NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (September 18, 2013) — A Cardiologist, Internist and an Orthopaedic surgeon have joined the complement of doctors at the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis, the island’s main health facility. Deputy Premier and Health Minister in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Hon. Mark Brantley said he was pleased with the new recruitments.
The Minister made the disclosure while he delivered a report on the various ministries under his leadership at a recent sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly.
“The Ministry of Health, I’m very happy to report to this House and to the general public that through our efforts, we have been able to recruit three new doctors, to the complement of doctors that are serving the Nevisian public. Included among them is a Cardiologist, an Internist and an Orthopaedic surgeon and I’m very happy that we’ve been able to secure their services,” he said.
In the area of additional nursing staff, Mr. Brantley reminded that there had been a great shortage in the nursing staff and there was a lack of interest by the island’s youth in the profession. However, it was a matter that had received critical attention under his watch.
“Not many young people were being attracted to the nursing profession and those who had given tremendous service over the years, some have now progressed into retirement. Of course we have a situation where at 55 our civil service rules tell us that is the retirement age, but as people are living longer, at 55 we understand that they still have good strength and interest in serving and so in order to meet this chronic deficiency, we set about at the Ministry, of recruiting actively, these nurses that had proceeded into retirement and to bring them back into the service.
“I … commend those who have accepted that invitation. Most of them have and are now serving in the clinics and in the communities and the people of Nevis once again. So I want to thank the nurses who have given up of their retirement to come back to serve,” he said.
Mr. Brantley also noted that initiative had also been coupled with renewed efforts aimed at attracting young people.
“So we are lending every support that we can and I’m using certainly this rostrum to invite and encourage our young people to get involved in this very noble profession,” he said.
Meantime, the Minister also pointed to the pharmacy that was recently opened at the Brown Hill Health Centre in St. Johns Parish and the relocation of the Cotton Ground Health Centre to the Cotton Ground Community Centre.
“It [Brown Hill Pharmacy] is the first of its kind in the community and it is being done as a pilot project. We are looking at it very closely to see the success and we hope, therefore, to role that out into the other communities in Nevis.
“We also relocated the Cotton Ground Health Centre, where it was, was quite dilapidated. We felt it was improper to have a health facility in that condition and so we have relocated that to the new Cotton Ground Community Centre and all there in the very important community of St. Thomas’ are now being served by a better and more comfortable facility at the Cotton Ground Community Centre,” he said.
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