BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, June 26, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – On Thursday, June 25, the new health center in the village of Tabernacle was renamed in honour of former Matron Nurse Mrs. Sylvia Garnette, a woman whom Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris recognized as a trailblazer in the nursing profession in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“I am particularly delighted that one of our very own daughters of St. Kitts and Nevis – Nurse Sylvia Garnette – an icon in nursing is today being honoured. She was a trailblazer and a community activist long before that phraseology had become popular. Nurse Garnette is well-deserving,” Prime Minister Harris said when he delivered the featured remarks at the renaming and commissioning ceremony at Station Street, Tabernacle.
Nurse Sylvia Garnette spent the majority of adult life serving the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, particularly those residing between the areas of Saddlers to Cayon, in a number of capacities. She served as District Midwife for the Tabernacle area; Public Health Nurse at the health centre in Cayon, Family Planning Administrator; Assistant Matron at the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital, and in 1987 she was promoted to the post of Matron at the General Hospital.
Dr. Harris further noted that Nurse Garnette has been a source of inspiration and great support for him personally over the years, adding that, “In my latter life she adopted me as her son, took me to scripture and helped me to meander many of the difficult challenges of leadership.”
Owing to the restrictions put in place as part of the government’s response to protect its citizens and residents from the COVID-19, particularly the one on commercial travel to St. Kitts and Nevis, Nurse Garnette, who resides in Florida, USA, was unable to attend the ceremony held in her honour.
However, Mrs. Garnette joined the ceremony virtually, at which time she thanked all involved for the honour bestowed upon her.
“I want to begin by thanking the Honourable Dr. Timothy Sylvester Harris and the Cabinet of the Team Unity Government for this great honour of having this great, beautiful, marvelous health facility honouring my name. I am indeed very humbled and extremely grateful for such high recognition,” Nurse Garnette remarked.
The new Sylvia Garnette Primary Health Care Facility will cater for a variety of services including child health and immunization services, antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, diabetes and hypertension management and district medical officer consultations.
