Minister of Health Hon. St Clair Prince said there are simply too many cases of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD’s) here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and it is time Vincentians take stock of their health.
Speaking at the opening of the Georgetown Smart Health Centre on March 20, Prince noted that the Ministry of Health will be doing its part with heavy focus on NCD’s, for 2023 “…we will be coming around screening people and trying to promote health, trying to get you interested in taking greater interest in your own health, we have too many people losing their limbs as a result of diabetes and we can do better,” Prince vowed.
The Minister, however, stressed preventative healthcare which includes regular check-ups and screening, healthy eating, exercise and the promotion of this behaviour from an early age. Meanwhile Prince noted that the Enhams Health Centre will be converted into a wellness Centre “catering particularly to the prevention and treatment of NCD’s.”
Other initiatives by the Government include improve access to primary health care services, improvement on the existing health services, decentralization of laboratory and radiography services, dialysis, chemotherapy, mammogram services, ongoing rehabilitation of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and soon, the operationalization of MRI services.
Modern Health centres are expected to be constructed at Calliaqua and South Rivers respectively.
The Health Minister boasted that the “Crown Jewel” in transforming healthcare here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be the construction of the US 98 million dollar Acute Referral Hospital at Arnos Vale which will begin later this year.