CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – July 23, 2026 – In a historic leap forward for local healthcare access, the Concerned Citizens Movement-led Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has announced plans to open the island’s first permanent, purpose-built dialysis centre at Alexandra Hospital, a transformative project set to eliminate the burden of off-island travel for hundreds of residents living with kidney disease.
Unveiled by Nevis Premier Mark Brantley during his monthly press briefing, the $1.3 million U.S. initiative is a public-private partnership between the NIA, regional renal care specialist Renal Dynamics, and developers behind the proposed Destiny SSZ Project. The development marks the fulfillment of a decades-long policy goal for the island, bringing life-sustaining renal care directly to Nevis for the first time in its history.
Brantley confirmed that all major project milestones are already on track to meet the third-quarter 2026 completion deadline. All specialized dialysis equipment has been delivered to the site, four full-time haemodialysis nurses have been hired, and recruitment for a nurse manager is ongoing. When fully operational, the facility will feature five cutting-edge dialysis treatment stations with capacity to serve up to 20 patients weekly, with patient care set to begin before the end of 2026.
A key detail of the partnership structure has positioned the project for long-term sustainability: the Destiny SSZ Project, led by Olivier Janssens, has covered all construction costs and will fully fund operations including staffing for the facility’s first two years. To ensure ongoing high-quality care, the NIA has tapped Renal Dynamics, a firm with more than 30 years of regional expertise in dialysis equipment procurement, installation, and maintenance. The company will provide end-to-end support, from technical training for local staff to ongoing equipment upkeep, to guarantee consistent, reliable care for Nevisian patients.
Prior to this development, all Nevisian patients requiring regular dialysis were forced to travel to the Joseph N. France General Hospital in neighboring St. Kitts to receive treatment. Currently, nine Nevisians need ongoing dialysis, with eight of those patients relying on NIA financial support to cover the cost of off-island care. Beyond the financial burden, the requirement for frequent cross-island travel placed immense logistical and emotional strain on patients and their families.
The new centre addresses a growing public health crisis on the island, Brantley emphasized. Public health data from Nevis’s Ministry of Health already records 470 registered diabetes patients and 606 registered hypertension patients through public clinics alone – numbers that officials note do not include residents receiving private care, meaning the actual prevalence of these conditions is far higher. Both diabetes and hypertension are leading causes of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure, creating an urgent need for local dialysis capacity that has gone unmet until now.
The facility will not only serve Nevis residents: officials noted it will also be able to accommodate additional patients from St. Kitts during periods of high demand, strengthening cross-island healthcare collaboration. Brantley expressed gratitude to the federal government of St. Kitts and Nevis for its support of Nevisian dialysis patients over the years, and reaffirmed the NIA’s commitment to expanding local healthcare infrastructure to deliver essential care closer to home.
“This development is more than just a new building – it is a milestone that will improve daily lives, ease the burden on families, and build a stronger, healthier foundation for Nevis’s future,” Brantley said. He also urged residents to prioritize preventive care, noting that proactive management of diabetes and hypertension can reduce the risk of advanced kidney disease.
A multidisciplinary care team including specialist dialysis nurses, a biomedical technician, and additional support staff will staff the new centre, with access to specialized nephrology consultations supported through regional medical partnerships.