THE Prime Minister and members of his government have held on tightly to an unwavering determination to making people the centrepiece of national development, and is doubling up on its effort to pursue that goal as the government reaches mid-term in office.
We begin these highlights by reviewing the government response to COVID-19. Since the government came into being, it has done an excellent job in responding to COVID-19 which had a severe effect on the citizenry. And even as I write, government has paid $1,500 to families that had been affected financially as a result of the pandemic.
A lot more has been done to provide relief to our families.
We come now to the resuscitation of the Health Sector. The Minister of Health, Hon. Moses Jn, Baptiste, and his team at the Ministry of Health and Wellness is in the process of giving the Health Sector a complete overhaul. There is so much that has been done in the Health Sector that space would not allow me to highlight the entire span of activities. However, the government is providing a health service to the unborn, through their mothers, to the 80 plus citizens.
Indeed, I wish to highlight here Maternal Health Care which has been introduced as a free service to women through prenatal care.
Prenatal Care, also known as antenatal care, is a type of preventative healthcare. It is provided in the form of medical check-ups, consisting of recommendations on managing a healthy lifestyle and a provision of medical information on the pregnancy such as changes in pregnancy, biological changes, and prenatal nutrition including prenatal vitamins, which prevents potential health problems throughout the course of the pregnancy and promotes the mother and child’s health simultaneously.
The Victoria Hospital has been repurposed. The hospital will now be used as the Castries Urban Polyclinic. The hospital will focus on three main services. The first is Primary Health Care; Urgent Health Care; and Secondary Health Care. These health care services will be brought across all sectors of our society.
As I write, there is more good news about the use of our first health care institution, the Victoria Hospital. There are several changes at the Victoria Hospital which will be beneficial to our people. In an official statement made by the Minister of Health, some 46 beds and a few services will be transferred, by way of management, to the Millennium Health Medical Complex. Those changes are positive and will certainly make for a better health system for our nation.
I have spoken about the 80 plus Health Care Programme on several occasions. That is deliberate. Many of us, including myself, will soon get to that stage, and we should be happy that the government is in the advance stage of preparing for those of us who will soon be 80 years and over. No one is left out of the rejuvenated health system.
By the time the government reaches its full term in office, the Health Sector would include, diverse health careers, an energised work environment, expansive career paths for health care workers.
A Health and Citizens Security Levy is currently in force which is a real investment in our community, country and people. The Health Sector will benefit from the levy.
We come now to the local Education Sector. The government is currently in the process of rearranging the learning tools to increase student engagement and achieving student success.
Parents are presently receiving financial assistance more than they have ever received before. Facilities Fees have been paid for more than 14,180 Primary and 10,760 Secondary School Students; more than 2.6 million dollars have already been spent to help parents with school expenses. It means therefore that student attendance will be improved, students will be more engaged in learning, having received the required textbooks and other school requirements.
Indeed, Wi Fi devices have been made available to more than 1,200 households to assist students with cooperative and distributed learning.
More than 4000 students have received laptops which would provide curriculum support and additional information for both students and teachers, which will promote better organization by allowing students to keep track of their assignments and utilise online school materials. The laptops will enable students to collaborate with other students near and far.
Very importantly, government has allocated funds to pay CXC in Mathematics and English language for form 5 students. As a result, hundreds of students have already benefitted and several are presently benefitting from that allocation.
Now sending students to school regularly and punctually, and providing them with an opportunity to achieve in school is one thing, and have the money to pay examination fees on time for registration in those examinations is another thing altogether. Government is ensuring that the funds are made available to parents to pay for English Language and Mathematics which are key subjects for the future of our students.
School repairs are being done now on a timely basis to allow students to enter school on time, to be secure, and to feel comfortable. It also creates a physical setting that is appropriate and adequate for teaching and learning.
Now schools require extensive maintenance and care to keep them running smoothly. At any given school, there’s likely a long list of maintenance and repair tasks on the scheduled of principal and administrators. Notwithstanding, this government is determined to come to grips with problems relating to school maintenance.
School maintenance is more than just the upkeep of a building/s and protecting investments. It is also about providing students with a healthy environment to bolster their educational opportunities and support their development.
It is my hope that the financial situation would allow government to keep pace with school maintenance in Saint Lucia.