BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, April 09, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has paid glowing tribute to the exemplary service being rendered by the nation’s medical fraternity in the response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19 disease).
While addressing the daily media briefing of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), on Wednesday, April 08, Prime Minister Harris went further by singling out Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Hazel Laws, describing her as a shining example “of how patriotism must move each of us” with respect to the firm leadership, advice and expertise she has exhibited since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Novel Coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern in January.
“What she has given to St. Kitts and Nevis is a very special gift of excellence in service and a perseverance in fulfillment of an urgent task, and for that my Cabinet and I and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis would long remember her as one of the best CMOs…we have had in a long while,” Prime Minister Harris said.
Dr. Harris further noted that when the storybook is written on the coronavirus pandemic, the names of a number of outstanding persons and countries will emerge, adding, “I am very certain that this, the smallest independent country, will emerge as a success story.”
The prime minister continued, “Already some have taken note of the fact that we the smallest country was able to keep the pandemic at bay for as long as was reasonably possible. We were the last amongst the independent states for which the pandemic visited. That has been a success then for our method of advanced planning. And I want to commend the Chief Medical Officer and the medical fraternity, including the Medical Chief of Staff [Dr. Cameron Wilkinson], who have been among the cadre of excellent health professionals that are now in service to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Words of the commendation were also expressed towards the National Disaster Coordinator, Mr. Abdias Samuel, for his dedicated leadership as chair of the National Working Group on COVID-19.
