Health minister responds to critics: She is the “good woman” behind successful frontline workers

Health Minister Mary Issac has responded to criticisms that she is not actively involved in government’s response to the COVID-19 situation. At press time, Saint Lucia has recorded 15 cases of the virus and all have recovered. Yesterday the Ministry of Health stated that the 15 cases included high risk individuals like the elderly and those with chronic illnesses.

Speaking at today’s Senate sitting, Issac said: “People are asking ‘where is the minister of health?’ Here I am today, I am at all the PAHO meetings online. I sit at my home and I stream Zoom all day long into the night; Saturdays and Sundays.

“They say a successful man has a good woman behind him. In this case, my frontline workers are the successful men and this woman is behind them giving them the support they need.”

The Minister of Health also urged fellow senators and Saint Lucians on a whole, not to behave “like the children of Israel.” Said Issac: “You remember the children of Israel under the Pharaoh; they were enslaved and suffering. And something that should of taken forty days took them forty years.

“So let us just everybody get all the hands on deck. If there is an issue, bring it to our attention and let us deal with it. Because the back-and-forth during COVID is really absolutely not necessary, we cannot deal with it.”

Saint Lucia remains on a partial shutdown and with a daily curfew from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am.