Stop blaming gov’t for your health, public told
Health Minister Vincent Wheatley has criticised what he described as an emerging trend of residents refusing to take personal responsibility for their own health.
His comments come amid concerns over rising cancer cases and widespread non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease.
“I first noticed it some time ago with healthcare. Nobody wants to take it upon themselves to eat right, exercise, do annual screenings,” Wheatley said. “But when I’m sick, make sure you have a place ready for me to go. No! There’s something called quality of life.”
The minister condemned what he called a lazy and harmful mentality of dependence, warning that many illnesses can be prevented through basic personal effort.
“Yes, there may be machines and dialysis, but is that what you want to do? Two to three days a week on a machine? I mean, you could avoid it,” he said.
While acknowledging increasing calls for improved healthcare services across the territory, Wheatley stressed that government intervention should not replace personal accountability.
“There is this ridiculous mindset where people say, ‘It’s the government’s fault, it’s the minister’s job, it’s my wife’s fault, it’s someone else’s problem.’ Every problem is for someone else and no one wants personal responsibility for anything,” he said. “That attitude must stop if we are to make any real progress.”
He recalled an earlier time when residents took pride in their independence and hard work, noting, “We were an independent-spirited people who prided ourselves in saying, ‘I went to the bank for that house. The government didn’t help me with that house.’”
Wheatley’s remarks come as the territory undertakes initiatives to strengthen healthcare services. A compensation review for healthcare workers is currently underway, aimed at attracting more professionals and improving retention.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and Social Development received a $250,000 grant from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States through Direct Relief to boost healthcare delivery, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters.
The funding will support the installation of prime backup generators at six community health clinics across the territory to ensure continuous operations during power outages or disasters.
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Vincent and Kye are the two worse performing Ministers in the BVI over the past 12 years. Nothing under their leadership is working.
Some publications seems to feture you DAILY with misquotes and false narritves of your intention. Dont be seduced if some coming looking for quotes daily and massage your ego only to the misquote you to put you in a unfavorable light. Ask yourself ..why am I the only Minister featured daily what is their agenda?
That is CORRECT. Blame you all insatiable hunger because of parasites terrorizing the gut.
Money for old rope . Bigger bills for worse service and less care!
Our diets simply need to change. The old status quo of johnny cake, potatoes, white rice, yam, sweet potatoe, soda and fried plantain, along with a dessert of coconut pie in huge portions most every lunch and dinner has to be a thing of the past. We live in the tropics where nuts, fresh fruit and vegy along with any legumes is a healthy meal easily accessible to us. We always think we eat healthy because of cultural and historical norms. No longer – it’s killing us.
Neither God nor government would be able to affect change in people’s choice of intake.
Yet, people will choose to eat healthy if they were educated enough,if food companies and food commercials would advocate for and encourage healthy eating.
To the general public, news articles like these appear blaming and finger pointing at the public, but with no concrete plans or structures to educate and enaable thepublic to begin eating healthy.
A major problem, thus the extreme obesity in the community.
Why is it that campaign rallies can be formed butnot one rally ever formed to educate on the positives and hows of eating right?
I find this to be a very nasty way of deflecting from the failing medical services offered through the government.
The aging folks in our community only want reasonable medical care. Of the thousands of people in the BVI who over 50 years old, how many are saying “But when I’m sick, make sure you have a place ready for me to go” as stated by the minister? Where is the proof that this is some kind of trend as he says? This is the first time I’m hearing about it and I work in our medical field.
As a politician, we all expect you to have some sort of BS excuse for your failures but I’ve never seen someone fabricate something this nasty and insulting to the voters.
You know what’s your and the people’s. job next time around.
People and i have and are suffering needlessly under his and this administration’s managing,or lack thereof, policies.
Where were you, Honourable Wheatley when your party, VIP was busy working hard to make the people dependent on your handouts? Where were you when the gravy train was running through every village? There was a concerted effort to make our people beggars so that they can be dependent and grateful for the personal help while the country as a whole suffers. Unfortunately, building a house and a wall outside of it is not done anymore unless the politicians are chased down and harassed for help. Even taking a basic vacation they beg for that and get it. Politicians in the mean time make themselves super available for easy access while the serious work for the country suffers. So be careful what you wish for as you might get it.
I have to say our hospital is great, but there seems to be no doctors working there. No matter how many hours you spend with your loved ones there you cannot see a doctor except for the early morning walkthrough. That is not good enough at all. Nurses are not doctors and trust me, there aren’t enough of those either.
So the sargassum is the public’s fault too?? You are a failure. The seaweed is killing us and you have the power to do something and your are not doing nothing Butch
It’s your own fault you sick so don’t be upset about the sub par healthcare it ain’t our fault you should ah eat your vegetables.
Allyo keep complaining bout he and dem, but allyo gon still turn roung an vote feh he an dem. Wach yo gon see.
I Thought the guy said this cuz we complaining about our own health but i see the part the people are complaining bcuz the quality of health services being offered by government…. if that the case i am with them cuz our public health services is complete utter garbage in reflection to our budget and what we spend money on but hey independence i guess
What do you expect, coming from the party who’s leader says that the seniors should go look work.
Vincent = L**r
I blame the vaccine for this.
This Heartless Animal is saying that People should not expect the basic Human Rights for Citizens in this Territory from His Government. That is it. A Heartless Animal. He is selfish. Why couldn’T He Vote No to the Greedy Bill? because they are a Greedy Bunch of Thieves and Liars wanting ALL for themselves But God don’t sleep. Time will Tell.