What exactly did Health Minister, Dwayne Seymour, tell us in his two hour address to the latest budget debate in the Legislative Assembly last Monday?

For me – very little of any importance.

Greater focus on mental health was one that includes a mental care unit for adolescents.

Some services would be moved away from the George Town Hospital to the Smith Road building, was another.

Garbage collection will be improved after the delivery of ELEVEN new trucks. I hope he can find the manpower to operate them. Wasn’t there a problem with finding the necessary labour to run the ones that we already have and keep breaking down? Maybe these will be the new robotic ones or driven by drones?

Plans to expand recycling. I don’t think he means the pedal type, although if it was, it would cut down on pollution and make us more fit.

Culture. That, of course, is a top priority. To find out what exactly Cayman culture is.

The Department of Environmental Health is buying a quantity of small processors.

A satellite hospital in Bodden Town. Isn’t that where the Minister actually lives? Of course, that has nothing to do with being elected again. Absolutely not.

Now what are the most pressing matters we wanted to hear about?

Free healthcare for children?

Update regarding a special health insurance plan for the over 65’s? I was all ears waiting on that. Wasn’t some money spent on consultants coming up with something about a Standard Health Insurance Contract? The whole idea, I have to confess, is absolutely ridiculous. Where is the money going to come from to pay for this? Our premiums? If we own a home we will have to mortgage it.

The struggle a large proportion of us have in obtaining health care cover? The insurance companies only want to cover the healthy and pocket the profits. He did say the government was looking at ways to lower health care costs. Yes. How?

When are the proposed changes to the National Conservation Law going to be enacted?

Marine Parks? Any enhancements? It was talked about.

The Dump? He did say he EXPECTED work to start on remediating part of the George Town landfill in the New Year.

There is probably a lot of things I’ve missed but that is probably enough for now. I know I missed the culture topic in my headline. Somehow it seemed to have got lost in the other real important matters. I suppose this ends my hope of getting a piece of plastic this year from the CNCF!