PM Roosevelt Skerrit shares update on key projects for Dominica Health Sector in Budget 2022/23

Roseau, Dominica: Prime Minister of Dominica- Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, during his 2022/23 Budget presentation, made huge announcements for the health sector. He declared that the vaccine coverage of Dominica is now at 53 percent of the target population. 

Prime Minister Skerrit added that this government values the health and well-being of the people, and this is why they have spared no effort to continuously improve the standard of healthcare available in the country. 

He asserted that in the last fiscal year, most of the resources of the ministry of health wellness and new health investment continued to be devoted to meeting expenditures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Our efforts to prevent, contain and treat this disease have been successful, and the population has been able to go about its daily business in a safe environment with no further mass outbreaks. Vaccine coverage is now at 53 percent of the target population, and a digital COVID-19 vaccination card is available for years of the trunk,” said the prime minister. 

While stressing the significant investment to improve the health infrastructure in Dominica, PM Skerrit emphasized that it is an important component of the dynamic Dominica that they are building. 

He added that Dominica china friendship hospital is nearing completion of one component, the Brenda Stanford, the middle Stanford foundation eye centre, which was commissioned in May 2022. 

Outlining the merits of the eye centre, PM Roosevelt Skerrit explained that this is truly a centre of excellence which is on par with any first world a facility is providing a full suite of eye care services to the people. 

He said that the centre has six examination rooms, its own operating theatre and is equipped with modern high-tech equipment. These are amongst the many other features, all of which will go a long way in ensuring the delivery of top-notch health care to the patients’ right here in the country. 

PM Skerrit said, “The MRI and the HIFU machines were commissioned, and the staff of the hospital trained in operating them. The HIFU machine can be used to successfully treat some cancers if detected early and it allows for non-invasive treatments. ”                                 

He asserted that since the commissioning of the HIFU machine between March and July of this year, 11 procedures had been performed that there in the country. 

Highlighting the benefits of HIFU machine, PM Skerrit stated: 

• The availability of these machines will help reduce the need for Dominicans to travel overseas for medical care and treatment.
• These are important enhancements to the quality of care available in Ireland, which could mean the difference between life and death for many of our people.
• It also helps position Dominica as a hub within CARICOM for the provision of specialized services and as a means of boosting medical tourism.
• The country wants to ensure that quality healthcare is available in a comfortable setting to everyone across this country.

PM Skerrit added, “We continue to make significant investments in improving our primary health care system while at the same time improving secondary and tertiary care.”

PM Skerrit said that to date, the country had completed the construction of 12 new health and wellness centres with funding from the citizenship by investment programme, and they are all in full use. In addition, a new health and wellness centre at seven times is now at an advanced stage of construction. 

Outlining other projects, PM Skerrit remarked that in the last fiscal year, we continued several projects, which included repairs to existing health centres, the implementation of the OECS regional health project, focused on improving health facilities and strengthening lab services, public health surveillance and emergency management. 

About Marigot Hospital, PM Skerrit stated: 

• The new Marigot hospital, which began in January 2020, is now complete, and we are currently installing the medical equipment and furnishings.
• The new hospital allows for the decentralization of services where patients will be offered a wider range of services.
• The presence of an ICU, operating theatre, and dialysis unit, among many other features, will ensure that patients in the marigold health district can now access improved services in a more timely manner.

He asserted, “It’s just because all of these achievements and many that I have not mentioned such as investments in trading about doctors nurses community health aides as well as a new hospital authority are all part of a deliberate plan to ensure that Dominica offers the best health care possible to our people comparable to developed countries.