Government is being accused of not doing enough to address the health issues in the BVI, but Health Minister Ronnie Skelton says there are many serious health issues here and government does not have all the financial resources to solve these problems.
Minister Skelton was responding to a concern of a resident in the First District this week on their first leg of ‘Government of the Road’ meeting.
The resident’s concern was the issue of cancer. “Cancer is a very prevalent disease in the First District, something is very, very wrong. I grew up hearing people saying that and then next thing I know I myself get breast cancer,” she said.
She accused government of not addressing the issue.
“I don’t think anyone is doing anything about it. I will like to know if you were ever approached about it. We’re having consultancy for every lick that pass up and down this place. Wherever the breeze blow, there is a consultancy and if we are really, really serious, I think Honourable Walwyn is dealing with education but another main concern in this territory is your health, because once you don’t have healthy people, you don’t have nothing to go on. Education and that health are 2 most important pillars and we need to do something about it,” said the resident.In response, Health Minister Skelton said cancer is not just in the First District but a serious health issue across the territory.
The Minister said when the government was last in power, it commissioned a study to see what is causing cancer but nothing else happened after they were out of office.
“I have asked the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Irad Potter to let us see if we can start the process again to find out what is causing so many cancers in the BVI population, whether it is something in the air, in the water or something we have done in the past that is causing cancer to be so prevalent in our society.
“So it’s not that we are not doing anything about it. What we recommend is that you follow the doctor’s advice. For example, men who are 40 and climbing have get your prostate checked. If you have a history of prostate cancer in your family you need to go earlier. Breast cancer is also prevalent and you need to have yourself checked as often as possible,” he advised.
Skelton said he is his hoping that the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation can assist the government with these health issues but according to him, “we are not taking health lightly in this country. I as Minister, I had my issues, so I understand, my job is to see what I can do to bring relief to people.”
He also noted that when the government was in power a few years ago, there were 13 persons on kidney dialysis now there are at least 56.
“So we have some serious health issues in the country and we don’t have all the financial resources to solve these problems, so we have to depend on all the other things., Paying for a passport may sound a bit callous but we need to get that monies from those passports so that we can assist in the health issues of this country,” said the Health Minister.
