Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew said it is a known fact that the economies of the member states of the OECS [Organization of Eastern Caribbean States] are limited in resources, and as such, should consider greater collaboration to successfully address certain challenges, particularly that of providing quality healthcare to citizens.

“Our region is small. I don’t think we have a million people in the OECS member countries. Yet, our demand for quality healthcare is extremely high and our expectations as members of these sub-regions, these expectations are also high,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew when he delivered the featured address at the opening session of the 7^th Growth and Resilience Dialogue on Tuesday, April 25, 2023.

It was against this backdrop that Prime Minister Dr. Drew, who is also the Minister of Health in the Federal Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, proposed the idea of establishing centers of excellence throughout the OECS sub-region.

He said, “Presently in the ECCU, there is a lack of medical centers of excellence. There is hardly any country or island that has centers of excellence. When many of our people have to access specialized care, on many occasions, they have to travel abroad, where care is extremely expensive. Those who lack the financial resources or don’t have appropriate health insurance go without care or substandard care.”

“We can therefore, consider, and I hope that this gets to the other Heads, I intend to bring this also at the CAROCOM level as the Chief Spokesperson for Health; we can consider establishing a center of excellence on each island or territory that each of us can have access to break it down into simple terms: Saint Kitts and Nevis can have a center of excellence for cardiac diseases, heart diseases. Saint Vincent might be able to have one for gastrointestinal issues. Antigua might be able to have one for neurological diseases,” the Prime Minister continued.

Dr. Drew reiterated that more collaboration and a shared vision are needed to provide the people in the sub-region with top-class healthcare.

“I, as the Minister of Health, have quickly recognized that our budgets do not allow us to carry that burden, and our population sizes do not allow us to implement these centers of excellence all on the same island or in the same territory. And so, just like how we have a common currency, and we would have taught the world how to do it, I think we have an opportunity to expand that depth of collaboration, an understanding of the importance of sharing our burdens, to ensure that at the end of the day, our people would have access to good, quality healthcare,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.

The Growth and Resilience Dialogue, which concludes later today (April 26), is hosted by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), in collaboration with the OECS Commission, the World Bank, and The University of the West Indies.

It is being guided by the theme, “An appropriate and sustainable model for health care in the ECCU/OECS – Agile Infrastructure, Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Cannabis”.

 Over the next two days, representatives from the public and private sectors, including parliamentarians, business leaders, students, technocrats, entrepreneurs and other service providers in the OECS [Organization of Eastern Caribbean States] will be engaged in informative discussions on the advancement of the delivery of health care services in the sub-region.

This is being done at the 7^th Growth and Resilience Dialogue, hosted by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), in collaboration with the OECS Commission, the World Bank and The University of the West Indies.

The two-day forum is being guided by the theme, “An appropriate and sustainable model for health care in the ECCU/OECS – Agile Infrastructure, Traditional Medicine and Medicinal Cannabis”.

Today, participants are engaged in a series of panel discussions on healthcare from different aspects. A discussion on agile healthcare infrastructure will explore technology in healthcare and recommendations to address pandemics, respiratory ailments and the impact of antimicrobial resistance. The focus on traditional medicine in health care will examine alternative practices to wellness, identify advantages and disadvantages and explore what is needed to integrate traditional medicine into our national healthcare systems. The final discussion will focus on medicinal cannabis from the perspectives of the agriculture and tourism industries.

Delivering the featured address at the opening of the conference, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew said he welcomes any research that supports the application of traditional medicine in a 21st-century health system.

“I support the call for more research in this area to inform how traditional medicine can effectively interface with modern medicine. During the pandemic, we witnessed firsthand the benefits of the collaboration of both forms of medicinal practices—modern and traditional—to combat the symptoms of COVID-19. For example, the blend of turmeric, ginger, and lemon juice for its anti-inflammatory effect and to help boost the immune system,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew said.

“Research has underscored the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids. Cannabinoids is the fancy for cannabis, marijuana, or ganga as we call it in the sub-region, and we, therefore, welcome the third plenary session. We anticipate regional data on the uses of cannabis along with hearing about the best practices in establishing the medicinal cannabis industry,” Dr. Drew added.

Moreover, St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister stressed that greater investment in primary healthcare is critically needed in the sub-region to save lives and safeguard livelihoods.

“As we strengthen our health systems in preparation for future public health threats, we must embrace innovative technologies to ensure efficiency and efficacy in healthcare delivery. Digitization of the operations of the Ministry of Health is a priority of this government. Digital technology could help make unsustainable healthcare systems more efficient, improve the interaction between patients and medical staff and offer more affordable, quicker and more effective treatments for diseases,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.

The second day of the 7^th Growth and Resilience Dialogue on Wednesday, April 26^thwill feature a virtual exhibition highlighting new and emerging technologies that are transforming health care.

 The 2023 Edition of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Diplomatic Week opened on a high note of praise on Sunday, April 23, when senior government officials and diplomats joined the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to worship at the Antioch Baptist Church at Lime Kiln Commercial Development.

Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, welcomed all and declared Diplomatic Week 2023 open. He noted that Diplomatic Week provides an avenue to help St. Kitts and Nevis transition into a sustainable island state.

“Diplomatic Week presents the opportunity for the government to interface with the partner countries in informing, of course, development pathways that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis intends to follow in order to achieve its specific goal of becoming a sustainable and enduring country,” said Dr. Douglas. “This, of course, has been happening every three years as we endeavour to fulfill the mandate to manage our relations with other countries. If you look at the flags that are adorned in front of this altar you will see that we are engaged with the rest of the world.”

Diplomatic Week 2023, is celebrated under the theme: “Driving Change: Advancing a Vision for a Sustainable Island State.”

“This is very fitting as the government seeks to continue to create a self-sustaining, self-reliant state – a model country for many other countries to emulate as we move to a greener and much more enduring and modern society,” said the Foreign Minister.

Also in attendance at the service were Cabinet Ministers including the Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew; Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley; the Honourable Konris Maynard and the Honourable Marsha Henderson.  The Honourable Lanein Blanchette, Speaker of the National Assembly also attended.

Diplomatic Week continued with a visit to the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College, Nevis Sixth Form College, as well as with students of the Charlestown and Gingerland Secondary Schools by diplomats on April 24. Additionally, several ambassadors are scheduled to present credentials to Her Excellency Dame Marcella Liburd, Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis and to Prime Minister Dr. Drew.

The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, April 25 at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort.  On Wednesday, April 26, the ambassadors will journey to Nevis for a tour, while Thursday, April 27 is designated as Diplomatic Boulevard where the general public will get a chance to interact with the diplomats. Diplomatic Week climaxes on Friday, April 28 with a staff retreat.

The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards is pleased to announce that as of January 2023, it acquired full member status in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Our upgrade from correspondent to full-paying member was achieved with the help of governmental support. The SKNBS became a correspondent member in 2016 with some rights and privileges within ISO. However, our new status allows us all rights, benefits, and obligations within the ISO system in accordance with clause 2 of the ISO Rules of Procedures.
 
ISO is an independent, non-governmental organisation established in 1947 and based in Geneva, Switzerland. It boasts a membership of 168 national standards bodies from across the globe. It is the largest international standards development organisation and St. Kitts and Nevis is its smallest full-paying member.
 
As the national authority charged with the responsibility to protect the environment, the health and safety of our people, and facilitating international trade, our active membership in relevant regional and international organisations is paramount to our ability to efficiently execute our obligations.
 
Our membership in ISO allows the SKNBS to continue to adopt internationally recognised standards that meet the needs of our local communities. Our membership also demonstrates our commitment to the quality, safety, and efficiency of our local goods and services. 
 
As full members of ISO, we have the right to participate in the development of ISO standards by nominating local experts to a greater range of ISO technical committees. This ensures our equal voice in the ISO international standardisation process where we can influence how and what standards are developed and how our Federation participates in international trade through our ability to propose and vote on standards and to sit on various ISO governing bodies such as ISO Council.
 
Additionally, we are the only national entity with the authority to represent ISO and to locally adopt, promote, and sell ISO standards and to use the ISO name, copyright, and trademarks.
 
Furthermore, we now have the right to participate in the development of ISO policies and in the governance of the ISO organisation.
 
Our new full-paying member status in ISO further allows the Federation to meet our international obligations, build the capacity of our local experts and other national organisations, and effect greater international market penetration as we develop our standardisation strategy to meet local and global economic, social, and environmental challenges.
 
This achievement builds on other recent achievements of the SKNBS such as our current work developing a national vehicle standard, the upgrading of the metrology laboratory, and the procurement of a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) funded GMS machine that will be of great benefit to our agro-processors.
 
The SKNBS remains committed to standards and quality.

Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, in keeping with his promise to strengthen the health systems of our Federation is pleased to announce the arrival of three new medical specialists and a biomedical engineer to the Federation.

These highly skilled professionals which include two internal medicine specialists, Dr Rafael Dominguez and Dr Julio Hernandez along with Neurologist, Dr Alberto Laguna and Biomedical Engineer Mr Leiniel Tapanas Soto arrived in the Federation on April 22, 2023.

The Minister of Health wishes to express his gratitude to our Cuban partners, especially the Ambassador of Cuba to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, His Excellency David Rivero Pérez, for facilitating this undertaking as we continue our journey to accreditation.

“This partnership, which was established through official diplomatic relations 28 years ago, has enabled citizens and residents to access some of the world’s best medical expertise, and we are pleased to welcome these new medical personnel to our shores as they will bring tremendous benefit to our people,” said the Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew.

The expansion of services provided at our health institutions is a crucial aspect to transforming our healthcare system.

The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis remains committed to providing the highest standard of care to its citizens and residents.

The Department of Constituency Empowerment, over a two-day training session, rolled out Phase Two of its operationalization stage as it has now equipped its officers with uniforms and tools necessary to conduct their work in the field. This was held at the Solid Waste Management Corporation Conference Room from 13^th -14^th April, 2023.

Phase Two also included presentations from two community volunteers who specialise in survey techniques and community assessments like the Poverty Alleviation Assessment (PAA). The focus was primarily on best field practices and what to expect while undertaking such a rigorous task.

Charlene Gumbs, Constituency Officer for Constituency Five, says so far, the training has prepared her for the job ahead.

She said, “It’s a lot to learn and a lot to deal with the public as well. When you deal with the public, you don’t know what to expect but you have to tell yourself, your opinions and their opinions are of the same importance. So, I am ready for it.”

Constituency Officer for Constituency Four, Keyshaun Jones, says for him, it is the need to help people that further inspired him to become an Officer and the preparation so far has been very adequate.

He said, “The training is rather informative. It is interesting to see how the officers have a lot of work piled up to do. It’s not something where you just go out willy-nilly. It’s a lot of planning and preparations involved.”

Meanwhile, the Director of the Department, Colincia Levine, speaking to the importance of the training, said it is important that the team meets and hears from persons who have had experience in the field.

She said, “Even though we have the skills to do it, partnering can only make us stronger and the wealth of knowledge and experience that these people have, can only make us better, so, it is very important that we partner and get that extra scaffold as we go out.”

On day two, representatives from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were also on hand to offer guidance on how to navigate communities in terms of environmental vulnerabilities and hazards including environmental health hazards, derelict vehicles, drainage, and illegal dumping that, in turn, causes ghauts to flood.

Ourieka Petty, Acting Deputy of NEMA said there may be opportunities to collaborate with other departments, and as such the objective is that when the officers go out into the community, they are well-rounded.

During this second phase, there was a Preparatory Island Tour on Tuesday 18^th April 2023 that was led by expert local historian Leonard Stapleton. The tour took officers on a community sensitization exercise throughout the island.

A community walk was also done on Wednesday 19^th April 2023 in Old Road and Stapleton Villages.

Following that, the staff was engaged in an activity on April 20, 2023. The organisers called it Community Mapping and it was conducted by the Planning Unit.

As part of its ongoing efforts to prevent the misuse and abuse of substances by young people, the St. Kitts and Nevis National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention introduced the first cohort for its Safe Space Parenting programme which targeted parents of children in the 1^st form of the Saddlers Secondary School.
 
The programme uses as its premise that when children are emotionally well-balanced their behaviour will be well-adjusted resulting in a lesser propensity to use and misuse drugs. Parents, therefore, have a pivotal role to play in raising emotionally well-balanced children, just as their psycho-social well-being is important.  
 
The Safe Space Parenting programme, which commenced on March 16, 2023, was facilitated by a licensed clinical mental health therapist who is also a certified emotional processing and parenting coach. The training programme sought to increase awareness of childhood emotional neglect; expose participants to different parenting styles; and introduce them to tools to create an emotionally safe space for children to thrive.
 
Addressing the graduation ceremony for the programme participants on Thursday (April 20) evening at the Tabernacle Community Center, the Director of the St. Kitts-Nevis National Council on Drug Abuse Prevention Secretariat, Mrs. Karimu Byron Caines explained how this programme came about.
 
“In March of 2021, our Drug Abuse Prevention Officer Ms. Ishelle Huggins began facilitating drug education and prevention sessions at the Saddlers Secondary School. She would have facilitated sessions with students of various forms. Based on her feedback from her engagement with children and reports from the school, we knew we had to do more. We held a postmortem discussion with the school’s executive, community leaders, Mrs. Blake, and two of her family counselors from the National Counseling Center and our team at the National Drug Council. One of the recommendations from that discussion was to ensure parents are equipped with the knowledge and tools to raise children to thrive and become productive citizens,” Mrs. Byron Caines explained.
 
She further noted that targeted programmes of this nature are important.
 
Mrs. Byron Caines said, “Evidence proves that parenting practices predict essential outcomes for children and clinically sound programmes effectively support parents to promote optimal results for children. Parenting programmes are effective in improving the emotional and behavioral adjustments of children, in addition to enhancing the psycho-social wellbeing of parents.”
 
“I congratulate the parents who actively engaged in the sessions and showed outstanding commitment. Based on the evaluations from the participants, the sessions were beneficial and will be used throughout their parenting journey,” Director Byron Caines added.
 
The programme was facilitated by Ms. Konje Byron, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the US states of North and South Carolina. Over the four-week training programme, Ms. Byron engaged the participants on the topics of childhood emotional neglect, emotional safety, self-regulation and stress management, as well as behavioral expectations of children at different ages and stages.
 
Fourteen (14) parents registered for the Safe Space Parenting programme, however, due to various commitments only eight (8) parents were able to attend all sessions and complete the necessary assignments to successfully graduate from the programme.

In the wake of the highly anticipated 2023 Diplomatic Week celebrations, His Excellency Anders Bengtcén, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden accredited to Saint Kitts and Nevis, paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs et al.

During discussions, the Ambassador noted the excellent relationship between Saint Kitts and Nevis and Sweden, particularly within the multilateral arena. Through this medium, Sweden has contributed significantly towards the region’s fight against climate change.

To this, the Honourable Minister used the opportunity to thank Sweden for its ongoing support, emphasizing Saint Kitts and Nevis’ readiness for increased bilateral cooperation in a range of mutual priorities like Renewable Energy, Food Security, and Trade.

Both Dignitaries highlighted the Ministry’s upcoming 2023 Diplomatic Week activities; to which H.E Bengtcén expressed his enthusiasm in participating and promoting his country at the Diplomatic Boulevard on 27^TH April, 2023.

Other individuals present at the meeting were Dr. Joy Kathleen Allen Ferdinand, Honorary Consul of Sweden, and Ms. Jazzée Connor, Foreign Service Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Two stalled construction projects will be restarted by the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis after years of abandonment. The two projects in question are the new Police Training Complex at Lime Kiln Commercial Development and the new Government Printery at Church Street.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Police Training Complex, which was dubbed as a modern Multi-purpose Security Training Centre was held in January 2014. The European Union provided more than $10 million dollars to the project. A steel frame for the 38,741-square-foot facility was erected, with blocks running up to a certain level. However, work ceased sometime after.

“I would say that the project, from our perspective here in St. Kitts and Nevis, was badly managed,” Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, said on Wednesday (April 19) during a special interview with media members. “After the change in government in 2015, it was badly managed, and presently there is no funding coming through the European Union anymore to complete it.”

The process to move forward with construction in 2023 begins with a much-needed assessment by the Public Works Department (PWD).

“We are committed to finishing it,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew expressed, “but we are in the process of doing an analysis from a construction/engineering standpoint and also to source new funding to finish it.”

Meanwhile, construction of the Government Printery started in January 2019 with the laying of the foundation. EC$1.5 million was budgeted for the modern three-storey building with a nine-month timetable – that is completion by September 2019. Work also subsequently stalled.

Dr. Drew added that an analysis was done on the project, which determined the cost to complete the project.

“We are going to move on that very shortly,” the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance stated. “I am not going to leave the printery building abandoned because it came from another administration.”

He added that while administrations may change, the role of government remains the same, and the continuity of key projects in the best interest of the people must continue.