A contract for the construction of housing for oxygen concentrators at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital was signed in May 2025. Photo: Facebook

Oxygen concentrators for the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital and generators for all clinics were acquired through Direct Relief. Photo: Internet Source

Minister of Health and Social Development Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) said the government of the Virgin Islands (VI) continues to keep its promise of improving healthcare. Photo: Internet Source

Speaking to Virgin Islands News Online on Thursday, May 15, 2025, Hon Wheatley informed that a “comprehensive overhaul” of the territory’s healthcare is ongoing in efforts to make it “sustainable” and “competitive”. 

The latest of these is the signing of a contract with Connect Enterprises Limited for the housing of oxygen concentrators at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital in the amount of $182, 260.93

Direct Relief assistance

Hon Wheatley said when he was Chair of the OECS Council of Health Ministers, Direct Relief came to a conference in the territory. 

Direct Relief is a nonprofit humanitarian organisation, providing emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally.

“They had promised the BVI to [provide] basically what it is we needed or something that they could provide,” he said.

He requested an oxygen generator due to the experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

“We saw during COVID how vulnerable we are with oxygen…and it was a real challenge to get oxygen after COVID…when I came, I said, let's get our own generator, our oxygen concentrator. And if we have a surplus, we can even sell it back to the community. Just increasing the hospital's bottom line by providing oxygen to people as soon as they need it.”

The equipment will be in the territory soon, the Health Minister assured. 

The other request was for generators for all the clinics in the territory. 

“The goal is to make sure all our clinics have a backup generator, particularly now going into hurricane season. If power is cut out, they can still function,” Hon Wheatley explained. 

More than infrastructure works happening- Hon Wheatley 

Hon Wheatley said the public can expect more work to be done during the coming months. 

“It is a force of many things that happening to healthcare…So it's not only infrastructure, it's also management structures, it's also staffing structures, it's also salary structures. It's all happening all at once. All at once.”

He said healthcare workers are “optimistic”, though sceptical, as they have heard these promises before. 

“I say to them this is real because you can see it happening around you…We have to do more than just talk, but talk and deliver.”

He added that these workers need to “clearly see” that what was said would happen is happening.