Today we remember the St. Jude Hospital fire, a very tragic event in the lives of so many Saint Lucians. I remember today, the lives lost, the three individuals from the constituency of Vieux Fort North who lost their lives and how the families continue to search for peace; and how the families continue to miss their loved ones.
As a country, we also remember that tragedy for so many reasons. So many individuals sacrificed their safety to help save people from this fire. So many individuals from the Augier community, from the wider Vieux Fort community, so many medical professionals did the impossible to save the lives of so many people.
We remember the St. Jude Hospital fire and this government continues to show commitment to the reestablishment of the St. Jude Hospital at Augier.
When the people of Saint Lucia entrusted us with the governance of this country in 2021, we promised that the St. Jude Hospital Rehabilitation Project would be our number one priority. We continue to work on the St. Jude Hospital Rehabilitation Project and this week we will see the signing of contract documents which will signal the final phase of the rehabilitation of the St. Jude Hospital.
We know the people of Saint Lucia have waited too long. We know the people of Vieux Fort North, the people of the south, the people who use the St Jude Hospital and the people who depend on the St Jude Hospital for services, we know you have waited for too long and our government is committed to delivering the St Jude Hospital at Augier within the shortest possible time.
I am pleased to see the commitment of our government and the work which has been done on the St Jude site.
Once again, I say to you as Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, I join the prime minister and the rest of the Cabinet in saying to you we will deliver the St Jude Hospital to the people of the south and the people of Saint Lucia. I look forward to that day when deliverance will come to the people of the south and to the people of Saint Lucia when another health facility, a brand-new health facility, will be opened to provide quality health services to the people.