Drew Says Government Corrected Health Sector Injustices
BASSETERRE — Prime Minister and Minister of Health The Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew said Monday that his administration has corrected what he described as several injustices faced by doctors and nurses under the previous government, citing employment status, nursing registration and a disputed pandemic honorarium.
“One of the most egregious situations we inherited was that qualified doctors were employed through the STEP programme rather than being treated as full government employees,” Drew said. “This was among the first injustices we corrected. Today, our doctors are government employees and are eligible for permanent appointment.”
Drew questioned what message the prior arrangement sent to young people who had trained for years to enter medicine, calling it “a serious act of disrespect toward them and the profession they served.”
He also said nurses who earned their nursing degrees in Cuba had previously been denied the opportunity to register in St. Kitts and Nevis, even as Cuban nationals holding the same qualification were permitted to register.
“Our Labour administration corrected this unfair policy and gave these young professionals the opportunity to become registered nurses,” Drew said.
Drew further referenced a past public accusation by a former Minister of Health that nurses had stolen hospital supplies, calling it “a disgraceful accusation against professionals who continued serving our people under extremely difficult conditions.”
He also said nurses were initially denied a promised honorarium for their work on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, while, he claimed, the same former minister “reportedly received $40,000” despite not being a frontline worker.
“This Labour administration ended these unjust policies, restored the honorarium and began treating our doctors and nurses as the valued professionals they are,” he said.
Drew said his government intends to continue addressing outstanding issues in the health sector.
“There is still more to do, and we are pushing ahead,” he said. “We remain focused on delivering progress and putting people first.”
