project Age of Union has announced in less than one year following Dax Dasilva’s initial pledge of $40 million. Today’s announcement also aligns with Age of Union’s global premiere of its short documentary film CAUGHT in Toronto on the evening of September 12. In partnership with Sea Shepherd, this film reveals the shocking consequences of industrial fishing and excess consumerism, depleting oceanic ecosystems, with a specific lens on dolphin bycatch off the coast of France.

“When I first met Suzan Baptiste, Managing Director at Nature Seekers, I was incredibly inspired by her determination and perseverance to help shift this coastal community in Trinidad from turtle poaching to turtle conservation. We hope with Age of Union’s help, Nature Seekers will now be better equipped to protect these beautiful, endangered turtles who, through their incredible migration journeys, also have connections to Canada.” - Dax Dasilva, Founder of Age of Union.

“We couldn’t be more thankful for this generous gift from Age of Union. Leatherback turtles are recognized as a keystone species, and their demise could have global consequences on our oceans and their ecosystems. Now, with the help of Age of Union, these turtles have an amazing chance for survival.” - Suzan Baptiste, Managing Director of Nature Seekers

“The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries looks forward to continued conversations with both the High Commission of Canada and Mr. Dasilva to improve the sector and by extension Trinidad and Tobago.” - Kazim Hosein, Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries

“The Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago sincerely appreciate the support from Age of Union for their conservation initiatives in the country. We commit to working with Dax Dasilva and his team, exploring opportunities for broader collaboration in the environmental and technology sectors and beyond.” - Senator Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago

“Age of Union’s conservation project for leatherback turtles is an excellent example of Canada Trinbagonian cooperation on environmental conservation.” - Kumar Gupta, High Commissioner of Canada to Trinidad and Tobago

Age of Union is a non-profit environmental alliance that supports and makes visible a global community of changemakers working on the ground to protect the planet’s threatened species and ecosystems. Launched in October 2021 by tech leader and environmental activist Dax Dasilva in Montreal, Canada with an initial $40 million pledge, Age of Union seeks to ignite a flame within every person through conservation efforts that solve critical environmental challenges around the world and inspire high-impact change by showing the positive impact that every individual can make.

For more information, please visit: AgeofUnion.com
On social media:Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter

Nature Seekers is a non-profit community-based organization founded in 1990 and situated in the village of Matura, on the east coast of Trinidad in the south Caribbean. Its primary focus is the conservation and protection of the sea turtles that nest in the region, including the Leatherback turtle. Over a 30+ year period, Nature Seekers helped to shift this coastal community from turtle poaching to turtle conservation.

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Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1896132/Age_of_Union_x_Nature_Seekers.jpg

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ – SQL Power (www.sqlpower.ca), the global leader in financial regulatory and advanced analytics technology is proud to announce the implementation of their supervisory platform, the SQL Power Suite, on September 22, 2020 at the Trinidad and Tobago Securities and Exchange Commission (TTSEC).

According to the TTSEC, the Electronically Advanced Submission interface or EASi platform will revolutionize the way in which the securities industry is regulated, as it puts market players front and center in navigating the system, from submission and renewal of applications to disclosure filings among other important services.

The implementation of the EASi platform also comes in the midst of a national public health crisis (and global pandemic) when the demand for contactless delivery of services is paramount to ensuring business continuity and the stability of the economy, whilst safeguarding public health. The integrated system allows for a greater degree of transparency in the regulatory process and will strengthen confidence in the local securities market.

“I am confident that the TTSEC digital transformation initiative (EASi) will be a huge success, and will serve as a showcase implementation for all Security Exchange Commissions around the World,” said Sam Selim, President and CEO of SQL Power.

The SQL Power Suite is the most robust financial regulatory (SupTech) solution on the market, delivering the ultimate in regulator flexibility, efficiency and transparency; increasing the likelihood of timely successful intervention while providing all interested parties with the ultimate confidence in the regulated market.

About SQL Power:

Founded in 1989, and headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, SQL Power Group Inc. is a global application software firm specializing in data collection, data integration, business intelligence, and regulatory implementations.

Since implementing the first supervisory solution in Canada in 2009, SQL Power has been at the forefront of financial regulatory software innovation – rolling out the world’s first fully-integrated XBRL-based data collection, risk management, case management and advanced analytics solution that evolves seamlessly with evolving Global Financial Standards.

The SQL Power Supervisory Platform is an end to end solution for financial regulation. The platform is multilingual, modular and includes: Data Collection, Registration and Licensing, Case Management, Risk Management, and Onsite inspection solutions. The platform also comes bundled with built-in Advanced Analytics capabilities and a world-class Business Intelligence Tool.