Emergency care at the Joseph N. France General Hospital has improved recently, and is expected to be enhanced even more, with the recruitment of new doctors to serve in the Accident and Emergency (A and E) section.

The new development was announced by Prime Minister and Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, during a special interview with members of the press on Thursday (March 02, 2023).

“We will be bringing on four new doctors who will work in the A and E – two of them are very experienced, and the other two are very competent, and they are coming in the A and E starting either this week or next week so that we can strengthen the cadre of doctors …,” the Prime Minister said.

The expected arrival of the doctors follows earlier steps taken by the government to recruit additional personnel to serve in the accident and emergency section.

“We have asked retired nurses to come and to be triage nurses. Triage requires a high level of expertise because it is the triage nurse who determines whether you need urgent care, you can wait, or whether they can send you to see your doctor the next day,” Dr. Drew stated.

In addition to their expertise, their years of experience in healthcare service make retired nurses even more qualified to carry out the necessary patient assessment. This helps to significantly reduce the time persons spend awaiting emergency medical attention.

 Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew provided a comprehensive update on the payments made under the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP).
 
Speaking during a special interview with members of the media today, Thursday, March 02, 2023, Prime Minister Dr. Drew stated that as the programme continues to be evaluated, payments have been made to close to five thousand (5,000) beneficiaries in different categories.
 
“We have paid about 5,000 persons in St. Kitts and Nevis. We have 346 of the unemployed, 277 of the disabled, 1,898 of the elderly and 2,173 low-income employees and this will continue to be evaluated,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.
 
The honourable Prime Minister said the PAP programme is important as it seeks to lower the poverty rate in the Federation by providing families and households below the poverty line proper access to food, financial assistance and other necessities.
 
“However, we promised that we would transform the PAP, as we said we would MEND the PAP, and we are now collecting the data, carrying out the feasibility studies and the evaluation to determine what that new programme would look like. What I can say to the citizens is that we promised that we would put a programme in place really to alleviate poverty, which means persons might need more resources or some might need fewer resources, but it will be a comprehensive approach as to how to deal with poverty in St. Kitts and Nevis. We want to rid our country of poverty,” Dr. Drew explained.
 
The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew further explained that it was necessary and important to re-evaluate the programme.
 
He said, “There are persons who might change their status—they might be unemployed today and working tomorrow, and so that changed their status in life so you might make the adjustments. God forbids you might have somebody who died who is on the programme, you need to re-evaluate the programme to determine these kinds of significant things.”
 
“The Social Security asks for an evaluation periodically which is normal to do. It does not mean that if you are qualified to be on the programme that you will be removed from the programme but any prudent programme would of course need period evaluation to determine if those who are on the programme should be on the programme still because they might have changed their status, or you might have persons who may not have been on the programme who now will qualify to be on the programme, and without such re-evaluation, the dynamics of the programme will not be addressed,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew added.
 
The Poverty Alleviation Programme provides a monthly stipend of $500 per month to households earning less than $3,000 per month.

 Approximately 42 participants from various public and private sector business entities in St. Kitts and Nevis attended a one-day Business Symposium on March 01, 2023, at the CUNA Conference Center geared towards equipping entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and resources needed to enhance their business supply chains and increase competitiveness.

The Symposium, which was held under the theme: “Opportunities for Business Growth and Better Supply Chain Management,” was organized by the Department of Industry and Commerce, under the umbrella of the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Permanent Secretary, Jasemin Weekes welcomed participants and noted that the Symposium was quite timely.

“This timely endeavour demonstrates the Ministry of International Trade, Industry, Commerce and Consumer Affairs and by extension the government’s commitment and deliberate response in supporting our businesses that are operating in a very unfair and hostile trading environment, particularly at this time,” said Permanent Secretary Weekes.

Mrs. Weekes referred to the World Trade Organization’s Facilitation Agreement and Implementation which the Ministry of Trade oversees.

“This Agreement provides the impetus, guidance and the necessary tools to make trade easier. In fact, trade facilitation underpins global supply chains, reducing the time and cost of moving goods around the world and promoting more inclusive trade,” she said. “For us at the Ministry of International Trade, reducing trade cost is particularly important for our micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.  “While there have been some incremental advances in the implementation of this Trade Facilitation Agreement at the national level, the Ministry, through its traditional trade National Trade Facility Committee, remains eager and optimistic to realize an accelerated, measurable and tangible impact on this Agreement on the economy.” added the Permanent Secretary.

The Business Symposium addressed topics such as Sustainable Procurement to Enhance Competitiveness, Shipping Options and Challenges, and Landing Procedures and Processes.

 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) are critical and play a significant role in improving healthcare in any country. As such, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has taken a step to train Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) to provide immediate treatment that improves patients’ chances of survival. 

“The EMS will be improved significantly. The EMTs have started their programme already and we will carry them from basics all the way up to paramedic,” said Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew on March 02, 2023, where he engaged members of the media in a Special Interview on key matters of national importance. “No longer do we want people to show up in an ambulance without the requisite training. And so, we are making sure that we take care of that.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew, who also serves as Minister of Health, expressed thanks to the Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) for partnering with the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis “to make sure that we can train our EMTs to international standards.”

Equally important, customer service at the Joseph N France (JNF) General Hospital will also be improved. Prime Minister Dr. Drew said that Delcia Bradley-King has been tasked with overseeing this programme.

“She is someone who is an expert in customer service training. She is now carrying out a study at JNF to see what the issues are because there have been a lot of complaints about customer service at JNF,” said the Health Minister. “We are carrying out a scientific assessment right now to see the extent of that. Once we have determined the extent, we are going to put a plan in place to deal with customer service.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew added that there are several programmes running at the JNF, as the aim is to change a number of critical things such as the early registration of nurses and changing nurses’ and doctors’ uniforms.

“I know when changes are to come that sometimes there can be natural inertia, but I am asking that we join customer service and scientific training. We are very serious about this. The changes must come but we want all to come on board with respect to the positive changes so that we can improve,” he said. “We are saying to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis that we are transforming healthcare, not just from an infrastructural standpoint as is with the new hospital, but from the standpoint of improving the human resource.”

On Monday, February 27, 2023, the Dean Glasford Primary School became the sixth (6^th) primary school on St. Kitts to participate in the Ministry of Environment and the Taiwan Technical Mission’s bin placement programme, which falls under the “Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project”.
 
Through this recycling awareness campaign, plastic recycling bins are being installed in primary schools across the island, and students are being properly informed on what should be recycled and the significance of recycling.
 
Prime Minister and Parliamentary Representative for the St. Peter’s community, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, and Minister of Environment and Climate Action, the Honorable Dr. Joyelle Clarke were on hand to witness the introduction of the project at the Dean Glasford Primary School.
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew addressed the students and impressed upon them the need to protect the environment, and by extension the planet.
 
The Prime Minister said, “This programme is an initiative that is spearheaded of course with the collaboration with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government, through the various ministries that they are connecting with. This is to ensure that we do our part in St. Kitts and Nevis to protect the environment and we are involving you the students, you the children, and we want you to learn it and practice it at your school and we want you also to take it home and tell your parents and guardians what are the best things to do in order to protect the environment.”
 
Minister Clarke used the occasion to share a short but powerful story with the students that illustrated the dangers of the improper disposal of plastic materials and its harmful effects on the planet.
 
At the end of the session, all the students made the commitment to use fewer plastic bottles and to properly dispose of them when used.
 
In addition to the Dean Glasford Primary School, the Ministry of Environment and the Taiwan Technical Mission have installed plastic recycling bins at the St. Paul’s Primary School, Cayon Primary, Sandy Point Primary, Edgar T. Morris Primary, and the Bronte Welsh Primary Schools.
 
Plastic recycling bins are also being placed at hotels, restaurants, community centers, churches, and a number of local retail businesses as part of the Solid Waste Management and Recycling Project.

The Honourable Isalean Phillip, Minister of State responsible for Social Development and Gender Affairs has advocated for changes to be made to the work programme at His Majesty’s Prison which would grant certain rights to female inmates currently enjoyed by males.

During her appearance on the debut edition of “Infocus”, the new St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) Television and Radio Programme on Wednesday, March 01, 2023, Minister Phillip said that women inmates should be given equal privilege.

“One of the things for our prison programme is that we try to engage the women just like we would for male inmates. In terms of skills and educational developments, women are supported in terms of doing little crafts and those kinds of things. It could be an opportunity for women to leave the prison to display what they can do and also to have opportunities to contribute to community development as we have the male inmates doing,” said Minister Phillip. “Why can’t we have some of the women go out and do some of the gardening, beautification of our roundabouts? We see our men going out and painting, why can’t women also get opportunities to develop those skills? There is no reason in this day and age as to why that policy still exists.”

She noted that the Department of Gender Affairs ran a programme for women in prison, which highlighted several gender inequalities such as women being unable to go outside the prison to perform community service. This, she said, is an example of gender inequality.

Minister Phillip briefly explained the difference between gender equality and gender equity.

“When we think about equality, we think about males and females being able to access the same rights and privileges that are typically being ascribed legislatively, systematically and institutionally,” said the Minister of State. “Now, historically, when it comes to the women’s movement, the feminist movement, it was really advocating for equality because there was a time when women were not allowed to vote, go to school, access rights and privileges in society by virtue of the fact that they were females. And so, instances like that, that is where we talk about inequality,” Minister Phillip added.

“When it comes to equity, we want to think about how we can actually achieve equality when it was denied historically for years. Equity is about fairness, so we want to think about how we can be fairer in the way that we ensure women and men are actually benefiting from whatever it is that’s occurring in society,” she further stated.

Minister Phillip used, for example, the fact that there are fewer women in representation and leadership, noting that the initiative taken by the Prime Minister the Honourable. Dr. Terrance Drew to “appoint women in leadership positions is an effort to be more equitable in terms of the distribution of power and resources.”

The establishment of an annual National Day of Prayer in St. Kitts and Nevis was extremely successful as thousands of people across the Federation spent time on Tuesday (February 28, 2023) acknowledging God’s sovereignty.

Throughout the day, persons congregated in churches or spent time at the temporary prayer stations, while others used personal time to communicate with God. The Ministry of Ecclesiastical and Faith-based Affairs in collaboration with the church community organized a series of one-hour Worship sessions attended by various government departments and ministries, high school students and the general public. The sessions were held at the Rivers of Living Water Christian Centre,

Each one-hour session was led by a different church ministry. The day’s activity climaxed at 7 p.m. with a grand session attended by Cabinet Ministers, senior government officials, and persons from all walks of life.

Principal of the Verchild’s High School, Miguel Thomas, attended one of the morning sessions with fifty-eight First Form students. He quoted 2 Chronicles 7:14, which speaks about repentance and restoration, and welcomed the national observance, noting that it is a sign that “society is heading in the right direction.”

“I strongly think it is something that is timely,” Principal Thomas stated. He shared that while all students need prayer, the decision to bring along the First Form students was a logical choice.

“We felt that our First Form students being the youngest in the school, there are certain things that were lacking in terms of exposure, and we felt that this opportunity was one that was ideal for this cohort in particular.”

Junique Eddy attended the service along with co-workers at the Ministry of Employment and Labour. He applauded the decision by the government to allow public sector workers to pray together.

“Hopefully, it brings a wholesome family feeling,” Mr. Eddy stated. “Once you are comfortable with the people you work with, it will always bring benefits throughout the whole organization such as [improved] morale … and overall, it should bring about more output, productivity, and happiness within ourselves as people.”

Sandra McKoy of the Ministry of Education described the session as uplifting and wonderful.

“Recently, we have seen an upsurge in violence among the young people, and I pray that our prayers go out and raise up to God so that our young people, in particular, can find peace and come to know God and trust him,” she said while commending the large turnout of secondary school students.

Many persons have expressed that the activity should be repeated later in the year, given the tremendous success of the National Day of Prayer.

Staff and students of the Dean Glasford Primary (DGP) School in St. Peters honoured seventeen (17) community icons at a Special Icons Ceremony on Tuesday, February 28 for their sterling contribution to the community, climaxing History and Heritage Month activities in the school.

The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew and Joycelyn Blanchard were awarded in the area of Health; Lincoln Bass in the category of Entertainment; Laurice ‘Delores’ Hobson in Education; Maxwell ‘Controller’ Bass in Security; Jonathon Bass and Mable Morton – Entrepreneurship; Atiba Harris and Shaquille Barzey – Sports and Patricia Nurse-Clarke for Community Development. Additionally, Reverend Joseph Edmeade and Archdeacon Isaiah Phillip were awarded in the category of Ecclesiastical Affairs; Kennedy ‘Natural Hazel and Aidan Hendrickson – Culture; Henry Thomas and Mavis Phillip – Environment and Leon Anthony in Agriculture.

“They are indeed a diverse group of respected community leaders, some of whom have also been awarded national honours for their unwavering contribution and service to our community and country by extension,” said Sherima Collins, Principal of the Dean Glasford Primary School. “Therefore, we know that we are on the right track in celebrating and elevating some of the best in our country.”

Principal Collins said that the icons have left an indelible mark on the community and in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“Icons, each and every one of you has undoubtedly made a profound and lasting impact. Your willingness to go beyond the call of duty, the commitments that you have shown in your area and the way you have given selflessly to others, speak both to your strength and the quality of your character,” she said. “The commonalities among you are many – hardworking, dedicated, passionate and your clarity of purpose.”

The Special Icons Ceremony was celebrated under the theme: “Celebrating the Ones Who Inspire Us to Do More and Become More.”

“Today’s theme is quite fitting as it encapsulates the impact of your contributions. You have encouraged us all to push through even when the task seems daunting. Forge ahead when the journey seems lonely and persevere even during the most difficult times,” she said. “As we roll out the red carpet for you, our community luminaries, I extend warmest congratulations to all of you.”

Shelana Barzey, Deputy Principal said that the Icons came from humble beginnings, and encouraged students to utilize the role models in the community.

“You don’t have to be rich to make a difference, you only have to care. So to you our DGP stars, I want you to leave here knowing that you don’t have to look outside or elsewhere for role models, our examples are right here in our backyard, in our community. You should not only be proud but you should also be inspired,” said Deputy Principal Barzey.

The awardees will continue to play an integral part in the community and school by extension. Principal Collins and Deputy Principal Barzey said that the aim is to have them visit the school on Thursdays – which is designated as Gender Assembly – to speak to the students. Also, they will play key roles in various activities organized by the school.