Tears were shed over recent Owen King EU Hospital developments

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a country where affordable, life saving medical treatment is scarce, word of a new, “state of the art” hospital conjures up feelings far greater than hope, as it did nine years ago. When the plans were set and wheels put in motion, the vision was not to have a medical complex sitting on the millenium highway, barren and unused. Infact, it was even declared that if the hospital, later to be named the Owen King EU Hospital (OKEU), was to become operational, it would be one of the best in the region – due in no small measure to the fact that it was the European Union’s most expensive infrustructural endeavour in the Caribbean at the time. However some nine years after construction began, only one unit—the Dialysis Unit—of the OKEU hopsital is being put to use.

An image of a riled up Allen Chastanet,  clad in yellow, belting “mwen faché!” during a Jacmel campaign rally in 2016 comes to mind. The now Prime Minister was exerting his supposed anger about the state of the island’s hospitals and the 150 persons on the dialysis treatment waiting list. However, eighteen months post the United Worker’s Party election win, the government’s immobility towards visible results in said sector have not gone unnoticed.

On January 24 a soft opening of the Dialysis Unit was held at the OKEU, where the prime minister sort to provide a new perspective. He claimed that although the minister for health had been fighting to advance the date to open the hospital at every cabinet meeting, he in his role as prime minister thought, “there’s no point in opening this facility and that in two weeks the monies to keep this thing going is not there.” He continued, “so I have had to make sure that I cross every “t” and dot every “i”…” He indicated that although the Saint Lucia Labour Party had tried allocating $10 000 000 for a “quick opening” it was not possible and so another option prevailed; “we’ve decided to open up the hospital in phases and continue to work on long term financing to be able to support this sector…” the prime minister explained.

Senator Hon Mary Isaac, Minister for Health and Wellness, on Wednesday, also took to addressing the red flags, precisely the ones voiced by the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) a week earlier, during one of their now weekly press briefings. Health representative of the SLP, Moses Jn Baptiste had questioned, “Was the government advised by professional, medical personnel to operate dialysis machines without the other medical services of the hospital?” To this Minister Isaac responded, “The dialysis machines are running with all the necessary support in place,” during a brief media address on January 24.

While the prime minister stood at the mic during Wednesday’s ceremony—despite his address proceeding remarks by Dialysis patient Nadia Weekes who gave a moving account of her medical journey and Nephrologist, Dr. Merle Clarke who expressed gratitude on behalf of Victoria Hospital’s medical team, namely the nurses clocking in hours early in an effort to dialyze, on faulty machinces, all scheduled patients , and Henry, the technician who practically made the hospital his home to keep the machines functional — hardly anyone anticipated his emotional breakdown. Prime Minister Chastanet started, “this is a huge day, a very important milestone in the history of Saint Lucia, for me personally it’s emotional” before trailing into muffled sobs.

As of January 25, eleven dialysis machines are in use at the OKEU, a twelth being held as back up. As it pertains to the future of the hospital, the health minister stated, “gradually we will be opening the rest of the hospital but we have to put the body in place because as per the legislation we have to go under a board structure, so this is what we are waiting to do — to commission the entire hospital.” The prime minister added, “we are going to be opening other sections of the hospital. I think we’re looking at the radiology sector… because again there is amazing equipment available here that is not available in the rest of the island.”

While phased approaches seem to be a current trend—although not ideal—as last year we saw reports of plans to open the forensic laboratory under similar circumstances, the gratitude of patients resonates above all. Those sentiments were expressed by Nadia Weekes who has been a dialysis patient for nine years and whose remarks gave a voice to those often lost in the political ruckus. With a smile she said, “I am very happy that we no longer have to turn people away, because for somebody to come on dialysis, somebody like me has to die. That is the reality. So I am very happy that right now there is increased capacity.”