Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 09, 2018 (SKNIS): The formal meetings of the Cabinet took place on Tuesday, October 02, and Monday, October 08, 2018. The meetings were chaired by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. Here are the salient matters that were discussed and the decisions taken that are designed to advance the growth and development of the country:
- Cabinet discussed the allocation of funds for hurricane relief to farmers and fishers. Because of representation from the Ministry of Agriculture, it was agreed to allocate a further 500, 000 to assist in that regard. This would therefore be an allocation of 1 million dollars in grant funds and 1 million dollars in loan funds that have been made available to assist farmers.
- Cabinet also considered allowing joint applicants to access mortgage loan funds so that property value could be enhanced.
- Cabinet considered and approved several submissions, which would bring foreign direct investment into the country and assist locals in their enterprise to assist them to raise their standard of living.
- On October 08, Cabinet received a presentation by a team from the Ministry of Health led by a bioethicist who has been engaged to assist the Federation in determining the way forward in the area of regenerative medicine. The spin off for the country in medical tourism could be substantial, but the government is ensuring that all the moral and ethical issues are being addressed, hence bringing in the bioethicist. Regenerative medicine seeks to replace tissue or organs that have been damaged by disease, trauma, or congenital issues, vs. the current clinical strategy that focuses primarily on treating the symptoms. The tools used to realize these outcomes are tissue engineering, cellular therapies, and medical devices and artificial organs. Combinations of these approaches can amplify our natural healing process in the places it is needed most, or take over the function of a permanently damaged organ. Regenerative medicine is a relatively new field that brings together experts in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, genetics, medicine, robotics, and other fields to find solutions to some of the most challenging medical problems faced by humankind (McGowan Institute of Regenerative Medicine)
