Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Nevis Health Minister – Hensley Daniel

Charlestown, Nevis
February 09, 2012

The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) continued to show its commitment in the fight against Cancer on Wednesday February 08, 2012, when it hosted an Oncology Symposium through the Ministry of Health in conjunction with Pink Lily Cancer Care. The event, the first of its kind on Nevis, was held at the St. Pauls Anglican Church Hall in Charlestown with the theme “Together it is Possible”.

Minister of Health on Nevis Hon. Hensley Daniel in remarks at the one-day session which formed part of a month-long observation of World Cancer Day, told participants that given the incidence of Cancer on Nevis and the high cost associated with the treatment and care of the disease there should be a pool of financial resources set aside to ensure assistance to all those afflicted with the illness.

“What we need most urgently is a pool of funds similar to the NIH in England where everybody who gets sick is assured of some degree of assistance, as opposed to what we have now everybody who gets sick and who is unable to meet the cost, we in the Ministry of Health we make moral decisions to help people we would like with the Health Insurance to make an economic decision because we would have a pool of funds.

“If we take Dr. Martin’s assessment of cost of care on board, it means therefore that we have to have a pool of funds somewhere… So we should take tthe proactive approach in endorsing the Health Insurance so that everybody is covered and everybody is guaranteed some level of medical care,” he said.

While the Health Minister thanked Pink Lily for its efforts in the fight against Cancer, he noted that the meeting should serve to energise everyone who received the opportunity to better understand the disease and its implications and it should give all a missionary zeal to move forward to wage war on Cancer.

He added that the session should most importantly guide the participants toward prevention, treatment care and support of those who were affected by cancer and noted it was an opportune time for them to extend the pool of volunteers who could help to help others cope with Cancer.

“If we give one hour per week – a week has 168 hours and we give one hour per week to help people cope with such a difficult disease, we could all benefit because if it is that the incidence is anything to go by then we could reasonably assume that we will have persons who are close to us who will be diagnosed with cancer,” he said.

Notwithstanding, Mr. Daniel questioned what would be the next step for those already involved in the fight against Cancer.

“The question now of the Ministry of Health and perhaps of our Pink Lily we have heard of what they do, I would simply end by asking the question: What next? Where do we go from here? Do we continue our efforts to enlargen the awareness of the people and do we continue to take on board, encourage all of the individuals to take the necessary steps to prevent cancer.

“I believe we have with us in Nevis the human and financial resources to at least provide palliative care when it becomes necessary for persons who are afflicted by Cancer…Together we have begun doing something, together we must coontinue to do the things that make a difference,” he stated.

During his remarks the Health Minister also praised the fortitude of the Cancer Survivors on Nevis, three of whom gave testimony of their experience with the illness financially, emotionally and otherwise.

He said it was easy for one not afflicted by the disease to say that it was not a death sentence but the Survivor’s account of their experiences was a clear demonstration that Cancer was indeed not a death sentence.

“So if anything, they [Survivors] could at least in time and over time as people become ill with the disease they will serve as inspiration for them,” he said.

Mr. Daniel also used the opportunity to laude the efforts of all the Doctors Health Service Providers and their support staff at the various Health Centres and Hospitals who had to deal with patients afflicted with Cancer and addressed the issue of Cancer in a meaningful way.

However, he noted that given the incidence of Cancer on Nevis, he was certain that Medical Practitioners would welcome the opportunity for some detailed research in Nevis, to determine the cancer causing agent whether it was via heredity or whether it was via the environment.

Mr. Daniel also spoke to the establishment of a Cancer Registry from which contact tracing could be done. He explained that in that way a case could be built for persons who were related and their risk factor for Cancer could be determined.

He said it was one area the Ministry of Health planned to pursue in the ensuing year.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Women Given Information To Fight Cervical Cancer
2. Nevis Health Minister Claims Cancer Registry Will Aid Resource Allocation
3. Nevis Joins In With Observance Of World Cancer Day
4. Nevis Observes World Cancer Day
5. St. Kitts – Nevis’ Chief Medical Officer Says Cancer Is Not A Death Sentence

The New Fountain Community Centre

Charlestown, Nevis
December 30, 2011

The Fountain Community Centre would reinvigorate community life as it grew into the focal point in Fountain Village and surroundings. Minister for Social Development on Nevis Hon. Hensley Daniel, expressed that view when he delivered remarks at the official opening ceremony on Friday December 23, 2011.

The new facility was the most recent to be opened by the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) in areas where community centres were either nonexistent before or were unable to meet the needs of the community.

The Minister used the opportunity to urge villagers to take advantage of the programmes that would be made available related to Reading, Skills Training, Adult and Continuing Education and Arts and Computer Education training that would be made available to them through the Department of Community Development.

He also noted that the Centre, like all others on the island, would be headed by a Community Centre Manager whose responsibility would include coordinating programmes in the Centre, scheduling and finding the appropriate resource persons to ensure the continued use of the facility.

“The Community Centre Manager is going to identify the needs of the community. Our Centre Managers have been trained to focus on what is good in the community so they will identify all the good things in Fountain because we have heard enough about the bad things, so we need to focus on what is good. We are going to use the assets of the community to continue to promote economic and social development.

“The work will pool those resources, foster collaboration and work in a team to bring about meaningful change. That worker will also foster the community spirit by mobilising people to participate in community activities,” he said.

According to Mr. Daniel, the Centre Manager would work closely with the Community Development Officer in each parish, in this case Mr. Delroy Pinney who was responsible for the St. James Parish. The Officer’s responsibility Mr. Daniel explained was to be present in the community “pounding the pavement” to ensure social and economic development.

While the Minister gave some insight into the various programmes that would be available at the Centre, he pointed to Computer Education which he explained would provide access to internet. He also disclosed that a trainer had already been identified to teach persons use of the computer at Basic, Intermediate and Advanced levels, in an effort to bridge the digital divide in the communities.

“We have already identified the trainer who would be responsible for the Computer Education Programme throughout the island and in each centre we will have computer education…There is a room specially dedicated for the community foor computer education.

“I also want to say to you your Government has also bought the basic furniture that is required for the Centre – the chairs, desks, public address systems, filing cabinets have all been bought to allow for an early start of the programmes,” he said.

With regard to reading, the Social Development Minister noted that the Reading Starts With Us Programme which targeted children at the Primary School level from Kindergarten up to Grade 3, would be introduced there along with book clubs in which children would exchange books.

He explained the reason behind the heavy focus on reading which he said was important to the children’s future.

“We are working on reading and ensuring that we turn the children on to reading because we envisage that the society would continue to grow into a knowledge-based society and that the children have to have the requisite knowledge in order to function in an increasingly complex computerised and digital world.

“We also focusing on reading because when we listen to the Opposition they would prefer if the people in the community don’t read and they would prefer to work with ignorance but we prefer to work with people who understand what is happening in the world, who can read, who can analyse what is happening and who can evaluate things for themselves,” he said.

In the area of Youth Skills Training, the Minister announced that training would be available in Plumbing Installation, Electrical Installation and Blueprint Reading.

Mr. Daniel also disclosed that there would be training in other areas as a likely tutor had been identified.

“I was informed that a Nevisian who is residing in Canada has offered to come to Nevis on a six week basis to conduct some training in Upholstery, Furniture Making and Joinery. We are going to have those programmes and they are going to be made available to all the communities across Nevis,” he said.

The Minister also spoke to training in Music, Dance and Drama, which would provide children with the opportunity to perfect their skills in those areas and prepare them for performances at the national level mindful of the new Performing Arts Centre that would be opened in Charlestown early 2012.

There would also be training in Business Management, Accounting and Financial Planning in an effort to foster entrepreneurship among the youths.

“We want our young people to make a departure from what we are accustom to where they move from workers to owners and that will happen at your community centres,” he said.

Mr. Daniel further noted that in the Administration’s quest to reduce crime and violence and the tendency toward crime and violence all the Community Centres would also have training in Parenting and Anger Management.

That way, he said, people would learn to control their anger and to behave thereby creating a platform for economic development in Nevis.

Related posts:

1. Combermere Community Centre Construction Well Under Way
2. Nevis Community Centre Contractors Praised For Work
3. Challengers Multi-Purpose Centre Opens
4. Nevis Performing Arts And Cultural Centre Opens
5. Jessups Village Nevis To Have New Community Center

A Good Time Was Had By All

Charlestown, Nevis
December 07,2011

“Teachers are very important to a child’s life”,  Premier and Minister of Education, the Hon. Joseph Parry told dozens of Caribbean teachers, assembled at a Premier’s welcome cocktail at Mount Nevis Hotel on Friday, December 02. The teachers were on Nevis for the two-day Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) bi-annual executive meeting. Executive meetings of CUT take place in July and December, and include some twenty five (25) member units, from the Caribbean, Guyana, Suriname and Belize.

“I was once a teacher and I always feel compelled to assist teachers when the need arises because teachers are so important in the growth of a child,” said Premier Parry.

According to the Premier, the present times are tumultuous not only economically but socially, as well. He said it was important for teachers to teach good morals, good character, behavior and parenting skills.

“It is important that all leaders in the society take their place, and go onward to help the community move in a positive way,” Premier Parry told the attentive teachers.

He added that it is not Nevis alone that is having anti-social problems such as gangs, school drop- outs and delinquents, but the entire Caribbean on a whole including, “Guyana in the south and as far north as the Bahamas.”

“Who is better to turn to, in making our community and our young people better at this time, than teachers,” he concluded.

The two-day meeting which included business sessions and country reports, was held under the chairmanship of newly elected President, Mr. Marvin Andall of Grenada.

The CUT celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, and is part of Educational International (EI). It is the body recognized internationally as the representative body for teachers in the Caribbean.

Related posts:

1. Nevis Tourism Minister Hosts Cocktail Party For NTA Staff
2. Nevis Premier Hosts Cocktail Party For Culturama 2008
3. Nevis Premier Hosts Another Great Cocktail Party
4. Nevis Teachers Encouraged To Be Well Read
5. Nevis Hosts Miss Teen Caribbean Party