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Former legislator J. Alvin Christopher hospitalised

Former long-time Second District Representative Mr J. Alvin Christopher has been flown out of the territory for medical attention. Photo: VINO/File
Mr J. Alvin Christopher was a member of the House of Assembly from 1995 to 2015. Photo: GIS
Mr J. Alvin Christopher was a member of the House of Assembly from 1995 to 2015. Photo: GIS
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Former legislator and current Chairman of the People’s Empowerment Party (PEP) Mr J. Alvin Christopher was flown out of the territory to access medical care after falling ill recently.

According to this news site’s usual reliable sources, Mr Christopher was admitted a patient at Peebles Hospital on Saturday March 11, 2017 but was subsequently air-dashed to an overseas hospital as his condition required a more comprehensive care package not available locally. 

According to information received by this news site, his condition started with an unstable hypotensive reading which subsequently led to other complications.

No family member could be reached for further confirmation or clarification. However, we join with his family in praying for his speedy recovery.

About J. Alvin Christopher

Christopher was said to have committed political suicide when he decided to run At-Large in the 2015 General Elections on the PEP while new comer and former LIME Executive Mr Elford W. Parsons contested on the party’s slate in the Second District.

The former legislator Christopher was Representative for the Second District from 1995 until the 2015 general election.

J. Alvin Christopher was first elected to office as an independent in 1995. Shortly afterwards he was offered the position of Minister of Communications and Works, and joined the governing Virgin Islands Party (VIP). After the 1999 general election he "crossed the floor" to join the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP). In May 2006 Mr Christopher was removed from his position as Minister of Communications and Works by the NDP, and at the next meeting of the legislative council he crossed the floor for a second time to sit once again with the opposition VIP (although not formally joining them as a party).

This second move was believed to be related to differences of opinion in relation to the Telecommunications Bill 2006 and telecoms liberalisation programme in the VI generally. Mr Christopher subsequently ran successfully as an independent in the 2007 general election, and was returned with a handsome majority. By the 2011 general election Mr Christopher had formally rejoined the VIP.

In March 2014 Mr Christopher announced he was joining a newly formed political party, the People's Empowerment Party (or PEP) as Chairman which he would lead into the 2015 general election, and declared himself "fit" to be Premier. In the end the PEP was crushed in the 2015 general election, winning no seats, and Christopher lost his seat in the House. Christopher was philosophical about his defeat, and vowed not to quit politics however kept in the shadow not making any public appearances or voicing public his opinions on controversial matters such as the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport runway, Prospect Reef, the injection of $7M of tax payers’ money into the questionable BVI Airways among others.

Christopher has been credited for some major infrastructural developments in the Virgin Islands, including many of the road widening on Tortola, road paving on Jost van Dyke, water expansion and the cruise pier upgrade project.

19 Responses to “Former legislator J. Alvin Christopher hospitalised”

  • Cuz (16/03/2017, 10:11) Like (24) Dislike (1) Reply
    Get well soon
  • VG (16/03/2017, 10:26) Like (19) Dislike (0) Reply
    Get well soon ole boy
  • Well Sah (16/03/2017, 10:33) Like (27) Dislike (20) Reply
    First it was ronny then ralf and now he...Wha wrong with peebles hospital buddy? why no politician want to stay in there? All ah dem flying out.
    • wow (16/03/2017, 11:16) Like (31) Dislike (5) Reply
      People are flown out of Hospitals all over the world! Depending on the situation they would need to go to a specialist hospital. No one Hospital in the world is equipped to handle all health issues. Stop being ignorant and wish the man a safe recovery.
    • Reading Is Fundamental (16/03/2017, 12:39) Like (17) Dislike (0) Reply
      the article literally says the treatment he needed was not available locally.
  • colonel powell (16/03/2017, 10:37) Like (20) Dislike (15) Reply
    Speedy recovery chris for the second district need you again because that lil boy cant get the job done
    • STOPIT! (17/03/2017, 10:39) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
      Allyo too rude and ungrateful. Give the lil boy a chance. Allyo also too dammn greedy. You want him to spin Guinea grass to make green dollars for you to frolic with? It doesn't work so. Be patient and speak positive. You can't please District people, especially some of them Second District people. One year and they ready to get rid of you. Go siddung, allyo ungrateful self.
  • facts (16/03/2017, 10:48) Like (19) Dislike (8) Reply
    As usual we ain't good enough for them. All that millions spent for them to still speedily dash out for what they say we don't have here. But (bit the correct way to start a sentence I know), But, everything is forced down our damn throats. We might not be deep pocketed like they are fortunate to be but I think we should be given a choice. Pebbles will never be good enough but it's what we have and I for one am grateful regardless to what the naysayers want to say. Down and Up Island wish they have what we have and look like we do. The problem is they hire bootleg doctors. Get well Alvin. Remember God resides everywhere.
    • Fact or fiction? (16/03/2017, 12:20) Like (14) Dislike (4) Reply
      You seem to know a lot about nothing. If you read the article, it clearly states that "his condition required a more comprehensive care package not available locally." We all know that there is a lack of sub-specialists at the hospital, so persons needing this kind of care will have to be flown out. I hope you don't get sick and need to seek care at the hospital so that the "bootleg" doctors would not have to deal with you. Have some respect for the profession and stop talking rubbish. No health institution in the B.V.I. has all the sub-specialist or I am sure NO ONE would need to be flown out, but government easy to talk about, so keep talking.
      • Remember (16/03/2017, 17:19) Like (1) Dislike (5) Reply
        Doctors at Peebles care less to the extent that they go on strike. Why take a chance? Fly out first chance and be in a hospital where that won't be a concern.
  • @ facts (16/03/2017, 11:18) Like (20) Dislike (0) Reply
    So people aren't flown to other institutions from Hospitals in the US and Europe? If they can afford specialist treatment overseas, they should remain here and suffer/die just to prove a point? The hospital here doesn't have a severe trauma unit, cardiology (heart) unit, neurological unit etc. These are specialist situations that need to be handled by specialist institutions.
  • ddd (16/03/2017, 12:13) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Speedy Recovery Cuz.
  • Re examine the Hospital and it needs. (16/03/2017, 12:35) Like (30) Dislike (0) Reply
    People's Hospital first move for the new Hospital was a cordiology branch with Angiogram machine capable of stenting....I was so shock when I heard that wasn't in the plan..No one seems to care or understand the importance of this department and the life savings procedures that go along with it. Also the long term savings.... All these wasted money and bad investment could have given us a good heart unit.
  • Andrew Cox Sr (16/03/2017, 12:58) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    Get well soon Hon. Christopher
  • friend (16/03/2017, 14:58) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    My prayers go out to Mr. Christopher and his family. Trust God for all things. May he recover soon.
  • smdh (16/03/2017, 15:58) Like (1) Dislike (2) Reply
    You know it to have that one idiot who would make a comment that the care here was not good enough.
  • Reply (16/03/2017, 18:25) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    He was symptomatic when I met him last year. Sorry to hear that things progressed. I wish him a speedy recovery. The problem can be fixed; especially now that he is overseas. Best wishes Mr. Christophet.
  • Ella (16/03/2017, 19:33) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Get well soon Hon. Alvin Christopher. You are a good man.


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