The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has awarded an EC$144,000 one-year contract to Hospital Administrator and Unity Labour Party (ULP) candidate for North Windward, Grace Walters, to advise on reform of the healthcare system.
Opposition spokesperson on health Daniel Cummings made the disclosure at the New Democratic Party’s (NDP) rally in North Union Saturday night.
“I have a document you want to see and you want to read. There are angels of every kind, and a good one delivered it to me,” said Cummings, who is seeking re-election to a fourth term as MP for West Kingstown.
“While all the hell you are catching in health care, since January of this year, 2025, a lady called Grace Walters signed a contract with the government of this country, a contract for one year in the first instance, a contract that pays her EC$144,000,” Cummings said.
“Now, that is not bad, you’ll say, until you hear what she is being paid for. What in your eyes, has Grace Walters been doing for the last six months, other than campaigning up and down the length and breadth of this country?” Cummings said.
“What does Grace Walters know about anything to do good with health care? What this wicked government has done? They have given this woman responsibility to advise on how the new health care system should be run,” Cummings said.
A copy of the contract obtained by iWitness News shows that it falls under the Strengthening Health System Resilience Project (SHSRP) and runs from Jan. 15, 2025, to Jan. 14, 2026.
The contract is signed by Walters, and Director of Planning, Ricardo Frederick on behalf of the government, while two other people signed as witnesses.
The objective of the consultancy is to support the project manager in the implementation of the SHSRP, particularly with health sector reforms.
Under the contract, Walters is expected to observe the project implementation to ensure consistency with the project development objective.
She is to support the implementation of all healthcare quality and patient safety standards, including advisory on safety protocols, quality indicators, measurement and improvement plans with international guidelines and standards
Walters is also to support the planning, implementation, acceptance, taking over, operation and maintenance of the Arnos Vale Acute Care Referral Hospital (AVACH), including transfer of services and equipment from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) to AVACH and ensuring continuity of services.
Walters holds a doctorate in health care administration and management and master’s degrees in nursing and health care administration, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
She has been hospital administrator since 2013.
However, Cummings questioned Walters’ suitability for the job, given what he suggested was her poor performance as hospital administrator.
“This is a woman who couldn’t get plaster in the hospital, a woman who couldn’t oversee medication in the hospital,” he said.
Contract could pay 3 nurses
The opposition politician said that he visited Retreat, Vermont, a couple of nights ago, where a sign on the clinic said there was no nurse on call.
“… on the door of that healthcare centre was a posting in black and white. They put to the people of Vermont a notice to say the nurse in charge has gone on sick leave and so, if you have an emergency situation in Vermont, you have to find yourself in Kingstown. That is the responsibility of this government and your life,” Cummings said.
“This contract sum could hire three top-class nurses, but you have a situation where one nurse goes on leave and all of you have to suffer.”
The contract says Walters is to support the development of the transition plan for achieving continuity of services, quality, and safety.
She is to support the definition of the medical, nursing and other healthcare professionals model, as well as create staffing tables and specific profiles, detailing requirements both in number and capacity, hiring mechanisms and schedules, training and retaining plans. This will be done with consideration for an autonomous AVACH and the possibility of being a teaching hospital.
Walters is also to advise on the procurement and definitions of the information systems, including patient information, inventories and administrative information systems.
The contract calls on her to support the implementation of sustainability and green measures, support the development and implementation of a communication strategy and to perform any other duties which may be assigned by the director of economic planning or the project manager.
Healthcare not just about hospital
Cummings said healthcare is not about the hospital alone.
“Healthcare is not about drugs alone. Healthcare is about putting people who have your interest at heart, using the resources we have, which includes the brilliant doctors and nurses and all the technicians and giving to you the best possible care,” he said.
“When a government is only occupied with finding jobs for their people, when they put in square plugs in round holes, all of us suffer.”
Cummings urged Vincentians to grab hold of the contract and “read and understand where [Prime Minister] Ralph Gonsalves, [Minister of Health] Jimmy Prince and the disgrace, where they have your health on the totem pole”.
He told the rally that with Opposition Leader Godwin Friday as prime Minister and Israel Bruce, the NDP’s South Central Windward candidate in Parliament, “your healthcare needs will be properly looked after.
“The New Democratic Party government will treat healthcare with the level of seriousness it is required, and will make sure that here, henceforth, we will never go back to the level of corruption, nepotism and disgrace that has been brought upon us by a lady calling yourself Grace.”
Cummings said that the NDP will develop a plan to deliver healthcare to the people.
“I want to tell you, my friends, I want to tell you that NDP will make sure that wherever you are, in every community in this country, there will be a health facility. But not just that, there will be a health facility, but it will be properly staffed, and they will have the medication and all the equipment to help you get better health.”
He said that what passes for healthcare in SVG is “an absolute disgrace.
“You have people who don’t give a damn when you go to Milton Cato or to any of the health facilities. Their first objective is to try to see how quickly they can send you out so they can get the bed without giving you the requisite level of care,” Cummings said.
“There is a level of bald-facedness in those who are placed in charge of managing healthcare in this country; they treat people worse than cattle because they don’t care.”
He noted the ULP’s gospel rally at Rabacca on Nov. 2, adding that it was named after the hymn Amazing Grace.
“We know how deep and special that hymn is, but tonight, I want to talk about another grace, a disgrace. I want to talk about an absolute human being called disgrace, and I want to show you why,” Cummings said before speaking about the contract.
Cummings said as administrator of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, Walters “oversees the worst possible hospital in the whole of the Caribbean.
“Not even Haiti suffers the level that we suffer in Milton Cato,” he said.
I learnt bit about the standard of health care some years ago when the PM unfortunately got a cut over his eyes. And had to be RUSHED to Barbados for treatment. That is after he been in power some twenty years.
What did that say about the health care he provided in SVG?
Of course, he could have been treated in SVG. Seems to me then he was playing politics.
Is he playing politics with health care in SVG?
The country deserved proper health care. Health care is a basic need for people.
Health care ought to have been given a high priority as Education
under the ULP government.
It wasn’t, so unfortunately too many people suffer with their health issues.
These young boys such as Ralph,Daniel and St Clair need to make haste and leave. Godwin should leave too. We have this power struggle in Vincy between these men who are way past their prime, which is so counterproductive. Vincy has the oldest politicians in the region and contrary to what our ancient leader says, we are still the poorest country on the OECS. These old men all need to get out of the way. I would chooose Grace any day out of any of these old men.
This seems like an act of official corruption. Before January 2025 the whole nation knew that Mrs.Walters.was.going.to be a candidate.for the ruling ULP. Why was she given such a big contract while she is actively campaigning?
Is this a payout for contesting as a candidate for the ruling party?.We.need answers