NIA-CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (January 16, 2011) — Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Hensley Daniel called on Nevisians to show gratitude for the vast donation of medical supplies they continued to receive from benefactors both local and international, since there were others more deserving of the donation.

Mr. Daniel’s comment came as he was presented with a 40ft container filled with medical supplies and equipment valued US$112,369.57 donated by the Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, a charitable organisation in Springfield, Illinois, USA through The Development Projects Foundation Inc. based in Nevis for the Alexandra Hospital.

“I want all of us here in Nevis and especially the staff at the Hospital to recognise that there is really nothing special other than our commitment to ensure that we provide medical services, to all who deserve those services to inspire the Hospital Sisters Outreach to give us supplies of US$112,369.57.

“Today marks the second year since the tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti and any organisation in Haiti would have qualified far more than we have  and it is in that context I would urge us to have that attitude of gratitude,” he said.

The Health Minister also pointed to a similar donation through the Development projects Foundation from Global Links in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in November, valued at US$76, 212.68.

He registered gratitude to all who continued to donate to the health services on Nevis especially in the context of a hostile economic environment in which the NIA provided 92 percent of the funding for the Alexandra Hospital.

“Over the last few years we have gotten a lot of assistance from persons of goodwill, all we are required to do is to treat them [equipment and supplies] well and ensure that the patients who come to the hospital are treated very well.

“I therefore say on behalf of the Ministry of Health, the Premier and my other colleagues in Government that we want to record our thanks to the Development projects Foundation to the Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach for your significant contribution to the development of health care in Nevis,” he said.

Mr. Daniel also noted that the medical supplies and equipment allowed the Administration to save a considerable amount of money in the expenditure of regular supplies at the Hospital and afforded the opportunity for money to be spent on even more critical services.

“So these supplies go a long way in ensuring that we can maintain quality care over time. I believe that here at the hospital we have been able over the years to provide a mix of basic and advance services and we are looking to do a number of things at the hospital and the provision of these supplies will enhance that quality of care we seek to provide.

“Very shortly a team of doctors from Trinidad has identified Nevis as a place they would like people to come to do specialised surgery and if they know that we have all of the supplies that are required for the surgeons and for all the units of the hospital, then that further enhances our reputation as an institution which provides quality care,” he said.

Notwithstanding, the Health Minister urged staff and patients at the Alexandra Hospital to care for the supplies in particular the chairs, desks and beds since they are of immense help to the hospital.

He said the NIA was mindful of the need to provide quality care at every step of the way and acknowledged there was a good mix of nurses, doctors, medical technicians and auxiliary workers at the hospital where health care was provided as good as any and better than many.

The Minister publicly acknowledged local partners who facilitated the donation

“I want to record my thanks to the Four Seasons Resort Estates, the Bank of Nevis, Medical University of the Americas, Mr and Mrs Nick Douglas of the Botanical Gardens, Nora Lescott of Nora Lescott Construction, Rawlinson Isaac, Patrick Hellman and his Family Foundation, Mrs. Myrthlyn Parry and the Nevis Cooperative Credit Union for moving and making a contribution to enable us to have the container here with us…

“I think we have done a great thing with The Development Projects Foundation, our hospital and the staff,” he concluded.
Meantime, Medical Chief of Staff at the Alexandra Hospital Dr. John Essien added his thanks for the gifts of medical supplies and equipment and said the Hospital was grateful for the generous donations.

“This is just one of a series of donations that we have received at the Alexandra Hospital and as we would have heard earlier of the different costs of the medical supplies, they are running into the hundreds of thousands basically.

“These are supplies that we use on a yearly basis so this would give the people of Nevis, our patients an idea of how truly expensive it is to have the services that we offer here at the hospital and have them subsidises extensively by the Government,” he said.

Dr. Essien also called on all both locally and internationally to continue giving toward the development of health care on Nevis and cited that the services offered at the Alexandra Hospital were on par with that offered by many larger facilities around the world.

He said the ongoing hard economic times provided a good opportunity to expose many of the myths that people had that Government should provide everything.

“The community and the society only arise when everybody participates and we would like to emphasise that once more,” he said.