PRESS RELEASE – THE Saint Lucia Labour Party is appalled at the response of the Prime Minister to the death of a patient Curtis Marius who died undergoing dialysis at the Owen King EU hospital. In response to questions by the media on the death of Mr. Marius, the Prime Minister said: “Do you think that people have not died on dialysis previously”?
The Prime Minister’s response displayed a sustained insensitivity and callousness in dealing with issues of human and personal suffering of the people of Saint Lucia. That instead of showing empathy he demonstrated continued disdain and ‘coldness at heart’ to the death.
The Saint Lucia Labour Party reaffirms that the government must take the transitioning of the Owen King EU Hospital seriously and expedite the process so that the people of Saint Lucia can benefit from a complete Owen King EU Hospital with all required services. While issues relating to medicine have been opined on by the medical professionals, we continue to be concerned that the government policies in the healthcare sector are not for the benefit of Saint Lucians but for the profit objectives of foreign firms.
The SLP urges the government not to privatize our hospitals and to return to consultations with the professionals to implement the options already explained for completing St. Jude, returning to the system of Universal Healthcare and transitioning to the Owen King EU Hospital in the quickest possible time. (SLP)