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Doctors available for limited days on Anegada, JvD & VG- Hon Wheatley

- Health Minister says days not enough but recruiting healthcare workers remains a challenge
Speaking on the February 26, 2024, edition of ‘Da Morning Braff' show on Tola Radio VI, Health Minister Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), right, said doctors are available Anegada, Jost van Dyke & North Sound, Virgin Gorda for a few days per week and, while it is not enough, he is working on having more days available. Photo: Facebook
Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley has announced that persons seeing healthcare on the Sister Islands will not have an opportunity to do so on their islands, rather than travelling to Tortola. Photo: VINO/File
Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley has announced that persons seeing healthcare on the Sister Islands will not have an opportunity to do so on their islands, rather than travelling to Tortola. Photo: VINO/File
FAT HOGS BAY, Tortola, VI– Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) has announced that persons on the Sister Islands needing to see a doctor will now have an opportunity to do so without having to travel to Tortola.

Speaking on the Monday, February 26, 2024, edition of ‘Da Morning Braff' show on Tola Radio VI, Hon Wheatley said doctors are available on Anegada, Jost van Dyke and North Sound, Virgin Gorda for a few days per week.

The Health Minister said while it is not enough, he is working on having more days where doctors are available.

“In Anegada, it's two days a week. We are having some challenges trying to get to 5 days the way the ferry schedule runs, in North Sound it’s like two days, and in Jost van Dyke it's like one day, it’s not enough,” he added.

“I would not say it's enough… my goal is to make sure we have access to healthcare all the time,” he said in agreeing with host Floyd Burnett aka 'Heritage' that it’s a start.

Meanwhile, the Minister said attracting and keeping healthcare talent remains a challenge around the world, including in the VI.

Recruiting doctors for Sister Islands is a challenge - Hon Wheatley 

He said for example in the VI, trying to get up-and-coming doctors to go to remote areas is a challenge as persons cannot build their careers with low causalities in those areas. 

“We are looking at persons close to retirement or semi-retirees. My experience has been these persons are really bringing a lot of demands to the table,” he said,

The Minister added that the demands are almost prohibitive to hire those persons; however, he said there is a plan to have doctors enter the system to make healthcare services available all 7 days on the sister islands.

Hon Wheatley shared an experience of a tourist who complained they would never visit one of the sister islands again over the healthcare challenge. The Minister said the issue must be rectified as people want to know that adequate healthcare is available if they are injured or fall ill.

7 Responses to “Doctors available for limited days on Anegada, JvD & VG- Hon Wheatley”

  • don (27/02/2024, 11:00) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    More talk
  • hmm (27/02/2024, 12:47) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    there was a doctor ready to serve JVD and be based there especially at night. What happened?
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (27/02/2024, 13:33) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Hon Vencent Wheatley, BVI Health Minister, and (D9), Representative: You and others that think like you don't find it difficult for political Ministers continuing telling to us lies every day of the week, and carelessly spending our finances as they please, as do the ruling Party, (VIP) now doing, but rather, it is difficult to get medical physicians to serve in Virgin Gorda, Anegada and Josh Van Dyke at least five days of each week.

    Suggestions 1, 2, 3 and 4 below

    1. Practice selflessness, not selfishness.

    2. Practice priority serve to all the people of the BVI, and all our visitor as evenly as possible.

    3. Get to know your priorities and place the greater enfersist on them.

    4 Practice prioritizing human life and their health over money, political positions and material things.

    5. Practice pleasing us, you BOSS, (employer) not according the rest of the world practices.
  • 2024 (27/02/2024, 15:36) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    we are in 2024 and honestly speaking some of the issues we endured back in the 60s| 70s| 80s are still here

    with the million dollar budgets the people of this territory are told about year after year and you take the time and look around or sit down and try to figure out what’s going on(leave that for now)

    those we vote into political office ensure that they have large wages while in office and when they are voted out of office

    how can U love the people and do nothing because you only see Mr Politician moments before the election: When last any of them knock on your door
  • gadheitz (27/02/2024, 19:55) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Cindy's show on The Morning Ride is making more sense to me.
  • Interesting (27/02/2024, 20:30) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Very interesting mr minister how can you say you have Drs to these islands and people wont have to go to main island the Drs cannot just see a patient with a serious fall for eg or a scooter/car accident seizures. etc and treated by Drs alone and then discharged in a case like that before you can discharge those patients they have to go to the main island for imaging and blood works to have an all clear. You really need to find out all these things before come out and talk get your facts mr minister please the next thing is the amount of money one has to pay with all these transfers from one island to the next and its not the patients fault why they have to be paying so much before reaching the main islands , tourists are even hit harder with these ridiculous bills
  • voter (27/02/2024, 20:46) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Cindy left. Heritage need to leave next.


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