‘It Is Time For St. Jude To Rise From The Ashes!’

The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) is hopeful that St. Jude Hospital (SJH) will ‘rise again’, after a devastating fire over a decade ago. Three people perished in the blaze. The SLMDA’s expression of hope for SJH came in a statement marking the fire’s fifteenth anniversary. The complete statement appears below: Today September 9th, marks Fifteen years since the devastating fire which destroyed parts of St Jude Hospital forcing an emergency move to the George Odlum Stadium, which was meant to temporarily house health services. Fifteen years, we as a nation continue to wait. Fifteen years our collective souls weep.     We however remain hopeful. Hopeful that our leaders across the board will understand the complexities of healthcare and prioritise it. Hopeful that we all will truly give credence to the statement “a healthy nation is a wealthy nation” and take individual and collective responsibility for our health and wellbeing. Hopeful that St Jude will rise again.    We recognize and commend the commitment and dedication of staff who have provided exemplary service under conditions which can best be described as inadequate and subpar. You truly are the unsung heroes of this unfortunate story. We continue to stand with you...