BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, March 26, 2024 (SKNIS) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis extended profound thanks and appreciation to the team of medical professionals and consultants that provided free healthcare services and training to patients and medical technicians in the Federation, as part of the United StatesAir Force Southern Command Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2024 mission.
The mission saw forty-three (43) U.S. Air Force active duty and reserve airmen providing care for patients in dentistry, primary care, audiology, ophthalmology, and emergency medicine services. A cohort of specialists from the Republic of China (Taiwan) also worked alongside the visiting professionals and local personnel to deliver healthcare services to citizens. The mission culminated with a closing ceremony at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort on March 26, 2024.
Gratitude for this type of assistance to the people of St. Kitts and Nevis was recorded by Prime Minister and Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew at Tuesday’s ceremony.
“I want to say thank you to all of you from the U.S. Air Force, to our own medical staff and all those who were directly involved for your excellent demonstration of humanity in caring for our people here in St. Kitts and Nevis, especially for those who needed it the most,” Dr. Drew said, while noting that forging partnerships like the one with the Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team are critical for St. Kitts and Nevis to achieve some of its goals in the field of medicine and healthcare.
Prime Minister Dr. Drew said it is timely interventions such as the LAMAT Mission and partnerships with non-governmental organisations like the Pediatrics Assistance League of St. Kitts and Nevis (PALS), and others, that have seen St. Kitts and Nevis recorded a number of successes in the field of medicine. This includes a significant reduction in child mortality in the Federation.
“This shows how important collaborations really are at any level—collaboration with the government and PALS, collaboration between us and the Republic of China (Taiwan) who is partnering with us on health overall, on a sustained long-term basis, and this partnership that we are establishing now. This is why I agree that this mission is one of the most important and significant missions I have seen conducted and that can have a tremendous impact not only in the area of health but an impact on the strengthening of relationships between all like-minded countries,” the prime minister commented, as he expressed St. Kitts and Nevis’ interest in having the LAMAT Mission return to the Federation in 2025.
Prime Minister Drew also explained how assistance such as the type rendered by the LAMAT 2024 Mission can ultimately help the Federation along its journey towards becoming a sustainable island state, particularly as it relates to adaptability.
“As we are on our way towards a sustainable island state, just to adapt with the changes due to climate change and to maintain what we have presently is an added cost in itself, and a mission like [LAMAT] helps us to deal with those types of financial burdens which, of course, are critically important to deal with if we are to continue the upward trend of improved medical services to all of our people,” he said.
St. Kitts and Nevis was the final stop in the LAMAT 2024 mission that saw more than two thousand patients across four nations receiving critical medical care.
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