November 30th 2022
French health delegation meets health officials
by Ministry of Health
SAINT LUCIA AND MARTINIQUE HAVE LONG HELD TIES IN VARIOUS AREAS OF EXPERTISE, INCLUDING HEALTH.
A health mission from the Martinique Health University visited Saint Lucia for three days in November.
The formal visit allowed for first time introductions since the installation of Saint Lucia’s new government, as well as meeting the new team at the Ministry of Health.
The Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs expressed gratitude for collaborations past and those to come, as the teams work toward preparing a new programme for medical cooperation between the two nations.
“This cooperation is special to us. We know that there are several challenges in relation to the cooperation in health care. There has been stops and starts and difficulties along the way; but our Prime Minister is very interested in resetting this relationship,” said Minister for Health, Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste.
The health minister said cooperation between the two parties will also include training for health sector workers.
“We want to recommence the training program where nurses from the St. Jude Hospital would attend the hospital in Martinique for training; and we want to ensure our people—especially those who require emergency medical care—can depend on a seamless operation between Saint Lucia and Martinique.”
Director of Cooperation, Martinique University Hospital Christiane Bourgeois said relations extend much further than hospital services. She said: “We cooperate of course by managing patients. We welcome patients on transfer from Saint Lucia to our facilities, but we also cooperate on research: to set common protocols and to define prevention policies for example with non-communicable diseases.”
Bourgeois added that their hopes are that ties within the sector can become even stronger, possibly setting up an international health pathway between the two islands to allow easier data sharing and transportation.
“What we would like is that cooperation becomes the first way to take care of the same population. Because our populations go back and forth, my expectation is that we can create connectivity between the two islands.”
The delegations also visited the OECS and the new French Ambassador to Saint Lucia.
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