Since the launch of the new Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Ageing and Disabilities in February 2023, several alleged cases of elder abuse have been recorded prompting government officials to seek the public’s assistance to arrest this problem, which often goes unreported.

Elder Abuse is an act within any relationship that causes harm or distress to seniors. It includes neglect, verbal/emotional abuse, physical or sexual abuse, and financial exploitation.

Minister of State responsible for Ageing and Disabilities, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, highlighted issues related to elder abuse during a national address on Thursday, June 15, 2023. June 15 is recognized annually as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD).

“Clearly, there is an urgent need for increased awareness and more vigilance around elder abuse,” Honourable Phillip stated. “As a community, we must learn the signs and symptoms and how they differ from the normal ageing process. We must listen to our older citizens and ensure that any elder who is subjected to abuse is able to seek legal recourse and protection, with perpetrators being held accountable for their actions.”

While encouraging residents and citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis to be vigilant in identifying symptoms of abuse towards seniors and to report instances of such, the minister of state said that the government would strengthen legislation to discourage and reduce abuse of older persons,”.

“The Ministry will therefore commit to developing specific legislation that protects older persons. We will also continue to raise awareness and work in collaboration with the Ministry of Health on regulations and standards of care for older persons,” said Minister Phillip. “We will seek to increase awareness among the general public on the importance of wills, estate planning, power of attorney and other legal filings that should be arranged as safeguards against financial exploitation and abuse.”

Honourable Phillip added that the elders have toiled in the past to build the nation, and everyone should work together to ensure that the senior population is adequately cared for and remain as active and independent for as long as possible.

The Cabinet Ministers met under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister, The Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, on Tuesday, June 13^th, 2023, and made several important decisions to improve the welfare of our people.
 
The Honourable Minister of Youth Empowerment et al, Isalean Phillip, shared that a Youth Unemployment Taskforce has been established to examine and present to the Cabinet, programmes and strategies to alleviate youth unemployment and to ensure that our young persons are adequately prepared for and actively engaged in the labour market. The Taskforce, comprised of governmental and private sector representatives, is currently compiling relevant data to accurately reflect the current unemployment rate of youth in the Federation. Additionally, a national labour force survey with a youth lens and perspective will be conducted in the short term.
 
The Cabinet received an update from the Honourable Minister of Constituency Empowerment, Dr. Joyelle Clarke, on the ongoing work of this department. The observation phase has been completed which included community walkthroughs and interactions. Some of the issues found include drainage concerns, roofing problems, derelict vehicles, upkeep of green spaces, and littering of ghauts. Minister Clarke reported that the empowerment officers are now in the engagement phase, where strategies and actions will be implemented to address the issues found during observations.
 
This week, Minister Isalean Phillip whose responsibilities include persons with disabilities, has been invited to attend the Special Olympics 2023 World Games in Berlin, Germany by Special Olympics International.  Minister Phillip will not only attend the 2023 Special Olympic Games to
support our Saint Kitts and Nevis Special Olympics team but she will also be participating in the Global Forum for Inclusion Conference. This Forum will bring together Special Olympics athletes, youth leaders, heads of state, heads of government, ministers, intergovernmental organisations, civil society, researchers, and the private sector, with the goal of driving initiatives on inclusion forward and shifting the global conversation on inclusion from policy to action.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mOZO9hRPPU

The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission is leading a delegation to visit primary schools within the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis to share with students general information about the OECS, its work, vision, progress, sustainability, and integration movement. The OECS Commission is celebrating its 42^nd anniversary under the theme “Vision. Integration. Sustainability. Progress”.

Students of the St. Paul’s Primary School with OECS Officials

The visits run from June 13-16. On Tuesday the 13^th, the Bronte Welsh Primary School, the Sandy Point Primary School and the St. Paul’s Primary School were visited. Today, Wednesday, June 14, the delegation is visiting the VOJN Primary School, St. Thomas Primary School and Elizabeth Jeffers Primary School in Nevis. On Thursday, June 15, they will visit the Saddlers Primary School, Joshua Obadiah Williams Primary School and Cayon Primary School. On their last day of visits, the delegation will visit the Tucker Clarke Primary School, the Irishtown Primary School and the Deane-Glasford Primary School.

St. Kitts and Nevis’ OECS High Commissioner, H.E. Larry Vaughn speaks to students of the Bronte Welsh Primary School

Director General of the OECS Commission, Dr. Didacus Jules in an interview at the St. Paul’s Primary School said, “We are making schools [visits] all around the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis to meet with students, particularly the lower grades to get a sense of their understanding of the OECS and to explain what the OECS is all about.”

“This is the beginning of the outreach by the OECS commission to reach out to students in the educational systems across the entire OECS because they are the future of the region and it is very important that they have a deep understanding of what the integration movement is about,” he said.

Director-General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules

He added that the Commission is in the process of revising the curriculum for the schools, particularly at the primary school level. He states that this will embed and deepen knowledge of regional integration.

“We have produced a booklet as well as an animated video that will be embedded in the material prepared for the curriculum for use in schools,” said Dr. Jules.

Director-General Jules said that hosting the 73^rd Meeting of the OECS Authority in St. Kitts and Nevis provides an opportunity to begin the education campaign within primary schools.  

Dr. Didacus Jules with students of the Bronte Welsh Primary School

The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew spent quality time with the children of the Louisa Grant Pre-School in Conaree Village by reading to them today, June 14.   

Prime Minister Dr. Drew’s story-telling session with the students was designed to help engrave the love of reading in their young minds and encourage them to read. The Prime Minister read from the family-oriented book, “So Much” by Trish Cooke.

Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew

Speaking with the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) afterward, the Honourable Prime Minister said these types of activities that give him the opportunity to personally interact with the nation’s youth are always precious to him.

He added, “This is a pre-school that I have been supporting for a decade now and it is always a great pleasure coming back and interacting with Teacher Paulette and her staff and all of the children. Today, I had the opportunity to read with them and interact with them which was quite refreshing and a break from the normal routine of running an office.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew has been a longtime friend and supporter of the Louisa Grant Pre-School, making regular visits and donations to the institution, particularly during its annual graduation ceremonies.

The month of June is observed annually as Child Month in St. Kitts and Nevis. Prime Minister Dr. Drew, who donned his Child Month T-shirt during Wednesday’s story time session with the children of the Louisa Grant Pre-School, used the occasion to encourage citizens and residents to do all they can to protect and nurture the children of the Federation.

“Let us remember our children; let us be there for them; let us support them; let us give them the best opportunity for them to succeed, and so with all of us working together and supporting our children we will have positive outcomes that we seek in St. Kitts and Nevis,” Dr. Drew said.

Child Month 2023 is being observed under the theme, “Empowering Our Children through STEAM Education.” STEAM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

The final draft of the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP), which is a plan to govern the appropriate use and management of land in St. Kitts and Nevis will be presented to Cabinet in September 2023.

This was according to the Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development during the June 12 Sitting of Parliament. She noted that the plan “guides the physical development and land use management for St. Kitts and Nevis for the next 30 years.”

“The final draft will lead to legislative amendments, hence the reason why I am providing this update with major issues including integrating social impact assessment within the framework of existing environmental impact assessments under the Development and Control Planning Act, adding a modernized definition of agriculture to include agricultural related use given our proposed changes for agriculture, as well as linking supporting documents and standard procedures between the Departments of Marine Resources, Agriculture and Physical Planning,” Dr. Clarke said.

The project, which was prepared within the framework of Improving Environmental Management through Sustainable Land Management in St. Kitts and Nevis, was conceptualized in 2006 with a 15-year lifespan that ended in 2021.

Director of Physical Planning in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Austin Farier said that in the “updated parent document, the Department of Physical Planning (DPP) is proposing a review every five (5) years.”

“This shorter period would not only seek to update legislative and regulatory enhancements where necessary but will also help to align the document to the vision of the present government,” said Mr. Farier. “There will also be the preparation of Local Area Development Plans which would include proposing future strategies for potential growth pole settlements, such as Sandy Point and Cayon which would seek to divert the reliance of commuting to Basseterre for goods and services.”

Mr. Farier added that the draft document was presented to Cabinet by Dr. Clarke for consideration. It was also reviewed by several stakeholders. The first session, which was designed to garner information and feedback on the proposed document” was done in February 2023, followed by a “second round of consultations” in May 2023.

The National Physical Development Plan was prepared within the framework of Improving Environmental Management through Sustainable Land Management in St. Kitts and Nevis. It was implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and is being funded through the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The Human Resource Management Department of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is hosting a two-day Payroll Information Open House event, which provides a platform for civil servants to be properly informed of the Government’s move to a twice-monthly pay system for employees.

The new twice-monthly pay system takes effect from July 01, 2023. This means that civil servants will be paid on July 14 and 28.

The Tuesday, June 13 and Wednesday, June 14 Open House is being held at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium and is open to all civil servants.

Speaking with St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS), Chief Personnel Officer Ms. Deshai Dore stated, “Before, monthly workers would get paid once per month. Now we would have two payments per month. The dates are the 14^th and the 28^th of each month. If those dates fall on a weekend, the pay date will be changed to the Friday of that same week. If the dates fall on a public holiday, the salary will be paid on the previous working day.”

Deshai Dore, Chief Personnel Officer

In addition to representatives from the Human Resource Management Department, representatives from the financial institutions, insurance companies and appliance stores that serve St. Kitts and Nevis are participating in the two-day event to provide customers with pertinent information on how this change in the pay cycle will impact any arrangements.

“All monthly deductions will now be paid twice. For example, if you are paying a loan that was $10 per month, $5 will be sent to your financial institution on the 14^th and the other $5 will be sent on the 28^th of that month,” Chief Personnel Officer Dore added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew said this new payment arrangement holds significant benefits for civil servants, particularly as it relates to the budgeting of one’s resources.

Prime Minister Dr. Drew said, “The Treasury lead on this, and they had gone and met with all the financial institutions in St. Kitts and Nevis—they are all on board, I can say that. I think one institution even put out the information to its people. What we’re having this week is that the Government, through the Human Resource (Management) Department and the Head of Civil Service, are now meeting with the civil servants…at the park to inform our people of the twice-monthly payment.”

“Studies have shown that people manage and budget better twice monthly than monthly. Even in the United States when I worked there, I used to be paid twice monthly and it made a difference in terms of budgeting and so forth,” the Honourable Prime Minister said during today’s (June 13) special interview with representatives of the media.

 Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew has denounced the actions by some persons in society who are attempting to politicize the recent uptick in gun-related crimes in the country.

Speaking during the Monday, June 12, 2023, Sitting of the National Assembly, Prime Minister Dr. Drew reaffirmed his government’s commitment to addressing the problem holistically. He also sought to remind citizens and residents that the issue of crime and violence is a national matter.

“I’ve been in politics for about a decade. [This is] my first time in Parliament and I’ve never, ever sought to make crime and violence a political issue, and the reason for that is because I am a medical doctor and I understand the underlying causes of these things. These issues are national issues and should be treated as such. That is why I want to call on the people of St. Kitts and Nevis to work together to make sure that we can deal with this scourge once and for all,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.

It is against this backdrop that the Honourable Prime Minister noted that his government is taking a more comprehensive look at the issue of crime and violence.

He said, “We must know and we have been given the information for decades now that this is an issue in the Caribbean that has to be dealt with from its root. I went to a symposium as the Prime Minister and also as the Minister of National Security, in Trinidad, where we sought to look at crime and violence from a public health perspective. It is a broad concept, but it is a concept that has been well studied scientifically and will deliver results.”

“As I speak, my advisor Dr. Patrick Martin would have met with the press to further explain what this is, and the task force has been put together for us to deal with it. One aspect of it is an all-of-society approach but this time we will apply the scientific approach to it so that we can achieve what we want to achieve,” the National Security Minister added.

The task force is chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Drew and is comprised of renowned Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr. Izben Williams, and senior management officials from across the Government, including the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Social Development, and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Additionally, Prime Minister Dr. Drew said the Government will ensure that the National Security apparatus is equipped with the necessary resources to fully arrest the criminal elements that threaten the peace and security of citizens and residents.

Dr. Drew added, “The Ministry of National Security has been doing a number of critical things with support from regional and international partners and that has resulted in some very positive developments. No resource will be held back from this ministry to ensure that the people of St. Kitts and Nevis are safe, including our visitors when they come here.”

The Prime Minister used the occasion to urge the nation’s youth to choose more positive outlets for their energies and to seize the opportunities available to them in areas such as the orange economy, the arts, agriculture, and the various educational avenues available to them.

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment hosted its first-ever Environment Commitment Campaign on Tuesday, 6th June, 2023, at Palms Court Gardens.

The event brought together several Ministers of Government, Ambassadors, the Governor General, members of the Federal Cabinet, and other partners including the Taiwanese Technical Mission, to commit financially to projects that impact the environment.

June Hughes, Director of Environment, said in order to promote its mandate of environmental conservation, the Department held the event with the objective of embracing and fully engaging with stakeholders.

Critical partners from civil society and the private sector were offered the occasion to liaise and offer input on enhancing the delivery of sound environmental policy and interventions in respect to protecting and conserving natural resources.

It also provided the opportunity to learn more about the Ministry’s projects.

Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Environment and Climate Action et al, in her remarks, said the intention is to promote environmental stewardship.

Key partners were invited based on either their technical skills, bilateral partnership, financial resources, or volunteerism of time and services.

Currently, the Department of Environment has six projects including the Invasive Alien Species Project that focuses on the Green Monkey and its impacts on Agriculture and Tourism.

The June 07 edition of the radio and television programme InFocus gave citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis a better understanding of the operations of the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and how the men and women who work in the EMS are busy saving lives every day.

On the programme, Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) Omoro Hodge and Anelda Tuckett tackled commonly asked questions, such as why emergency callers are asked so many initial questions, difficulties in evacuating persons from some scenes, and why an ambulance may not leave for the hospital immediately after loading patients.

As it relates to interacting with emergency callers, Ms. Tuckett explained that calls for medical emergencies are transferred from 911 to a certified EMT. The EMT will first get to the location of the emergency and dispatch a team to respond while continuing to engage the caller. Questions often include the patient’s age, medical history, and landmarks that may help EMTs quickly identify the patient’s location within the general area, if the patient is breathing, and what the patient is doing at this current time.

“All of these things are what we need to know so that the [emergency] crew can prepare themselves for what they are getting into, so beforehand they can be in the proper mental state of mind for what they are about to meet and deal with,” Ms. Tuckett stated.

EMTs are based at the J. N. France General Hospital in Basseterre, Mary Charles Hospital in Molineux, and the Pogson Medical Center in Sandy Point. EMT Omoro Hodge said that navigating traffic and narrow streets plays an important role in the timeliness of the response of emergency crews. The location and design of various buildings also must be considered.

“We (individuals) don’t build thinking that we are going to get sick, so we have narrow [home] entrances, narrow stairwell cases, and we build going up hillsides, so it makes it difficult for an ambulance to come with a stretcher to remove you from your residence,” said Mr. Hodge. “It makes it difficult trying to get you out in a time-constraint scenario to get you the medical treatment that’s necessary.”

In relation to the time of departure after arriving at the scene of an emergency, Mr. Hodge encouraged the public to dismiss the “pick up and go” notion that most persons seem to hold.
Ms. Tuckett told the listeners and viewers of InFocus that “sometimes we do have to administer initial care before we leave with that person, especially if it’s an asthmatic person who may need oxygen, we do nebulizations in the ambulance, so we can start that process before we actually do get to the hospital.”

Mr. Hodge added that it may also be necessary to set up an IV (intravenous fluids) before leaving a scene.

“We are pre-hospital care, and once the patient gets to the hospital, they (doctors and nurses) would have had an initial set of information from us in the field, and then the doctors would then continue once we get to the hospital,” EMT Hodge indicated.

InFocus airs live on ZIZ Radio and Television every Wednesday at 1 p.m. It is also streamed live on ZIZ’s and SKNIS’ YouTube Channels and Facebook Pages. The show is rebroadcast on various local and regional stations and outlets at different times and days.