PM going for heart check

THE Prime Minister leaves the country tomorrow for California, to undergo tests on a build-up of soft plaque in an artery of his heart. Dr Rowley made this announcement at a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's. "I'm in my 69th year, I'm not as young as I used to be," Rowley said.

The PM has been undergoing annual medical check-ups in California since 2016. In that year, Rowley disclosed that he had a coronary scan.

That scan revealed a small amount of soft plaque in one of the arteries of his heart. At the time, Rowley said his doctors advised it best to monitor it. When he returned to California in 2017, Rowley said the coronary scan showed the amount of soft plaque had increased. His doctors, Rowley continued, advised that "some kind of intervention might be needed." The PM admitted to being "delinquent" about not going for his annual check up last year. While saying that he was suffering no symptoms, Rowley said his doctors advised him that an absence of symptoms could be detrimental to his well-being.

He had planned to go last September but the budget prevented him from doing so. Rowley delayed his check up again because of last week's Caricom Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and then a proposed meeting between Caricom leaders and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington DC on Wednesday. His plan was to travel to California after that meeting for his medical check up.

With the meeting with Pompeo cancelled, Rowley said he would now go to California for his medical check-up. Rowley said the outcome of tests on his coronary issue would determine when he returned home.

The PM was not worried."I take it in stride going forward." He assured the population, "I am in relatively good health." But he added, "I have observations to make." He said he would be guided by his doctors. Rowley also said, two weeks ago, he visited his local doctors who agreed with the assessment of his doctors in California. In his absence, Rowley was confident that "the Government is in good hands and will continue to function at full throttle." Rowley also said modern technology would allow Cabinet ministers to contact him if necessary.

As a new government minister in Patrick Manning's 1991 to 1995 administration, Rowley said if one was not at their desk when the phone rang "you couldn't talk to anybody." He disclosed that he developed "an aversion to desks." Rowley also disclosed that he did a lot of his work away from desks because the technology allowed him to do that. He said fake news was a downside of modern technology. He referred to erroneous media reports of him having cancer as an example.

Since getting a clean bill of health regarding his prostate three years ago, Rowley said he has been managing his health pretty well. During the briefing, Rowley also spoke about Venezuela and Carnival. Before making his departure as the briefing ended, Rowley said, "I trust you will think positively about the Carnival, about Caricom and hopefully about me."