Nevis Health Minister – Hensley Daniel
Charlestown, Nevis
July 09, 2008
Deputy Premier of Nevis and Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Hensley Daniel, announced at the July 08, 2008, sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly a number of advancements in the island’s Health Sector that would benefit the people of Nevis.
A tyre baler for use at the Long Point Landfill would be used to enhance the esthetic appeal of the island and to prolong the life of the landfill. The equipment valued at US$ 62, 000 was purchased through a partnership between the Ministry of Health, the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and the Canada Fund.
The equipment would be utilized to compress rubber tyres, cardboard and plastics for recycling outside the island.
“This tyre baler will help to eliminate several tons of garbage and thereby make the country more esthetically appealing. Also it will prolong the life of the landfill in that we will have less tyres, less cardboard and less plastics to deposit there.
“The tyre baler comes at a cost of US$62,000, 45,000 of which was provided by the Canada Fund working with the Historical and Conservation Society and the Ministry of Health. I wish therefore on behalf of the Ministry of Health to record our gratitude to the Canada Fund and the NHCS for collectively working with us to ensure a cleaner and safer Nevis,” he said.
Meantime, Mr. Daniel also disclosed that the Ministry of Health had invested in an ambulance to enhance the delivery of health care at the Alexandra Hospital. He said he was aware of the unsatisfactory state of ambulances and therefore one was being outfitted in Trinidad and was expected to arrive on Nevis within one month and a second, later in the year.
“Even though we [NIA] are focusing on preventive health care, we still have to make provisions for curative care and this ambulance will be here in a month and we expect to have a second such ambulance by the end of October this year. That way, we will ease the pressure on the existing one [ambulance].
“Also there is an ambulance at the Hospital grounds which has been there for the last seven years and has not been working. We have sought to get some specialist mechanics from the Ford Motor Corporation, through TDC in St. Kitts, to look at the use of the ambulance since it is sitting there with all the potential to help and not being used,” he said.
Mr. Daniel also said that a new garbage truck is expected to arrive on the island within days, funds for which was provided by the St. Kitts/Nevis Social Security.
“I [Minister of Health] have sort to collect the contributions from Social Security over a period of time and invest it in the garbage truck. So what we have done instead of the piece meal contribution every year, we have collected a substantial contribution for a period of years and we have decided to purchase this garbage truck which should be here next week,” he said.
Mr. Daniel also used the opportunity to speak on the public exploratory discussions the Ministry had been engaged in.
“I wish to say that we have been having exploratory discussions with the public on the development of a health insurance service, which takes into consideration the critical issues of cost, access and quality in an effort to ensure continued quality, reasonable cost and total access.
“We are in the process of discussing with the public ways and means of coming up with an insurance health package that can benefit the wider public,” he said.