BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS (JANUARY 24TH 2004) –Five new dialysis machines were handed over Friday at the end of an intensive training programme.
The handing over ceremony was held prior to the treatment of the second patient for the week at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, a center of excellence in the Eastern Caribbean.
Minister of Health and the Environment, Dr. the Hon. Earl Asim Martin, who has been working feverishly to provide proper and improved health care services to the people of the twin-island Federation over the past 8 years, accepted the machines on behalf of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis from Manager of the Pharmaceutical Department at A.S. Bryden & Sons (Barbados) Limited, Mr. Lennox Prescod.
Bryden is the regional representatives for Baxter, manufacturers of the dialysis machines, which cost US$7,000 each. While the machines have been donated, government will purchase the disposables.
“What you have done in St. Kitts is such an example for the rest of the region,” said Mr. Prescod, who also had high praise for the creativity of local physician, Dr. Bichara Sahely.
Mr. Prescod said the introduction of dialysis services at the Joseph N. France General Hospital will place St. Kitts and Nevis ahead of several Caribbean nations and “others will say if St. Kitts can do it we can do it too.”
“If you make the programme successful in St. Kitts, I can assure you that the rest of the region will see it as something to follow and you can become ambassadors,” said Mr. Prescod.
“At the end of the day, it is the people out there; the people at the bottom of the scale who are going to benefit,” said Mr. Prescod, who also praised Health Minister Martin and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis for the introduction of the dialysis service.
Mr. Prescod said the availability of the service at the Joseph N. France General Hospital would also boost St. Kitts and Nevis as a tourism destination.
“More and more people will now want to come to your country as it can now provide peritoneal services,” said Mr. Prescod. He said Baxter – makers of the machines - will add St. Kitts and Nevis to its list of countries where people can travel to as a result of the availability of dialysis services.
“It is a bright morning for all of us. It is a tremendous movement in the delivery of health care to the people of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Health Minister Martin in accepting the machines.
He said the provision of a dialysis service at the Joseph N. France General Hospital has been a commitment of the Ministry of Health and the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party Government to the people.
“It will provide peritoneal dialysis care for those patients who suffer from chronic renal failure,” said Dr. Martin, who said there are quite a number of patients who have had to travel overseas for treatment or live abroad to access this specific healthcare.
“That in essence has a cost, not only for the patients to travel overseas, but it also brings stress for the patients and family members. Having the service available locally, will add to the quality of life to both patient and families,” said Dr. Martin, who noted that the introduction of this service also provides new skills for the local nursing staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.
The Health Minister agreed with Mr. Prescod that the availability of the dialysis service is also a boost to the tourism sector.
“Tourists who want to come to St. Kitts investigate whether we have this type of service here in the Federation and I am proud to announce to the tourism sector that this service starts immediately,” said Dr. Martin, who noted that the necessary comfort zone is now being provided for those persons, who would now want to travel to St. Kitts. Overall he said it would be beneficial to the overall economic development of the Federation and benefit to its people.
He said government cognisant that the real cost of the dialysis service is high will subsidise the treatment for those persons who are in need of this service so that would be able to access it.
