CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC—The St. Lucia government on Wednesday said it is allocating EC$10 million (one EC dollar = US$0.37 cents) to the Owen King European Union (OKEU) Hospital less than a month after doctors expressed their concerns about the situation at the facility and the local health care system in general.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that the funds had been sourced from the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI), through which foreign investors are granted citizenship of the island in return for making a significant contribution to its socio-economic development.
The statement said the funding will be “directed toward clearing a backlog of outstanding bills to suppliers, some dating back over eight years.
“These financial obligations have placed considerable strain on the hospital’s budget and operational costs, which should have been allocated to recurrent expenditures such as staff salaries, maintenance, and the procurement of essential supplies. The EC$10 million allocation will enable the hospital to refocus its resources on its primary healthcare responsibilities,” the statement added.
Last month, Dr. Merle Clarke, President of the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA), wrote a strongly worded letter to the authorities complaining about the situation at the OKEU Hospital.
In the July 31 letter, written on behalf of OKEU physicians, Dr. Clarke said the consensus is that the Millennium Heights Medical Complex (MHMC) board of directors, ostensibly tasked with drafting policy to run the hospital efficiently, had “failed miserably.”
The SLMDA said a significant proportion of the board’s membership focused solely on micromanagement and creating a toxic environment rather than ensuring conditions to guarantee the best patient care.
It noted that the island’s current patient profile comprises an aging population, a high burden of chronic non-communicable diseases, and victims of unchecked violent crime and road accidents, with the SLMDA questioning how the hospital could function and how its physicians could save lives without essential resources.
“Are you aware that physicians have had to bring in their supplies to ensure patients with Diabetic KetoacidosisKetoacidosis? That also referred to a lack of other essential equipment and drugs and a chronic lack of bed space, resulting in critically ill patients getting healthcare management on chairs.
In its statement, the Phillip J Pierre government said that a further five million EC dollars will be injected to procure immediate pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.
“The government of St. Lucia will soon announce additional measures to enhance the hospital’s operations, including making further financing available,” the statement added.
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