St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas has presented two pieces of medical equipment and a bus to the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis.
Dr. Douglas, making the presentation in his capacity as Minister of Social Security, to Minister of Health in the Nevis Island Administration, the Hon. Mark Brantley, welcomed the opportunity to be among nurses, doctors, and health care providers.
“I was trained as a medical doctor, as you know, and so I very much understand all that healthcare providers experience as they prepare to work in their chosen fields, and I understand the challenges and satisfactions as you strive, each day, to bring persons of all ages and temperaments to a state of health. In addition, I also understand the ways in which the proper equipment can dramatically enhance the impact and effectiveness of your efforts,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
“I am most honoured this morning to be able to present to the Nevis Island Ministry of Health, on behalf of the Social Security Board, a ventilator, and anesthesia patient monitor, and a Toyota Hiace vehicle,” said Prime Minister Douglas during a handing over ceremony on the grounds of the Alexandra Hospital.
“To live is to breathe and to breathe is to live. And those of us who have worked in the healthcare sector, as well as those of us who have friends and relatives with pulmonary challenges, understand only too well the extreme difficulty that some persons experience as they struggle to do what most of us take for granted – and that is, to simply breathe,” said Dr. Douglas.
“These equipment which will assist those men and women, boys and girls, wherever they may be on Nevis, who from time to time have difficulty breathing or those who, when in extremely difficult and precarious circumstances, are in need of special assistance in order to preserve life itself,” said Dr. Douglas.
He hopes that the ventilator will bring much relief in times of distress.
“And, indeed, I think that we can say, with assurance, that indeed it will. Today, I am honoured to present an anesthesia patient monitor to this hospital as well. We all know how important the development of anesthesia was to the progress of medicine. Of equally great importance, however, is doctors’, nurses’ and hospitals’ ability to know exactly what is happening to the patient when he or she is under the influence of anesthesia. It is essential that we be able to monitor our patients’ vital signs at all times, and to know when they are at risk of distress,” Dr. Douglas said.
He added that the anesthesia patient monitor will be of great value in this regard and is honoured to present it as a vital adjunct to the caring, the dedication, and the skills that the doctors and nurses of Alexandria Hospital bring to their patients day after day.
“Regardless of our chosen fields of endeavour – whether we are involved in healthcare, in education, in business or something else, certain practicalities must be attended to. And transportation is one of those unavoidable and, indeed, essential requirements. It is my honour, therefore, to present to the Ministry of Health and the Alexandria Hospital this Toyota Hiace Bus, which we trust will enhance the smooth functioning of this hospital and the timely movement of your personnel from one point to another,” said Prime Minister Douglas.