Opposition leader calls for allocation of adequate financial resources for scholarships and healthcare
Leader of the Opposition, the Rt Hon Dr Denzil L Douglas has called for the allocation of adequate financial resources to several programmes and institutions that will benefit the people who are suffering from leaking roofs, accessibility to scholarships, adequate health care an the skyrocketing high cost of living.
During his weekly “Ask the Leader” programme on Tuesday night, the former prime minister noted that while one million dollars is being paid to persons said to be criminal elements via the Development Bank of St Kitts and Nevis, financial and other resources are lacking in the federation’s education, housing sector and health institutions.
“If the government is concentrating on programmes of this kind in order to fuel their reelection campaign, this needs to be seriously examined by the public.The electorate must know all that is happening. It cannot be shrouded in mystery and secrecy. We need to examine how programmes of this kind are depriving the citizens of our country of other financial support especially when such financial support is financially anemic or scarce,” said Dr Douglas, pointing out that when the Development Bank of St Kitts and Nevis is going to allocate one million dollars every week for the last five months to the gun-criminal programme, the needs of other areas are crying out for adequate financing.
Dr Douglas said there were young persons who go to the Development Bank of St Kitts and Nevis to get a loan to construct a home and is being turned down.
He said frustration among the people have reached high levels owing to the high cost of living despite the claims by the Team Unity Government that ‘things could not be better.’
“Of course, things are much better for the government ministers, their families and close friends, but the majority of the people are expressing how difficult it is, especially with a few more weeks left for them to prepare their children to go back to school early next month,” said the former prime minister.
Dr Douglas also pointed to the poor health services that are being administered to the people of St Kitts and Nevis from the J N France General Hospital in Basseterre, the Pogson Medical Center in Sandy Point, the Mary Charles Hospital in Molineux and the health clinics around the islands.
“Healthcare continues to be a major challenge to our people,” said Dr Douglas, who again expressed the view that Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris “continues to lead St Kitts and Nevis in the wrong direction.”