Visiting Anguilla Healthcare Delegation
Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
June 06, 2008 (SKNIS)
A delegation from Anguilla is in St. Kitts to tour the health facilities and explore ways to deepen cooperation.
The three-man touring group is headed by Minister of Social Development Honourable Evans McNeil Rogers, who spent Friday morning in meetings with the Minister of Health Honourable Rupert Herbert, his Permanent Secretary Elvis Newton and a host of other medical officials and administrators.
Minister Rogers told SKNIS that St. Kitts and Nevis and Anguilla share deep bonds and this partnership is good business.
“We are very small countries and there is no need to duplicate services that are available in one country,” he said. “We need to share some services so that we will be able to use the limited resources that we have in a very constructive and positive way in order to provide the health services that are required and that are demanded by our people in the region.”
The visiting official noted that very often, persons think of collaborations in the fields of tourism or finance, but he explained that it was time that other areas of cooperation be explored in order to ensure the sustainability of the region.
Minister Rogers noted that nurses from Anguilla are currently training in St. Kitts and there are plans to have that number expanded. He also revealed that biomedical engineers from St. Kitts have played a vital role in the operation of his country’s own service in that field.
Before coming to St. Kitts, the team visited Antigua. This visit was strategically planned as a new 180-room health facility is being constructed there. The minister stressed his belief that the escalating cost of health care will see more partnerships being forged throughout the region.
While in St. Kitts, the touring party which includes Darlene Baptiste, Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health and Dr. Franklin Lloyd, Director of the Board of Health, visited the Joseph N. France General Hospital as well as the Newtown Health Center. The one-day visit ends Satruday morning.
An official form the local Ministry of Health said it was wonderful to host the team from Anguilla and added that the Government was excited about the expanded avenues of cooperation between both countries.