NIA Health Minister gives update on Nevis Health Services

By Jáedee S.K. Caines
Nevis Reporter, SKNVibes.com

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – DEPUTY Premier in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) the Hon. Hensley Daniel said his focus as the Minister of Health is to ensure that work is done on the preventive level. 

This pronouncement was made during an address the Minister made yesterday (Dec. 17) at his Charlestown office when he spoke about the island’s recent achievements in healthcare.

“The health services in Nevis are benefitting from imaginative work at the preventive level and that’s where we need to hang our programmes and our policies…on prevention,” Minister Daniel said.

According to the Minister, the island’s level of hospitalisation and its Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) have seen significant declines. He added that the IMR is near in comparison to some of the world’s more developed countries.

“Our Infant Mortality Rate in Nevis has gone down to 50 percent between 2006 and 2007. That is significant because what that tells you is that your health services are functional.

“This level now is on par with Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, the developed countries of the world, and so to reach seven is almost nearing perfection,” Daniel said.

The Health Minister also spoke about his improvements in clinical and eye care services and Solid Waste Management.