At best Chastanet would have the public believe that a building’s age prevents it from serving as a “modern hospital” - whatever that means; that SJH should be condemned to a wrecking ball.
But History, dear reader, exposes the most modest inconsistencies.
Our beloved Victoria Hospital, built in 1887, is 136 years old. It was good enough for 9 in 10 Saint Lucians. It was most certainly good for Allen Chastanet who left Looshans in the century-old building seeking “modern healthcare” until European Union representatives came here to embarrass him; until they advised a “quick” opening of the Owen King EU Hospital.
Lest You Forget…
It was a Saint Lucianly sunny Sunday on 21st February, 2016 when then Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony delivered his last Independence gift to a younger country - a brand-new and complete hospital. The 40-million-euro “flagship project” was the largest undertaken in the Caribbean by the EU at the time. In due course - and before June 6, 2016 - a transition team comprising Dr. Stephen King and other notable Saint Lucians was commissioned.
Lost somewhere between the pages of history, three years elapsed and the EU returned to assess the fruits of their investment. For neither the first nor last time, Allen Chastanet was found with his pants down - and the baggy trousers took the country down with them.
“Let’s be frank, this is one of the biggest investments the European Union has had over the years. This is a flagship that must work,” said Stefano Manservisi, the EU’s Director-General of International Cooperation. He continued, “My point is not to look backwards but to sit with the prime minister and see how this can start working in the interest of the people of Saint Lucia.”
Helen barely managed to gather a rating of 2/10 in the final analysis. OKEU was opened on March 27, 2020, less than two weeks after the island recorded its first COVID-19 case.
After erasing political “strategy”, dear reader, assess for yourself what the motives truly are. For one man, 130 years is much more acceptable than a newly and totally redone 80-year-old structure. For another, completing the elusive SJH remains the goal. In the meantime, I will scour the internet in search of the meaning of “modern hospital”.
Disclaimer - The views presented in this article are not that of SNO and we accept no liability for any information herein contained.