by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): There was a circulation of reports that the Joseph N France General Hospital faced a challenge in the treatment of dialysis patients in September 2025, and the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis sought to clear up the concerns during his October 07, 2025, ‘Roundtable’ discussion with the press.
He confirmed that supplies of fluid used in dialysis have since been replenished, sharing that hundreds more were expected to arrive in the federation on October 08, 2025.
“What you might have heard is that the specific fluid we use, that we had to get it, but it didn’t stop. What they did [was] to make sure that during the transition of getting that fluid, it can happen from time to time, that people will still be able to dialyse. We got, I think, 30 cases, and another 30 cases, 60 cases, and then, because only two countries in the Caribbean use that type, maybe us and Grenada. Then we have, I think, the 8th of this month, we’ll have hundreds of cases coming in, or well over a hundred. So these are the ebbs and flow of a service of this type, highly specialised service that we offer.”
The Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Health, cautioned against what he termed as an ‘exaggeration’ surrounding the matter, further expressing that in the ebb and flow of things, challenges can arise.
“So these matters, in terms of the ebb and flow of things, can happen. What I’ve picked up is, there are those out there who just want to seem like they want to see everything fail, but everything ain’t gonna fail, and so if there is an issue in the ebb and flow of things, there is an exaggeration of what is taking place. That is what is happening.”
The concern that the hospital ran out of essential fluids used in dialysis treatments sparked some discussion across social media. Some people described it as a breakdown in the health sector.
However, Prime Minister Drew expressed that while some are quick to exaggerate problems within the health sector, they often overlook the significant progress and improvements made. This, he explained, can create an unbalanced view of the federation’s health system.
“So, we as Kittitians and Nevisians we have to guard against the cynicism and the cynical approach, because at the end of the day, this is your country, and these are obvious misrepresentations of what are facts. So, I call on the media to also clarify these facts. I’m happy you asked that question, but then, that question can also be directed quickly to the dialysis unit or the hospital and get the facts behind the matter, and realise these are ebbs and flows of normal things. Today, they can call me and say a machine breakdown at the hospital. That can happen. The CT scan machine, which is one of the most advanced in the whole region, it could stop working tonight for whatever technical reason, but does that mean the whole thing is falling apart? Is that something to say- CT scan machine stopped working, St. Kitts is falling apart? A CT scan machine can stop working in all sorts of places. But they would not report that St. Kitts has one of the most advanced CT scan machines in the whole region. They’re waiting for something to go wrong, to say, ‘Oh, see it there?’ So, some people have taken on this aura of wanting to report and exaggerate things to the point where they want to embarrass their country, and so when people come here, people are like, ‘This is the St. Kitts some of them are talking about?’ They can’t believe.”
Prime Minister Drew shared some of the investments made within the health sector since his tenure in office, including improved access to specialised care and modern medical equipment.
As it relates to the Nephrology/Dialysis Unit, there a two nephrologists, with several nurses assigned to the ward. A kidney transplant programme was launched, and multiple dialysis machines are available.
