The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is moving forward with three initiatives that will assist in strengthening quality healthcare and service delivery to citizens, residents and visitors.
At the Prime Minister’s Press Conference with Cabinet Ministers on Wednesday (January 18, 2023), Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew told the nation that Universal Health Care remains a priority for the Government.
“We are getting ready to start our Universal Health Care. We will start to communicate with our people [to discuss] Universal Health Care for all of our people,” Dr. Drew stated at his first press conference of 2023.
Another measure highlighted was the corporatization of the Joseph N. France General Hospital, the premier health institution in the Federation. Prime Minister Dr. Drew said that this was being done “so that we can properly continue to manage it, and to improve its management as well.”
Additionally, relationships with third-party organizations will be revitalized.
“We are looking to strengthen the partnerships that we have with CARPHA (the Caribbean Public Health Agency), PAHO (Pan American Health Organization), and a number of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) such as PALS (Pediatric Assistance League of St. Kitts) so that all can be a part of our new trajectory going forward,” the Prime Minister stated.
He expressed satisfaction with the system changes being made to address and improve long-standing issues within the health sector.