Health Minister Moses Jn Baptiste has emphasised the critical need for the government to invest at least 6% of GDP in healthcare, as recommended by the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The minister highlighted that the country’s healthcare facilities are experiencing severe shortages of medication, resources, and equipment due to insufficient funding.
He stated that it is time for change and the government is committed to increasing healthcare financing.
“We have already increased subventions to hospitals and various programs, and we are determined to formalize Universal Health Coverage (UHC),” Jn Baptiste declared at a presentation ceremony last Wednesday, where participants shared their testimonials after completing a five-week technical training course in Taiwan.
He said that the government is taking proactive steps to address Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and has already started providing free blood tests, ultrasounds for pregnant mothers, and expanding services for cancer detection.
Linus St Juste from the Department of Health was one of the participants who recently completed the five-week technical training course in Taiwan. In June, he undertook training in AI in Healthcare, and the minister expressed confidence that St Juste’s training in AI Smart Healthcare “will benefit healthcare in Saint Lucia.”
“We are a small country, and all the assistance we receive from Taiwan continues to support us in the area of healthcare,” he noted.
“Over the years, Saint Lucia has contributed just a little over 3% of GDP to its healthcare costs,” Jn Baptiste added. “Both the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest that countries should invest at least 6% of GDP in their healthcare systems.”
The minister said that this low level of funding has resulted in limited supplies of medication, resources, and equipment at the island’s health facilities. Nonetheless, he affirmed that the government is committed “to change that,” and since 2021, “we’ve had a deliberate policy of increasing financing to healthcare.”
Jn Baptiste reiterated that the government remains committed to the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
Most of our problems stem from the impacts of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), and the NCD programme, which is being run by the Taiwanese team, continues to assist us in addressing this fundamental issue,” he said.
Minister Jn Baptiste emphasised that the increases in heart disease, strokes, and other health conditions “all stem from our challenges with NCDs, with a 34% increase in cases of hypertension.”
He added, “It clearly shows that Saint Lucia is in a very deep and difficult challenging place when it comes to healthcare, and all the programmes funded by the Taiwanese government will continue to help us address this issue.”
Jn Baptiste disclosed that the government has decided “that maternal and child care should be the first stage of introducing our Universal Health Coverage programme. We started in 2023, servicing close to 2,000 pregnant mothers with free blood tests and free ultrasounds.”
The minister also mentioned further training for nurses and other medical professionals “to ensure that they can effectively address this problem.”
“Our goal is to ensure that our healthcare system receives greater resources for better management and service,” Minister Jn Baptiste asserted.