Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet has called for the resignation of the board overseeing the Owen King EU Hospital (OKEUH), citing a collapse in patient care and management at the facility.
In a televised New Year’s address on Wednesday night, the United Workers Party (UWP) leader expressed deep concern over the hospital’s conditions, which he observed first-hand during a visit to a sick long-time party supporter late last month.
Chastanet criticised what he said was a lack of basic care and dignity for patients that marked a stark contrast to the standards of care provided during the UWP administration.
“I was not only dismayed by the conditions there but heartbroken to see the total breakdown of a medical facility that our administration had been running efficiently, even during COVID-19 when finances were at their tightest,” he stated.
He also referenced a recent announcement by Dr Damian Greaves, CEO of Millennium Heights Medical Complex, that due to overcrowding, the Accident and Emergency Department would prioritise life-threatening cases and serious conditions, while patients with minor health issues would face extended waiting times. The public was urged to seek alternative care at other facilities, including urgent care units at the Dr Betty Wells Urban Polyclinic, Gros Islet Polyclinic, Dennery Hospital, and Soufriere Hospital.
“Think of the absurdity and insensitivity of this request! So, we are now to self-diagnose our medical issues and determine if it is life-threatening or not. The entire Board needs to resign, not just the CEO,” Chastanet said.
“This is more than a failure of governance – it is a moral failure…. If a government cannot prioritise essential services like the health and well-being of its people, it should forfeit its right to govern – plain and simple,” he added.
Although Chastanet began his address with messages of hope for the future, he insisted such critical issues could not be overlooked.
The opposition leader also accused the Philip J. Pierre administration of broken promises and poor governance. He criticised the halting of key infrastructure projects and raised concerns about the handling of the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP), calling it the country’s “biggest scandal”.
“On behalf of the Saint Lucian public, we intend to apply for judicial review against the CIP Unit and the minister for their mismanagement,” Chastanet declared. “This action is essential to protect our country’s assets, reputation, and, most importantly, our patrimony, which is currently under threat.”
He further criticised the government for its failure to address rising crime, high gas and food prices. The economy, he said, remains “fragile”.
Encouraging Saint Lucians to envision a nation where innovation drives progress across sectors, Chastanet also outlined his party’s plans for the year ahead.
“For this New Year, the UWP will focus on our successes and reviewing improvement areas to become the party of choice in the coming election. We’ve strengthened our internal candidate selection process to ensure that those chosen best reflect the next generation of leaders who share our values and policies and will provide the best representation to deliver a better quality of life to their communities and our country,” he said.
I am neither UWP nor SLP – but healthcare in St. Lucia has NEVER been GOOD PERIOD for DECADES. The politicians take the first flight out for their own healthcare needs. They are not trusting of their own health care system and practitioners etc etc.
@anonymous is correct. Both Private and Public Health facilities in St Lucia have ALWAYS been very bad. I speak both as a patient at a private hospital (supposedly the best in SL) and also having family members in OKEU (both of whom died) in Emergency care. One definitely would have lived if the right care had been administered and the other if they had been properly diagnosed and treated before it was necessary to rush them to emergency. Sad state of affairs…