By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahama, in addition to be being the industrial capital, is being called "the gun capital" of The Bahamas in terms of firearm violence and shootings in the country, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands revealed in the House of Assembly yesterday.

Dr Sands reported that the island has a shooting ratio of 94 per capita, surpassing that of New Providence, and even the United States of America.

Between 2016/2017, there were 49 gunshot wounds. It represents a 44 percent increase over the 35 gun shot wounds that were tended to in 2015-2016. There were only 12 in 2014-2015 and 27 in 2013-2014.

This, he said, represented a significant increase by as much as 300 percent in the number of patients presented at the Rand Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds when compared to previous years.

While delivering his contribution to the budget debate, the Elizabeth MP indicated that gun violence and stabbings continue to be "unacceptably high" in the country. Per capita, the second city outpaced the capital.

In New Providence, Dr Sands said officials saw a reduction in the number of gunshot wound patients who came into Princess Margaret Hospital in 2016/2017. Officials recorded 181 that year, a nearly 14 per cent decrease compared to 2015-2016's 201 gunshot wound patients.

In the previous year, 2014/2015 doctors at PMH saw 243.

There were even more stab wound patients - 226 seen last year and 197 the year before. Overall, there were 53,757 cases seen in accident and emergency.

At the Rand, Dr Sands said they saw 36,331 patients, which included 130 assaults, 29 stab wounds, and 49 gunshot wounds.

He said: "Compared to 2015-2016, that was an increase of 63 percent when we had 32, and a whopping 300 percent increase from the year before," he said.

"Notwithstanding the overall net reduction year over year, gun violence and stabbings remain unacceptably high.

"We like to say that our neighbour to the north (the USA) is the gun capital of the world, but in 2013, they recorded 73,000 non-fatal gunshot wounds; they have a population of 225 million - they had 11,208 gun homicides, 21,000 gun-related suicides, with the average shooting rate of 26.1 per 100,000," he reported.

He indicated that in New Providence, the gunshot wound rate is 66 per 100,000.

"In Pineridge, East Grand Bahama, Marco City, Central Grand Bahama, West Grand Bahama and Bimini, I regret to inform you with a population of 52,000, Grand Bahama has become the gun capital of The Bahamas with shooting rate of 94 per 100,000," he said.

"Let me commend my colleague from Mt Moriah, our data supports the data of the police that gun violence is trending down, but it remains unacceptably high," he said.

Notwithstanding the efforts of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies, Dr Sands stressed that all Bahamians have a role to play in reduction of crime.

He said his ministry will sponsor several studies looking at the role of mental and psychological challenges, as well as the impact of nutrition, specifically micro-nutrient deficiencies, the impact of sugar, fat, preservatives, chemicals, steroids and antibiotics in the diet on the question of violence.