BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 14, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Throughout its response to the deadly COVID-19 disease, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has benefited greatly from its strong diplomatic ties with the Government of the United States of America.
The single most significant contribution came on Wednesday, October 13, when the United States Government, through the Humanitarian Assistance Programme of the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), handed over a field hospital to the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis during a brief ceremony at Warner Park.
Wednesday’s donation was the first of two field hospitals that will be presented to the Government.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris expressed gratitude on behalf of the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis to Ambassador of the United States of America, Her Excellency Linda Taglialatela, for her Government’s continued demonstration of benevolence and generosity.
He said, “COVID-19 has also taught us the lesson of who our true friends are [and] who we can count on. We have seen the United States of America, the Government there has emerged as a significant partner to us in the fight against the pandemic.”
The prime minister continued, “Ambassador, I want to personally thank you for being a good friend and a strong support to the Government and people of St. Kitts and Nevis, and ask that you convey our deepest appreciation to the highest levels of your Government.”
Ambassador Taglialatela participated virtually in the handing over ceremony.
Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Government has supported St. Kitts and Nevis through the donation of ventilators, a new ambulance and over 31,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
“I want to again express the strong appreciation for the Government of the USA for its role and its assistance in providing us the largest quantity of vaccines to date,” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Harris further noted that there has long been a very close bond of friendship between St. Kitts and Nevis and the USA, adding that, “The United States is one of the largest beneficiaries of our human resource pool. It is the preferred destination for most of our people in terms of their vacation, their visits, their studies and their work, so we really are in this together.”
The first field hospital that was presented during Wednesday’s ceremony will be situated at the JNF General Hospital, while the second field hospital, which will be presented at a later date, will be stationed in Nevis.
