By: St. Clair Sazam Hull
Nevispages.com
Nevis has another medical care facility. This one is owned by Dr. Chleo Smithen-Romany of Zion Village, Nevis. The facility, ‘Smithen’s Medical Clinic’ is located on Happy Hill Drive Charlestown opposite the Nevis Bakery. Opening hours are 12:00 pm. to 5:00 pm. Monday to Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. The contact telephone numbers are 869-469-5886, 869-668-5881 or 869-764-5058.
Dr. Chleo Smithen- Romany was born and raised on the island of Nevis. She is a physician by profession who specializes in Pediatrics. She obtained her education in the Caribbean island of Cuba. She noted that the training in Cuba afforded her not only the opportunity to become a well rounded physician, but also the opportunity to learn a second language, Spanish. As a result of this, she is in a position to fluently converse in Spanish with anyone on any medical issue.
According to Dr. Romany, the adjustment from being trained in Cuba and coming back home to practice was not extremely challenging. She indicated that the only difference is that in Cuba preventative medicine is practiced, that is, in Cuba persons in the medical profession do not wait until a person is sick to tackle the problem. Rather, guidance and training are given to prevent the medical issue in the first place.
Dr. Romany said that during her formative years, she wanted to be a nurse but as she got older she recognized that she could play a greater role in the health system. She stated, “I was always impressed by the missionary nurses but as I got older I realized that I could contribute more to the society by actually becoming a doctor and more so by becoming a Pediatrician because pediatrics is relatively new medical specialty”.
Dr. Romany also spoke about the different types of diseases prevalent on the island. She was of the view, that asthma in children and children obesity are overlooked and should be given special attention. In terms of the adult population, Dr. Romany was of the perspective that hypertension and diabetes are of serious concerns and should not be taken lightly. She stressed that we as a people must be very cautious of what we eat. She stated that we usually ignore what we eat until we have to pay consequences.
The doctor said it would have been virtually impossible, to achieve what she did without the constant support of her family especially her mother, Ms. Iona Rogers. She stated, “Mommy has been a pillow for me every step of the way, making sure that I was comfortable, and by taking care of my daughter while I was away”.
Dr. Romany noted that her accomplishment took quite a long time, eleven (11) years to be exact but she pointed out that once the necessary sacrifice is made, every dream can become a reality.
Dr. Romany is also employed by the Nevis Island Administration at the Alexandra Hospital.
Nevispages extends congratulations to Dr. Smithen-Romany and wish her well in all of her endeavors.