BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Thursday 10th June 2021)-“You could imagine how tough that was on the patient, on the patient’s family et cetera [etc.]. I even got calls and WhatsApp [messages] from in the UK [and] North America asking if we got our first death…”
So said Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital and member of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson when he appeared on the Tuesday 8th June 2021 episode of ‘Leadership Matters’ on ZIZ in addressing an area of concern on the topic of fake news in the Federation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This media house understands that a photo of a male COVID-19 patient had been circulating via social media, specifically WhatsApp messenger, claiming that he died from the illness.
Rumours going about indicated that St.Kitts-Nevis had recorded its first COVID related death.
“This morning, as I do most mornings, I called the specialist working on the private ward to find out how the patients were doing, and I found that all four were stable and doing fine. I updated the CMO [Chief Medical Officer-Dr. Hazel Laws], and I was shocked and surprised when I saw circulating on social media; this news that one of the patients died with a picture, and I think it is very tough on persons when they’re in the hospital fighting a deadly disease like this and then turning the corner and doing well for persons to be spreading fake news with a picture saying that the person is dead,” Dr. Wilkinson said.
He continued: “You could imagine how tough that was on the patient, on the patient’s family et cetera [etc.]. I even got calls and WhatsApp [messages] from in the UK, North America asking if we got our first death, and for someone to be doing that it must be a malicious attempt at what we’re doing and I want to [say to] persons that we can have disagreements but we don’t need to be enemies and we don’t need to misconstrue the information and especially when someone is in the hospital and fighting to get better, let’s try and keep them out of those and stick to the facts.”
Commenting on a caller’s question about the government’s response to fake news, Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris said: “Well, I think in large measure that is why we’re here tonight in part to be able to bring the facts and to have the authorities and those most knowledgeable to inform the people. So part of our response to the fake news is to keep the public abreast with what is happening in the country, to be transparent about it and to explain as much to the people so that they understand.”
“There will always be unfortunately, as we see it play out, some whom for selfish motives, and for their own political agenda would want to have bad news in the country…. Some have resorted to politicising the efforts even of professional people in doing such a marvelous job of protecting our country,” he added.