BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 29th October 2026) – “I am not even upset with the detractors. Trust me, I’m not upset.”
So said Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew as he addressed persons gathered at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport on Saturday 24th October 2026, following his return to St. Kitts after receiving medical treatment overseas.
Speaking in a parking lot section of the airport premises during a live broadcast, Dr. Drew responded to negative comments made during his illness, discussed his recovery and indicated that he would be returning to work following consultations with medical specialists.
Explaining his position, the Prime Minister said some persons had expected him to be bedridden and unable to speak or walk.
“And I was not upset with them because that is what people normally see,” he stated.
“But the more they say is the more I thank God,” he continued, adding that what some had expected was different from his experience.
Dr. Drew, who is a trained medical doctor, said he had been walking approximately a week and a half after becoming ill and had not undergone surgery.
He also spoke about his medical consultations, indicating that specialists had advised him there was nothing further to be done.
Addressing the question of returning to his official duties, the Prime Minister recounted asking one of his doctors about resuming work.
According to Dr. Drew, he explained that he was not obsessed with power or politics and wanted to know whether he could return to work.
He said the specialist advised him to resume work rather than remain inactive for an extended period.
“So, by my doctor’s orders, I’m getting back to work, but by God’s permission, I am healed,” Dr. Drew declared.
The Prime Minister also spoke about follow-up medical visits, explaining that during a consultation, his wife had asked about another appointment. According to his account, the doctor indicated that if she wanted a further visit, he could return in six months.
Throughout his remarks, Dr. Drew repeatedly attributed his recovery to his religious faith.
In a lighthearted moment, the Prime Minister also made reference to artificial intelligence (AI) while assuring those gathered that it was indeed him speaking.
“This ain’t no AI Drew or no propped up Drew. This is the real Drew by God’s grace,” he remarked.
Returning to the subject of his detractors, Dr. Drew said negative remarks had not caused him to lose focus on those who supported him.
“Even the detractors I say thanks because each time you say something negative I recognize more and more how powerful God is and that his mercies have me here today,” he stated.
During his address, Dr. Drew thanked his wife, family members, friends and members of the public, placing particular emphasis on the prayers offered on his behalf.
“The most critical thing in all of this for me was your prayers,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to medical personnel at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, in Martinique and Miami, along with the diplomatic representatives he acknowledged for their assistance.
Special acknowledgement was given to Acting Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley for his leadership during Dr. Drew’s absence.
“He stepped up to the plate and he held the reins and he held strain,” Dr. Drew remarked.
He also thanked his Cabinet colleagues, staff in his office and the wider civil service for their work during his absence.
Meanwhile, Dr. Drew invited members of the public to a national thanksgiving gathering, which was subsequently held at National Heroes Park the next day (Sunday 25th October), where he shared further details of his spiritual experience, including what he described as the moment he was healed.
In announcing the gathering, the Prime Minister had explained that the occasion would not focus solely on his recovery but would also include prayers for St. Kitts and Nevis, the wider region and the world.
“As a country let us band together and let us give God thanks not just for me but for our nation and what he has done,” he stated.
