World Class! That was all I could think as I walked for the first time through the wide corridors of the OKEU, a mammoth medical facility, as impressive at first sight as some of the best overseas. Last Saturday I was among a group of press personnel afforded the opportunity to tour the hospital with visiting EU representatives led by Stefano Manservisi, the Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development. Also present was Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, Health Minister Mary Isaac and other health ministry officials.
I was not alone in my assessment of the OKEU. By the obviously impressed health minister’s measure: “This beautiful facility is really among the best I’ve seen and, I feel certain, will surpass popular expectations.”
On the other hand most Saint Lucians can hardly wait for the hospital to be fully operational after it was named after Dr. Owen King some four years ago following a lavish ceremony with several overseas guests in attendance. At a short press conference after the walk-through Manservisi was asked by a local reporter to grade the OKEU.
“On a scale of one to ten,” he replied, “if a fully functional hospital is ten, I’ll put two because there are only two sections which are working.”
As if to leave no room for misunderstanding, Manservisi explained that it was not a question of satisfaction. His assessment was based on the simple fact that at the OKEU, only dialysis and physiotherapy were operational.
Another question put to Manservisi concerned the financing of the facility. At the naming ceremony, then EU ambassador Mikael Barford had touched on the subject. He noted at the time that it was extremely difficult for governments in countries such as Saint Lucia to finance hospital operations. He said other regions had found the PPP arrangement most appropriate. This was how the diplomat put it: “Public Private Partnerships and service level agreements have proven successful in other countries to open up the healthcare market and make it attractive also for insurance companies and for tourists.”
Director General Manservisi did not disagree.
He also hinted his office had been keeping tabs on the OKEU-related back and forths. “We know that there’s been quite a lively debate in the country about what to do with the hospital,” he said.
“I mean, we are watching this debate. These are choices which are for the national authorities. Simply put, we’ve delivered a product worth $45 million in the interest of the healthcare of the citizens of Saint Lucia. What we’d like to see is that it’s realized. Then, based on our experiences, we can give our suggestions on the way in which this is done, through fully public management, PPP, privatization and so on.”
Additionally: “This is a decision which must be taken by the national authorities. We are totally neutral on this. But the important thing is that the hospital must fulfill the reason why European taxpayers have spent $45 million. Obviously, our interest is to be assured, whatever model is chosen, that the service is delivered in an affordable way.”
For Prime Minister Chastanet, too, the affordability of our healthcare was of primary concern. “Getting people access to healthcare is absolutely essential,” he declared. “Certainly the biggest problem that we have in this country is the access to healthcare by people. That’s my biggest concern. So even if I were to have this hospital operational and I were to have St Jude operational, and I have the most beautiful polyclinics; if in fact something doesn’t fundamentally change to allow people to access that, then we’ve not achieved anything.”
Chastanet said that moving all the Victoria staff to the OKEU “under the current operating structure would be a disaster”.
He went on: “The fact that an air conditioning system that has been here for three years can break down, to the point that it did, is a case in point. If we’re struggling to maintain an air-conditioning system here . . . you saw the sophistication of all the other equipment that we’re talking about . . . well, proper maintenance is another serious matter.”
The prime minister addressed the possibility of operating the OKEU hospital with partners. Referencing the Cayman discussions, he said: “I’m hoping that we can get this thing finalized; that we can sign a contract to get this group to now come in and assist us. What are they going to do? Put in place an operational structure and assist us in interviewing the people transferring over from Victoria.”
Whether Barford’s not-so-subtle advice will ultimately be taken on board remains to be seen. The prime minister expressed the hope that OKEU hospital will be fully operational “by early 2020, at the latest”.
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