When Moses Jn Baptiste assumed the role of Minister for Health, Saint Lucians were promised a brighter future for healthcare. Instead, we find ourselves facing the most disastrous period in the history of our health sector—a failure of governance that has left the nation in crisis.
Take the St. Jude Hospital debacle as the most glaring example of incompetence. Moses Jn Baptiste boldly claimed that St. Jude Hospital would be completed within one year of the SLP taking office. We are now in the fourth year of his tenure, and the hospital remains unfinished, leaving patients and healthcare workers to endure substandard conditions. How much longer must Saint Lucians suffer due to this government’s broken promises and lack of urgency?
The president of the Medical and Dental Association has gone on record describing the state of healthcare in Saint Lucia as the worst it has ever been. This is no small statement—it reflects the frustration of medical professionals who are forced to operate within a system that is crumbling under the weight of mismanagement and neglect.
Adding insult to injury, the government implemented a 2.5% Health and Security Levy, burdening Saint Lucians with additional taxes under the guise of improving healthcare. Yet, the budget for healthcare was inexplicably reduced by $2 million. Where is the accountability for this levy? Where is the evidence that it is being used to improve healthcare services?
Critical facilities like the Castries Health Centre remain closed, leaving urban populations without accessible healthcare. The abandonment of the National Health Insurance initiative—a transformative policy designed to benefit all Saint Lucians—further underscores the lack of vision and commitment from this administration.
The situation worsens with persistent shortages of essential medications, including something as basic as painkillers. This crisis affects health centres and hospitals islandwide, leaving patients in unnecessary pain and doctors unable to provide adequate care. Such shortages are inexcusable in a country striving for progress.
The track record of Moses Jn Baptiste as Minister for Health is a catalog of failures. His leadership has not only delayed critical infrastructure projects like St. Jude but also dismantled initiatives that could have improved healthcare for all Saint Lucians.
It is time for the Minister to be held accountable for his failures. Saint Lucians deserve a healthcare system that prioritizes their needs, not one riddled with empty promises, financial mismanagement, and political excuses. The people of this country are tired of waiting, suffering, and enduring a system that continues to let them down.
Enough is enough. Moses Jn Baptiste has proven himself incapable of leading our healthcare sector. It is time for new leadership and a renewed commitment to delivering the quality healthcare that every Saint Lucian deserves.
