St. Kitts & Nevis strengthens health workforce with 47 Ghanaian nurses

St. Kitts & Nevis: The Ministry of Health of St. Kitts & Nevis officially welcomed 47 nurses from Ghana on Monday, August 10. The nurses have joined the healthcare workforces across hospitals and clinics in the Federation.

Prime Minister and Minister of Health Dr. Terrance Drew, Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Curtis Martin and members of the leadership of the Joseph N. France General Hospital joined the special welcome ceremony.

Dr. Drew said in a social media post that the arrival of the nurses will help ease the pressure on nurses already working in the healthcare system and improve the quality of care provided to the patients.

Their arrival will ease the pressure on our hardworking nurses, improving nurse-to-patient ratios, strengthening the quality of care, and ultimately delivering better outcomes for our people, Drew said.

Dr. Drew, who is also a medical doctor, said he understands the pressure that the staff shortages can place on the healthcare professionals. He said that the government has been working to strengthen the healthcare workforce and ensure that the nurses are better supported to provide care to the patients.

The group consists of 32 general nurses and 15 Community and Public Health nurses. The nurses are in St. Kitts & Nevis under the Ghana Labour Exchange Programme (GLEP), through the Bilateral Labour Agreement between St. Kitts & Nevis and Ghana.

The nurses had arrived in St. Kitts & Nevis on June 28 after departing from Ghana under the programme. They will undertake a two-year placement in the Federation while gaining international clinical experience.

Accommodation, remuneration, transportation, meals and other agreed conditions of service are being provided to the nurses under the bilateral agreement.

The programme allows Ghanaian nurses to support the healthcare system in St. Kitts & Nevis while also gaining experience that they can take back to Ghana after completing their placement.

The Ministry of Health said that the arrival of the nurses will improve the capacity of the country to provide healthcare services. The nurses will join healthcare teams across hospitals and clinics in St. Kitts & Nevis.

The welcome ceremony held on August 10 marks the integration of the nurses into the Federation’s healthcare system. After the welcome ceremony, Prime Minister Drew also led a ribbon-cutting ceremony to reopen the refurbished Private Ward at the Joseph N. France General Hospital.