BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, February 17, 2025 (MMS-SKN) — Constituents of St. Christopher Eight, and their friends, who on Saturday February 15 turned out for the healthy post Valentine’s Breakfast of Love offered by Executive Branch of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party got more than they had bargained for. They also received free medical checks.
The post Valentine’s Breakfast of Love, which was held a day after the world observed Valentine Day on Friday February 14, was at the Labour Party branch office in Caricom Village, St. Peter’s Parish.
On hand was a contingent from the Windsor University School of Medicine, led by Lecturer Dr Oluwabusola Osimosu, better known to her students as Dr B, who offered free medical check-ups.
Leading the community was Area Parliamentary Representative, and Prime Minister of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, himself a medical doctor, the Hon Dr Terrance Drew, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs Diani Prince-Drew.
He observed that the event was significant as apart from offering a healthy breakfast to the members of the community, there was the team from the Windsor University School of Medicine which is located in Brighton’s Estate, Cayon, in his constituency, who were offering basic medical health checks.
“This health check is critical because it is a means of alerting people as to their condition, whether they have a condition they do not know – blood pressure, blood sugar and so forth, or whether their blood pressure and sugar are under control,” noted the Honourable Prime Minister. “I think this is meaningful for the community, apart from the breakfast, to get a basic health check.”
Others who patronised the event included Cabinet Secretary Dr Marcus Natta, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Mr Curtis Martin, Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ms Naeemah Hazelle, Chairperson of the St. Kitts Nevis Labour Party, Ms Dianna Williams Humphrey, and the party’s Assistant General Secretary, Ms Nadine Natta.
“So I am really happy with the significant turnout that we have experienced this morning,” said the Hon Dr Drew. “The community has come out, and to really thank the workers for their tremendous work they have been doing thus far.”
According to Dr Oluwabusola Osimosu, with her were five medical students, two of whom had completed their medical studies but were yet to be conferred with the title ‘Doctor’, and a nurse.
“We usually give back to the community, and so we do community health outreach both in St. Kitts and in Nevis,” said Dr Osimosu, in explaining why they were at the post Valentine’s breakfast event. “We do blood pressure checks, glucose – checking sugar level. We also do BMI (body mass index) where we check your weight, we do the eye examinations, and we also offer the EKG examination, which records the electrical signals of the heart.”
Emphasising on the importance of good health, she said that by giving back to the community, they are also educating members of the community on how to check their health regularly, “because we all know health is wealth. So, if we do not sensitise the community, how do we limit the number of cases of chronic illnesses? We give back to the community through such education.”
Selling at EC$25.00 for each breakfast, proceeds from the event are to be in aid of constituency activities, for which Prime Minister Drew said in a post on his official Facebook page: “Your kindness and commitment to the wellbeing of our community serve as a shining example of the power of collaboration. It is with partners like you that we are able to bring about positive change and continue building a stronger, more united constituency.”
The breakfast was organised by the Constituency Number Eight Labour Party Executive Branch, led by its chairperson, Ms Avonelle Martin. A spokesman for the branch, in highlighting the collective significance of the event, said that different persons from the constituency assisted in the catering and getting donations, while members came out in their numbers and gave their support.
“We try to have different activities every month in various parts of the constituency,” said the spokesman. “This month might be a breakfast, next month we might have a health walk, another month we might have games, within the various districts in the constituency. These different activities are held so that we are on the ground meeting the people, greeting people and showing that we are still here for them.”