BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 07, 2019 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The visit of the floating medical treatment facility, US Naval Ship ‘Comfort’, to St. Kitts and Nevis reaffirms the strength of the bilateral relations that now exists between the Governments of the United States of America and the twin island Federation.
That is according to the United States Ambassador to Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, Her Excellency Linda S. Taglialatela.
“We are grateful for St. Kitts and Nevis’ leadership in the region and for its profound commitment to our shared values of democracy, protection of human rights and respect of rule of law,” Ambassador Taglialatela said on Saturday, October 05 during a ceremony to officially welcome the floating medical hospital to St. Kitts and Nevis.
Similar sentiments were shared by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, who, indicated that the presence of officials from the highest offices in St. Kitts and Nevis’ Government at Saturday’s ceremony was indicative of the high regards in which the Team Unity administration views its relationship with the U.S.A.
Prime Minister Harris noted that, “St. Kitts and Nevis has never taken the relationship between the United States of America and the Federation for granted, and since our coming to office we have strengthened the bilateral cooperation, so we are at a very good place now and we want to maintain that.”
In attendance at Saturday’s ceremony were His Excellency the Governor General, Sir S.W. Tapley Seaton, Cabinet ministers including the Honourable Mark Brantley, the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd and Senators the Honourable Wendy Phipps and the Honourable Vincent Byron. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, the Honourable Akilah Byron-Nisbett was also present.
St. Kitts and Nevis is one of the few Caribbean territories where the ship is being deployed to provide medical assistance.
The health care mission is offering two types of service, namely: land-based medical services and ship-based surgical services. The land-based medical services involve the provision of healthcare at the Antioch Baptist Church Grounds located at Lime Kiln and at the St. Paul’s Community Centre.
These medical services are available to persons in St. Kitts and Nevis between the hours of 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily. The US Naval Ship ‘Comfort’ departs the Federation on Thursday, October 10, 2019.
