Gov’t partners with OECS to boost healthcare resilience
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The government has partnered with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission and humanitarian organisation Direct Relief to upgrade critical health infrastructure across the Territory.
The collaboration, part of the OECS Direct Relief Health Systems Strengthening Project, aims to make healthcare services more resilient, reliable, and sustainable. The project included the installation of a new oxygen generation and filling system at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital, standby power systems at the Jost Van Dyke Clinic and the Romalia Smith Clinic on Anegada, and a pharmacy-grade refrigeration system with a new generator at the Rosalind Penn Community Clinic.
Minister for Health and Social Development Vincent Wheatley said the initiative marked an important investment in the Territory’s people and future healthcare. “This initiative represents not just an investment in infrastructure, but an investment in our people. It ensures that our hospitals and clinics can continue serving the public safely and effectively. Together, we are laying a foundation for a more reliable, sustainable, and responsive health system,” Wheatley stated.
According to Dr Roxanne Brizan-St Martin of the OECS Commission, the upgrades were based on needs identified during health system assessments in the Virgin Islands. “The foundational investments in standby power, cold-chain systems, and oxygen generation are essential for ensuring continuity of care and life-saving service delivery, ensuring that healthcare remains accessible and reliable during difficult circumstances,” she said.
Acting Chief Executive Officer of the BVI Health Services Authority Dr June Samuel welcomed the improvements, noting that resilience and sustainability are central to effective healthcare delivery. “With these new systems, we can ensure continuity of care, protect our patients, and reduce dependency on external resources, which is a true step forward in healthcare transformation for the Virgin Islands,” Dr Samuel stated.
The OECS Direct Relief initiative forms part of a wider regional programme focused on strengthening healthcare resilience across the Eastern Caribbean. The Virgin Islands’ participation underscores a continued effort to enhance local healthcare infrastructure and ensure communities remain protected during emergencies and natural disasters.
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The only thing that will improve healthcare is to fix NHI. Stop the Doctors from exploiting the people.
The system is not working to help the sick, especially if you are at home, bedridden, and need care. Instead, the Doctors are sucking the system.
The exploitation of the telecom industry up until 2007 was replaced by the debacle of NHI, which is ten times worse.
But Ronnie and Myron won’t address that since they were part of the Government that created it, and the current Government is pretending like it’s not a problem while the people suffer.
The United Kingdom and Canada has an excellent healthcare system. Why not join with them to promote and to improve healthcare for everyone in the BVI?