The Ministry of Health decided to move to the Campden Park Clinic the health services provide in Clare Valley since a building it rented to house the Clare Valley Clinic temporarily was later found to be unsuitable.
The Clare Valley Clinic need to be repaired.
“We did engage the services of a particular family, and we rented from them, but then in going forward, we discovered that there were some primary issues with the building and we preferred to bring to an end that contract and transfer the operation of the clinic to another clinic nearby –Campden Park, so that we can offer healthcare to the citizens of that community,” Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Lois de Shong told I-Witness News last week.
MP for South Leeward, Nigel Stephenson, an opposition lawmaker, last month raised concern about the situation.
“… one would have thought that that clinic is a place where people go to have their health restored. You go down there (Clare Valley) and the first time you look at the clinic, you are going to get sicker than when you leave home,” Stephenson told the New Democratic Party’s “Ring De Bell” meeting in Campden park
Stephenson said the Clare Valley Clinic is yet to be repaired, three years after the government it would have done so.
He said that one year after the government said it would have repaired the clinic, it disappeared from the Estimates of Income and Expenditure.
Stephenson listed the clinic among several pieces of infrastructure in the constituency that he said needed urgent repair.
He spoke of the South Leeward Highway, on which actual physical repair is yet to begin, two months after the date announced by the contractor.
The MP described the amount of “craters” on the road as “walking on the surface of the moon”.
“The people in Leeward are suffering, simply because they don’t have the inclination to support Labour,” Stephenson said.
He also spoke of the community centre in Campden Park, whose roof collapsed some years ago.
He said that the building continues to deteriorate, and each time he asked when would the government repair the roof, he was told that officials were working on a design.
“But how many years you are going to take to work on a design for a community centre when the structure is already there?” he said, adding that villagers were recently told that the structure has been badly damaged because of exposure to the weather and has to be demolished.
“Do you think this is a government that is prudent in it’s spending? … As far as this government is concerned, Campden Park will be punished and should be punished for supporting the New Democratic Party,” Stephenson said.
He further spoke of the pavilion at the Campden park playing field, which has been in need of repair for some years now, and promised that a New Democratic party administration will repair the facility during its first year in office.
“And that is not an idle promise. That is something that we sit down and discuss it, and we have an architect who is working on it. That will be delivered to the people of South Leeward,” Stephenson said.
https://www.iwnsvg.com/2013/03/21/work-on-bequia-hospital-clare-valley-clinics-to-begin-in-2-months/ This IWN story from March 2013 just shows how the ‘promises’ are repeated when they think the people forget, and my post then can be placed here now also. Today, the minister is now taking a backseat and the PS in front talking.
Dear Editor:
The Clare Valley Clinic and doctor’s quarters on site are currently being repaired under the Sixth BNTF programme with joint funding by GOSVG and Caribbean Development Bank. The repairs are estimated to be completed by end of September 2014 latest. I am amazed that Mr. Stevenson as the Area Representative does not know this as the repairs have been ongoing since end of February 2014.
I encourage IWN to pay a visit fto the site to verify this post.
Regards
Kenny Douglas
Project Manager BNTF
IWN I am total disgust that you would publish this article without doing proper research. I am not blaming Mr Stephenson, I am blaming you for misleading the public. You claim to be a professional, please act accordingly before publishing your story. This clinic is very close to begin operation.
Please Mr Editor you have a responsibility of publishing true and accurate stories.
Not too sure what ks784 means about forgotten repeated promises as both health facilities are currently undergoing upgrade – admittedly not when first announced or as fast as anticipated. Both are scheduled to be completed by end of September 2014 ; Bequia at cost of EC$1.2 million and Clare Valley at EC$500k. Please also be reminded that a new health centre adjoining the Bequia Hospital was built at a cost EC$800k and opened in March 2013 so as permit more beds at the renovated hospital.
https://www.iwnsvg.com/2013/03/21/work-on-bequia-hospital-clare-valley-clinics-to-begin-in-2-months/ From this 2013 IWN post, can we now have updates of the MHC refurbishing and the clinics in Marriaqua and Buccament if the BNTF is involved?.
Thanks for the insight to the road repair from Kingstown to Layou. I remember all the promises and the dates give to start the project. How can anybody believe what this government and it’s puppets say? They are always looking at it, when asked about certain projects that they have previously dated.
Kenneth Douglas:
Since it appears you are commenting in your official capacity of ‘Project Manager BNTF’, perhaps I could offer some advice?
1) You should develop and follow some guidelines for how to respond to information in the media.
2) As a professional and public servant you should respond with only the facts as you know them, and without the appearance of bias.
3) Unless you are directly referenced, do not inject yourself into the politics of your job.
If Nigel Stephenson has provided wrong information, then you can say so and provide the correct information, but you cannot presume to know what he knows or does not know.
From my reading of it, I must also point out that nothing in the article suggest that he is unaware that repairs are “ongoing”.
But and important fact is “ongoing” is not “complete”! If it’s still “ongoing”, it is “yet to be repaired”. And whilst it is still “ongoing”, and in the absence of the rented facility, there is no operational health care facility in the community of Clare Valley! Those are facts. And they are not so amazing at all. In fact I am not even amazed that it is still “ongoing” after it should have started around May/June 2013 based on what was stated in March 2013.