Minister of Foreign Affairs et al, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, on 26^th January, 2023, visited Saint Kitts and Nevis’ nationals who are currently receiving medical treatment at the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology (INOR) and La Pradera Hospital in Havana. The Honourable Minister, who was officially welcomed by the staff of both institutions, was accompanied by H.E. Ambassador Verna Mills and Counsellor, Mr. Winston Hanley. The Minister’s visit to Cuba coincided with the V International Conference for World Balance.
 
At the INOR, Dr. Polanco, Director of the international ward, and his team expressed their delight in welcoming the Foreign Minister to the hospital and explained the treatment of cancer patients using chemotherapy and radiation as well as the advances in new vaccines that are being developed in Cuba as part of the overall programme.
 
Later that day, the Minister visited La Pradera Hospital where he was also welcomed by the administration of the hospital with whom he held discussions. The Director General, Dra. Nelly Cristina Valdivia Onega, together with her staff explained the rehabilitation and physical therapy process and the use of different physiotherapy machines employed at the rehabilitation centre. The Honourable Minister was also invited to tour the Ayurveda centre, the first of its kind in Cuba.
 
At the end of the visits, Dr. Douglas thanked the staff at both institutions for receiving and giving him a general idea of the programmes used in the medical treatment of the patients. Dr. Douglas expressed his appreciation for the care of the patients and indicated the need for more collaboration on medical issues between both countries.
 
An expression of intent for cooperation between the hospitals and the health sector in Saint Kitts and Nevis was entertained for future exploration and improvement of the treatment of cancer patients.

Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew met with the various Heads of National Security this morning [January 30, 2023] to discuss joint operations to be implemented as part of the ministry’s mandate to employ and strengthen its crime-fighting strategies.

Present at the meeting were National Security Advisor, Major General Stewart Saunders; Commissioner of Police, Hilroy Brandy; Assistant Commissioner of Police, Adolph Adams; Assistant Commissioner of Police Andre Mitchell; and Assistant Commissioner of Police McCarta Browne.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to work diligently to ensure that the security agencies maintain a zero-tolerance approach to crime, focusing on the preservation of law and order within our communities.

Citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis are invited to apply for scholarships to pursue Medical Specialties in the United Mexican States.

The courses will be conducted in Spanish, and as such, applicants must be fluent in the language. All documents must be accompanied by a Spanish-translated copy and submitted electronically at https://sigca.sre.gob.mx/login.

Further information relating to the process and the documents required may be accessed at https://www.gob.mx/amexcid/documentos/convocatoria-de-especialidades-medicas-amexcid-2022?state=published

After applying online, candidates are required to print the application form and submit it, along with requisite documents to Ms. Jamilah Adams at the Human Resource Department located at Government Headquarters.

The application deadline is March 01, 2023.

Seven small business owners received grants from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) after completing a business improvement plan on 26^th January 2023.
 
In an interview at the closing ceremony, Therez Ambrose-Versailles, Tourism Research Officer at the Ministry of Tourism in St. Kitts said, “The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank, the Frankfurt School of Business and Finance Management, as well as the University of the West Indies, came together in 2021 to devise a programme that is designed to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
 
The programme was virtual and it aided the stakeholders in retooling themselves in a way that allowed them to maneuver the new era since the inception of the pandemic said Mrs. Ambrose-Versailles.
 
She stated also that “This time around we have the second cohort receiving their memorandum of understanding and basically it is a document that outlines what their responsibilities are, the responsibilities of the Ministry of Tourism, and what they should do once they get the finance to improve their business.”
 
“What is unique about this cohort is that when they signed up, they signed up with the understanding that they were not supposed to receive a grant but seeing the potential of the group, the UNDP group decided to petition the Caribbean Development Bank and they procured some funds for them amounting to $31,000XCD which was distributed among the recipients,” said Mrs. Ambrose-Versailles.
 
Recipients of the grant were Carol Clarke from Essence of Delight, Laurell Claxton from Claxton Management Services, Azmon Thomas from Azz Solutions, Kadijah Williams, Nakida Arthurton of Nik Naks Skincare, Otis Jeffers of the Produce Delight: Conscious Farming and Shobina Prince of Naive Radiance.

Representatives of Faith-Based Institutions in St. Kitts and Nevis are expected to have a greater voice on governance issues following a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Ecclesiastical and Faith-Based Affairs the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley.

Dr. Hanley met with more than 70 officials on Wednesday (January 25, 2023) at the People’s Evangelistic Centre at Needsmust. He told the gathering that the Government was committed to improving the partnership with religious organizations and as such was pleased to follow up on his previous discussions with smaller groups by bringing everyone together for a general meeting.

A new initiative mentioned involved sending proposed legislation to the religious bodies.

“It is our intention that we make you feel a part of what is happening. So, when we send information to you regarding a Bill like we have in the Integrity in Public Life Bill that is going to be laid in Parliament, we want to have your feedback on it as well,” he stated. “So, it is a form of you educating your congregation about what’s happening in government or under the umbrella of governance, and at the same time, you get an opportunity to shape laws that will benefit our people.”

The Deputy Prime Minister was supported by Brenda Boncamper, Permanent Secretary of Housing and Human Settlement. He used the opportunity to introduce Elrether Simpson-Browne, the new Permanent Secretary of Ecclesiastical and Faith-based Affairs.

“I am just the PS for Ecclesiastical and Faith-Based Affairs, which means that you have your own PS who will be taking care of your needs and I think that we should commend the Government for that because I believe faith must have a part to play in the functioning of any government,” Mrs. Simpson- Browne expressed.

Key outcomes from the dialogue include a commitment to proceed with the commissioning of a new cemetery in Sandy Point and comprehensive training of officials in the Schools Chaplain Programme. The faith-based leaders also fully endorsed the establishment of an Annual National Day of Prayer for the Nation and Families on February 28.

 Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, who also serves as Minister of Health, held discussions with the management team within the Ministry of Health today, Wednesday, January 25, 2023, at the Ministry’s conference room at Bladen’s.
 
Wednesday’s meeting provided Prime Minister Dr. Drew and the management team the opportunity to set out the agenda that will lead to the further advancement of the healthcare sector in St. Kitts and Nevis.
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew also used the meeting to officially congratulate Dr. Sharon Archibald on her appointment as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, as well as Dr. Rondalyn Dennis-Bradshaw, who is now the new Principal Nursing Officer (PNO) in the Ministry of Health.
 
Also, in attendance at the meeting with the Prime Minister were Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws, Director of Health Institutions within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jenson Morton and Special Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Martin.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis to the ideals of the regional organisation of Latin American and Caribbean States. He did so at the plenary session of the VII Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States), in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Dr. Douglas expressed his delight in welcoming Brazil back President Lula Da Silva of Brazil to the councils of CELAC, after a brief hiatus. President Lula, as one of the founding fathers of the organisation, has unique perspectives on its role in deepening cooperation and integration among Latin American and Caribbean States.

Dr. Douglas highlighted the importance of strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and cooperation among countries of the Global South, specifically Latin America and the Caribbean, to enable us to achieve our targets outlined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Leaders at the Summit also discussed matters related to trade, investment, transportation, human resource development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and building public health infrastructure in the post-pandemic era. The Government of Mexico outlined a proposal for deepening cooperation in health care with CARICOM member states. Coordination will be undertaken by CARPHA, the regional public health agency, based in Suriname.

Congratulations were extended to the Hon. Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who assumed the presidency of CELAC for the year 2023.  Dr. Gonsalves pledged to build on the work of his predecessors from Argentina and Mexico.

St. Kitts and Nevis used the high-level forum to call for the removal of the economic embargo and other restrictions imposed on Cuba and Venezuela. These measures have adversely impacted the lives of the people of Cuba and Venezuela and have retarded their economic growth and development.

Dr. Douglas expressed his confidence that the discussions at the CELAC Summit will lead to positive outcomes in keeping with the Government’s agenda for improving the lives of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is launching the call for applications for the 2023 edition of its Young Peacebuilders programme, which for the second time will focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. The call is open to participants between 18 and 25 years old from the region, with a strong interest in growing their ability to act as agents of peace in their respective communities, preventing violent extremism through intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

To this end, twenty young civil society leaders will be selected to participate in this peace education experience. They will engage online through a series of facilitated interactive modules, and in-person during a one-week face-to-face workshop. After completing their training, participants will then apply their learnings by implementing a peace initiative at the community level with the support and mentorship of UNAOC trainers.

The project will then culminate in a symposium where the young participants will share their experiences, lessons learned, achievements, and recommendations with a broader audience of practitioners, UN officials, policymakers, media entities, and civil society representatives, bringing visibility to their initiatives toward the promotion of diversity and dialogue.

Implemented with the generous support of the Agencia Extremeña de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AEXCID), and in collaboration with the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY), UNAOC Young Peacebuilders strengthens the global network of young peacebuilders who are equipped with the tools to tackle stereotypes, prejudice, and polarization to build more inclusive and peaceful societies. The long-term aim is their integration into governmental peace processes and policies.

More details about the programme and its eligibility criteria are available here. To apply, click here. The deadline for applications is no later than 19 February 2023.

Mrs. Rondalyn Dennis-Bradshaw has been appointed as the new Principal Nursing Officer (PNO) in the Ministry of Health, filling the important position that was vacant for the past seven years. 

Dr. Bradshaw is a highly motivated, committed, dedicated and knowledgeable healthcare professional and Nurse Educator and Administrator with a combined experience of over 30 years in general nursing, midwifery and nursing education.

She is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing Education.  She also completed a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Walden University.  Dr. Dennis-Bradshaw recently held the position of Dean, Division of Health Sciences, at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.

Dr. Dennis-Bradshaw believes that “Leadership in nursing at the various levels is central to health system development.” It is her intention as the new Principal Nursing Officer to actively support and enable improvements and facilitate seamless, accessible and equitable service for all stakeholders through policy and quality improvement which would redound to better patient experiences and improved health care outcomes.