Photo – Dr. Terrance Drew
681/2018
Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 26, 2018 – Healthcare like other sectors in St. Kitts is in crisis and the two ministers of health in the three-party PLP/CCM are heartless, clueless and a waste of the people’s time and money.
The St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party candidate for St. Christopher 8, Dr. Terrance Drew said Wednesday the SKNLP is the only political party that has a clear and logical vision for the development of the healthcare sector and will improve the working conditions of nurses, and medical staff and provide adequate healthcare to patients.
“St Kitts’ health sector has been suffering from a serious lack of leadership and innovation. The failures of the present ministers Eugene Hamilton and Wendy Phipps span the gamut of ensuring that the most basic medical supplies such as syringes and bandages are kept in stock, to ensuring that our health facilities are properly staffed at all times,” said Dr. Drew.
He told reporters at the party’s monthly press conference Wednesday that since the PLP/CCM/PAM coalition took office in February 2015, nurses have been exiting the healthcare sector in droves.
“Many of them are driven away in frustration by the extremely high level of dysfunction in the ministry while others are compelled to seek employment in other fields as they can no longer tolerate the disrespect meted out to them by hospital administrators and the junior Minister herself,” said Dr. Drew, who pointed out that under the watch of Hamilton and Phipps humans and monkeys are being made to share a privately-owned MRI machine located away from the medical institution.
He referred briefly to the unacceptable use of the Joseph N. France General Hospital to conduct illegal medical human trial procedures in stem cell research and herpes vaccine trial thus putting patients and nurses at potential risk.
Dr. Drew said the 12-hour shift system for nurses recently introduced at the JNF Hospital will not result in an improvement in healthcare.
“The undue stress and anxiety to which many of our nurses are being subjected is not only dangerous to them but also to those who seek medical assistance at the hospital,” said Dr. Drew.
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He said the Labour Party stands firm on its guarantee to the people that once elected to office in the upcoming elections, each aspect of the health sector will be carefully and thoroughly upgraded.
“We are the Party that aims to develop our people and our nation and as such, our people must have access to adequate and affordable healthcare and healthcare facilities in this country,” said Dr. Drew.
