Development Bank leads the way in social investing

Marva Burroughs (left) hands over the washing machine and cooker to Health Minister, Marcella Liburd

St. Kitts (June 16, 2010) – Federation’s Minister of Health, Social Development, Gender, Community Affairs and Culture, Marcella Liburd, has said that investing money for social needs especially for the eradication of poverty is the way to go and has praised the Development Bank of Saint Kitts and Nevis for leading the way.

“There is much talk these days about social investing that is supposed to be a new emerging market,” said Minister Liburd. “A lot of investing is in health, to better the lives of people, and so it seems as though Development Bank is on the cutting edge of what is happening with respect to social investing.”

The Minister make the remarks on Monday at the Mary Charles Hospital in Molyneux at a function where she received from Marva Burroughs, Marketing Manager of the Development Bank of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a washing machine and a cooker the bank had donated at the request of the hospital’s Operations Manager, Launette Adams.

“We are always happy to partner with organisations that show such a good heart in order to produce and deliver effective health care to our patients and to the community and the country at large,” commented the Minister of Health, who was accompanied by her Permanent Secretary, Elvis Newton. “We want to thank the Development Bank, (and) we want to call on other organisations out there to partner with us.”

On handing over the two pieces of equipment valued at $4,300 (duty free), Marva Burroughs said they held the belief that ‘a Nation’s health is a Nation’s wealth’, hence the reason the Development Bank was honoured to make the contribution as a way of partnering with the Ministry of Health in making services and life for both the workers and patients at the hospital better and more vibrant.

Marcella Liburd addressing staff and visitors at the Mary Charles Hospital in Molyneux

“We have in the past been partnering with the Ministry of Health and so it means Development Bank is not just all talk,” said Burroughs. “Development Bank finds the pleasure of partnering with the Ministry of Health and with Mary Charles Hospital in particular this time around and we hope that the equipment will be put to good use, they will be cared for and that they would accomplish the purpose for which they were donated.”

Operations Manager Launette Adams observed that the delivery of health care is very costly, and Government which has an obligation of ensuring that it is accessible and affordable, currently subsidises up to 92 percent of the provision of health care services. Terming the act a social good, Adams thanked the Development Bank for the donation of the washing machine and cooker.

In giving the vote of thanks, Assistant Nurse Manager, Theophane Lawrence remarked that good things come to those who wait and promised that those appliances would be around for a very long time, “because with the staff here, we take good care as we do with our patients and anything that is entrusted into our hands.”

The ceremony was witnessed by Sonia Daley, Director of Institutional Nursing Service, Gale Cranstoum, health information systems administrator, Curt Lewis, Project Manager Development Bank of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and staff at the Mary Charles Hospital.