Finger pains Cox

DONNA COX, Communications Minister, on Tuesday appeared at a briefing at the Diplomatic Centre with her right arm in a sling, raising speculation as to her well-being. However rather than a sports mishap or a traffic accident, she blamed her state on a ruined fingernail.

She told Newsday she was under doctor's orders to keep her hand raised after injuring her finger when she had pulled off a cuticle.

“I had an infection in my finger. I went to Mount Hope for them to look at the swelling,” she said. “This morning (Tuesday) I had minor surgery on my finger. I left the office and went to Mount Hope to the St Joseph Health Centre. I must keep my hand raised for the next seven days.”

Cox said she had been in some pain before her painkillers kicked in and so had to curtail some of her duties on Tuesday.

“A little infection could have resulted in the loss of my hand,” she said, although adding that it could have been worse.