The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) has voiced disappointment over its exclusion from the long-awaited handover of the new St. Jude Hospital.
While the organization welcomes the completion of the building, it is pressing for a swift commissioning and greater inclusion in key decisions regarding the facility.
“We are not quite sure if that was an oversight or if this was an issue that this was not seen, that we were not important enough a stakeholder to be invited, but we were not,” said Dr. Merle Clarke, president of the SLMDA.
“There were individual physicians, of course, who were invited and the staff was included, but the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association as such was not. But we would like to say, of course, as an association that the completion of the building is a step forward. It is more than we had before. So that is a good thing.”
Dr. Clarke emphasized that the issue extends beyond the SLMDA and affects the wider national healthcare community.
“This is not just an issue that the SLMDA has to make a statement on. This is a national issue. This is an issue for not only the people of the South, but for all of St. Lucia. Our other affiliate members of the TUF, our nurses association, the CSA, the NWU, all of those units have members that they represent at St. Jude Hospital. It is a question of everybody needing to let their voice be heard. Are we satisfied or are we not satisfied with what we so far have?”
Despite the concerns, Dr. Clarke acknowledged the progress the hospital represents. “But I think what we cannot question is that it is a step in the right direction and we accept that,” she said.
The SLMDA’s statement highlights calls for greater collaboration between healthcare stakeholders and government authorities to ensure that the new St. Jude Hospital fulfills its potential as a central medical facility for the nation.