Basseterre, St. Kitts (SKNIS) — Greater cooperation in Health Services between St. Kitts and Nevis and the Republic of China (Taiwan) has manifested with the visit of 24 medical professionals from the Taiwan Root Medical Peace Corps (TRMPC).
Nicole Slack-Liburd, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health in Nevis, explained the purpose of the visit.
“They are here in the Federation to be a part of our health outreach activities and other programs,” said Slack-Liburd. “They will work along with our local health practitioners to provide services in various fields.”
Dr. Retna Walwyn-Browne, Acting Director for Community-based Health Services explained that “they are a non-profit, non-governmental organization that offers medical services to different regions around the world,” adding that peace corps brings services to persons who do not have the medical care that they require. “They go to remote areas where services are not readily available.”
In St. Kitts, the group was stationed at the Joseph N. France General Hospital in Basseterre, Pogson Medical Centre in Sandy Point, community centers and health centers in various districts. While in Nevis, they carried out services at the Flamboyant Nursing Home, St. Pauls Anglican Church, Alexandra Hospital and the Prison Farm.
Dr. Browne said the visit was beneficial to both parties “in that St. Kitts and Nevis was able to get their perspectives on working in the Federation. Our physicians also had an opportunity to interact with them, as well as a few persons within the population. It was a good visit, it was a cultural exchange and at the same time they had an opportunity to share experiences in terms of medicine.”
The group, which is comprised of three dentists, two pharmacists, one lab technician, two pediatricians, one internist, and one emergency physician, two Chinese doctors, three nurses and a number of volunteers are expected to meet with officials for a debriefing, so as to understand how their experiences were before departing the Federation on Tuesday, September 22nd.
In his recent visit to Taiwan, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, outlined a desire for further cooperation in the field of healthcare.