BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE the Junior Minister of Health, Hon. Wendy Phipps, earlier this year gave the assurance that the Mental Health Day Treatment Center, located in Buckley’s, would have been operational within several weeks, the facility is still not open for treatment to patients.
That announcement was made during the Prime Minister’s recent monthly press conference where the Minister was addressing a reporter’s questions on the facility.
In her explanation for the delay, Minister Phipps said: “You are correct, in that in a previous press conference right in this very room we would have given an estimated start date of a fortnight. However, the CMO is here and she can clarify anything that I might have my facts a bit cloudy on. But my understanding of the situation is that unfortunately there were a number of telecommunication and security challenges relative to the site.
“The building has a proper security system that has been installed, but in terms of the telecommunication linkages to the Joseph N France General Hospital, specifically the Psychiatric Unit. Because, I seem to recall in a previous meeting, I would have indicated that persons who would be entering the facility are not automatically going to that center, but they would first have to be assessed at the Psychiatric Unit so that we can ascertain the level of threat that they might be to themselves and the type of intervention that would be required.”
The government, in recent times, had come in for heavy criticisms from members of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party for what they described as a rush to have the facility opened before it is fully outfitted with the necessary expertise and equipment.
The facility was open late last year, shortly before the government presented the 2018 Appropriation Bill in the National Assembly.
Explaining further the reason for non-treatment at the facility, Minister Phipps told reporters: “Our information was that that telecommunication link was proving to be a bit problematic. If I recall Dr. Laws, it was a matter they had to be digging trenches all the way from the Mental Health Day Treatment Center up that long road via intra NEMA, and then cross the street and then back over to Buckley’s to the JNF Hospital.”
Additionally, it was revealed that human resource was another challenge that faces the institution.
“One particular issue is the unavailability of our social worker after it was deemed to have been approved via the Human Resources Department and the requisite Ministry to which that officer was being transferred. We have since discovered that that Ministry can no longer part with that individual, and we are also ceased with other challenges, some of which appear to be interpersonal nature…”
Minister Phipps informed that one of the challenges they have at a national level is that there are only four mental health certified and trained nurses in the Federation.
“So you can understand the challenge that we have as we build out this programme, which is meant to be rehabilitative in nature to persons who would have wanted to graduate from the system and resume a place in their normal daily lives.”
She pointed out that those nurses would have to assist with the operation of the Psychiatric Unit in both St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Junior Minister is hopeful that by the end of this month (August) they would be able to overcome some of the challenges and move forward with what they require to get the type of mental health intervention to those who need such.
