The incumbent Unity Labour Party’s (ULP) candidate for North Windward, Grace Walters, says that if returned to office, the ULP will “continue to build, to modernise our healthcare system and ensure that healthcare services respond to your needs, that healthcare services grow and adapt to our environment”.
Speaking on Sunday at the launch of the party’s manifesto for the Nov. 27 general election, Walters, who is the hospital administrator, said that a ULP administration will ensure that healthcare remains a right for Vincentians.
“Vote for continued healthcare access, vote for modernisation of the healthcare system in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Vote to own your healthcare,” she said.
The ULP has been representing North Windward since 2001 and Walters, who is making her first foray into politics, is trying to retain the seat for the party following Deputy Prime Minister Montgomery Daniel’s retirement from politics.
“In the next term, this administration plans to build modern clinics in Belair, Byera, Calliaqua, Central Kingstown, Paget Farm,” Walters said, interrupting herself to ask the crowd why they were “not clapping for that”.
She then went over the list, emphasising each name, adding South Rivers to the list, continuing that the ULP will build a wellness centre in Enhams and the Modern Geriatric Centre in Glen.
The candidate said that the ULP plans to increase health services with the establishment of programmes that promote healthy lifestyles.
The party will also reform the mental health services, so that our patients who are diagnosed with mental illness can now have easier and more accessible services to help them to manage their conditions.
“We’re introducing or upgrading or installing extra facilities, and we’re going to ensure that every polyclinic has an ambulance assigned.
“We’re adding more dental clinics. We’re increasing the number of home helpers to the elderly so that we can ensure that our elderly population is given quality help.”
Walters noted that Vincentians sometimes have to travel abroad for health services that are not readily available in SVG.
“This administration is now saying to you that we will take the lead so that we can formalise memorandum of understanding with countries like Cuba, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela to ensure that our citizens are given the health care that is not available to us.
“We are looking out for your safety; meanwhile, they want to privatise and charge you money,” Walters said, referring to the New Democratic Party (NDP)
She said that the ULP administration will address the issue surrounding consultants in the public health sector referring patients to their private clinics.
“This administration, we the Unity Labour Party, when we are returned to office, we’ll restructure the relationship between the consultant doctors and the hospitals, so that we can ensure that when you visit a public health hospital or a public health centre that no one is going to manipulate you to come and see them privately and charge you more money,” Walters said.
“We are keeping you safe, and we are protecting you from any unscrupulous practice.”
She said that ULP leader, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, has a vision that SVG will be a “first-world country, and the plans are in place.
“The platform is set; the template is laid out to have that done.”
Walters said a ULP government will digitalise the Health Information Service to improve the services and the storage of patients’ information, “making it easier for you to access your records and your medical reports.
“We are going to ensure that the Pharmacy Act be put in place so that it can monitor and regulate your pharmaceutical services, and we are going to work to strengthen and regulate and improve the licensing of privately-owned facilities so that the standard of health care can be maintained and delivered throughout St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
As regards human resources, Walters said that the government will ensure that health care staff have the requisite education and advancement and have opportunities to further their study.
She said that through scholarships, the ULP administration will ensure that every child who wants to become a doctor gets an opportunity.
“… we understand that the youth has challenges. So, the Unity Labour Party, through the healthcare programmes, through the healthcare policies, will establish health units for our youths so they can have access to deal with the challenges of sexual abuse, of drug abuse, of mental issues, alcoholism.
“We are looking out for the mental health and the well-being of the youth of St. Vincent and the Grenadines because we love the youth.”
Walters noted the hospital being constructed in Arnos Vale, adding that it will expand health care services.
“Comrades, with the modern hospital at Arnos Vale, it opens up opportunities for our youth. It opens up opportunities to advance in careers, to choose from a wide range of fields in healthcare and otherwise, it opens up vacancies for all categories of staff,” Walters said and
noted that the new hospital will operate alongside the existing Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown.
“Do you see it, comrades? Vacancies, opportunities, career advancement. That is what this government, the Unity Labour Party, is all about: looking out for you and ensuring that you have what it takes to move forward into the future,” Walters said.
Walters said that since coming to office, the ULP has “consistently sought ways to transform the healthcare sector so that healthcare remains a right to the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines…
“Meanwhile, they, on the other hand, want to privatise our hospital, making it difficult for us to access health care. We are keeping them out.”
She said the ULP administration has refurbished MCMH, rebuilt the Mental Health Centre and upgraded rural hospitals throughout the country.
“You have seen the performance, and you know that the party believes in health care when you realise that … the Modern Medical and Diagnostic Centre, and polyclinics at Stubbs and Buccament were upgraded and implemented for the benefit of all Vincentians,” Walters said.
“You have seen the introduction of services such as the CT scan and MRI. You have seen the introduction of dialysis that has saved so many lives and continues to save lives.”
How do these ppl live with themselves.
Now you had 25 years to do these things and you failed “BIGLY”, how can you tell me you going to do it in the next 5 years. The ULP is all about control, keep them dumb and poor so they have to depend on them. Another thing is vincentians love too much hand out don;t want to be independant and self reliant.
ULP has been campaigning like they are the opposition. One would swear they didn’t have 24 years!