NIA-CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (December 28, 2011) — A Surgeon at the Alexandra Hospital on Nevis could not hide his excitement when he received surgical equipment for the health facility recently from Minister of Health on Nevis Hon. Hensley Daniel at the Hospital’s conference room, on behalf of the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board.

A grateful Dr. Oleksandr Rakovets said he felt like a happy child when he received surgical equipment which included a Dermatome and various saws. The gift had been presented to Mr. Daniel moments before by Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board as part of the Organisation’s annual donation to Nevis.

“I am feeling this morning like a child who gets a very expensive gift, a nice toy but for us in the surgical profession, it is not a toy because this piece of surgical equipment can really make a difference and reduce our transfer of people from Nevis to offshore to get treatments and in fact we have a few visiting specialists.

“This part of the equipment we are going to use in Orthopaedic Surgery mainly and for skin grafts. We have a few visiting Orthopaedic Surgeons here who are happy to perform surgery here. Of course for people it will be less costly and they are at home… So thank you very much,” he said.

Meantime, Acting Permanent Secretary and Health Planner in the Ministry of Health Mrs. Nicole Liburd who chaired the brief but significant ceremony, referred to the Social Security Board as the Ministry of Health’s most critical long standing partner in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We are both in the people business. The Ministry of Health is looking at keeping our residents alive and healthy and being productive members of society and when you have reached that pensionable age, Social Security will then also assist you with your pensions, your sickness benefits and maternity benefits as well. So we are partners in a number of areas.

“We have been recipients of various items over the years through this annual donation from Social Security including a Public Health Bus that facilitates transport and really steps up our programmes in Public Health and we also received recently a garbage truck for Solid Waste. So we really want to thank Social Security for their continued partnership,” she said.

With regard to the most recent donation from the Board, Mrs. Liburd said the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) along with the surgical equipment including various saws and a Dermatome, would expand the range of services available at the Alexandra Hospital.

Head Nurse at the Alexandra Hospital Matron Aldris Dias in her Vote of Thanks, expressed gratefulness for the equipment. She said it meant that the gift would help to advance the island’s main health facility in technology.

“The Alexander Hospital has a digital X-Ray machine, I don’t think we have one in St. Kitts but we are pleased to say we have a digital X-Ray machine in Nevis and this system (PACS) will assist the surgeons not only to do tele-health but right here on the hospital for them to transmit the x-ray films to the different Units…

“The doctor would not have to go to the X-Ray Department to read the x-rays. They will sit at their desks in the Units and read the x-rays. This will be all beneficial for the patients and our clients because it means that the intervention will be more timely. So we are indeed grateful and we express our appreciation to Social Security,” she said.