BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE protests to the contrary, Dr. Patrick Martin, the Federation’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), has insisted that the 13th annual St. Kitts Music Festival should not be cancelled due to concerns over the spread of the H1N1 virus.
Speaking exclusively to SKNVibes, the medical practitioner stated bluntly that there is no legitimate reason to cancel the Festival, which normally brings thousands of tourists and nationals residing overseas to the Federation for three nights of electrifying musical entertainment. This year’s event begins tonight (June 25) at the Warner Park Stadium on Victoria Road.
“We do not need to cancel Music Festival because of the H1N1 virus. In the vast majority of cases, the symptoms have been no worse than that of the regular seasonal flu from January to February, and we don’t cancel Carnival or Valentine’s Day.
“The WHO has not issued an international travel restriction. If we cancel the event, our economy will grind to a halt. We have to base our actions on sound science, not subjectivity and emotion. The Ministry of Health will not advise the committee to cancel. We will act case-by-case and according to the risk analysis,” said Martin.
He noted that the recent cancellation of the inaugural Caribbean Games in Trinidad due to H1N1 concerns may have prompted persons to overreact, but reassured that local conditions are nowhere near as severe as those of Trinidad’s.
The CMO also divulged details about a virtual meeting of regional CMOs held on Friday (June 19) to arrive at a collective response for treatment of cruise ship passengers. According to Martin, the meeting was convened at a request from the cruise ship industry that treatment of passengers with the H1N1 virus be consistent across the Caribbean
Calling the agreement a “work in progress”, Martin stressed it would be easier said than done to arrive at a consistent response.
“Most CARICOM countries are sovereign states; therefore, they have the power and right to act within their own public health interests. A ship may leave one port unaffected and approach another affected, so the receiving port will act differently than the port of departure.
“The call for a consistent response will have to be governed by these realities. In St. Kitts and Nevis, we will treat each ship on a case-by-case basis. Our operators are already required to declare the particulars of any sick passengers onboard and that is what we will continue to do.”
