标签： Saint Kitts and Nevis

BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts – July 21, 2026 – One of Saint Kitts’ longest-serving care institutions for senior and indigent residents has entered a new era of upgrade, as Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew marked the official launch of a comprehensive rehabilitation project at Cardin Home during an on-site visit Tuesday.

Founded more than 99 years ago, Cardin Home is preparing to mark its 100th anniversary in May 2027. The multi-phase overhaul, led by the Public Works Department with labor contributed by His Majesty’s Prison, forms the core of the government’s broader initiative to bring the historic facility up to global care standards.

Accompanied by senior health ministry and Cardin Home leadership, Prime Minister Drew – who also serves as Minister of Health – reaffirmed the administration’s pledge to invest in both physical infrastructure and care quality to build a modern, safe, and dignified living environment for the nation’s vulnerable residents.

“For generations, this institution has served our people with extraordinary dedication. It is long past time that we deliver the upgrades it deserves,” Drew shared during his tour. “We are making substantial investments to guarantee living conditions that meet the needs of every resident who calls Cardin Home home.”

The prime minister also extended public recognition to His Majesty’s Prison for its collaborative partnership on the project, confirming that the government will entrust long-term maintenance of the facility to the skilled workforce of the prison service moving forward. This decision, he explained, is designed to prevent future lapses in upkeep that could compromise living conditions for residents.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude to His Majesty’s Prison and all the workers who will carry out the bulk of this transformation,” Drew said. “As we have committed previously, ongoing upgrades and regular maintenance will remain under the care of the prison service, so we never again see the kind of serious neglect that would put optimal living conditions at risk for the people who live here.”

Dr. Jenson Morton, Director of Health Projects and Strategic Initiatives, detailed the project’s timeline, noting that construction kicked off with roof rehabilitation on the lower female residential wing – the first of four on-site residential buildings set for full comprehensive upgrades. Two of the four wings house female residents, while the remaining two accommodate male residents, and all will undergo extensive renovations over the coming months.

“Our central objective is to deliver a fully upgraded, safe, and comfortable living space for all our seniors and indigent residents by the centennial anniversary in 2027,” Morton explained. “This initiative goes beyond physical infrastructure; we are also working to strengthen the quality of care and support services available to every person at the facility.”

The full scope of the project spans far more than structural repairs. It includes complete re-roofing for all residential units, overhauls of outdated plumbing and electrical systems, and upgrades to carpentry, flooring, walls, and windows. Common areas will also receive a full modernization, covering the facility’s kitchen, laundry services, dining hall, recreation spaces, physical therapy suite, and on-site sick bay. Additional upgrades include full perimeter re-fencing, upgraded security systems, and new furniture and fixtures across the entire property.

This press release was issued by the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service (SKNIS) and distributed via SKNVibes.com, which published the content as received without editorial alterations.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – A nation gripped by grief entered a new phase of recovery operations this week, after search teams confirmed the location of the capsized passenger ferry MV Barima nearly three days after the vessel sank in the Essequibo River. The tragedy, which unfolded on the evening of July 18, has left at least 27 people dead and more than 80 unaccounted for, with major questions emerging about regulatory oversights that allowed an unsafe, aging vessel to carry passengers far beyond its official capacity.

The MV Barima was traveling from Georgetown to Guyana’s Region One when it capsized amid overloading and unreported passenger numbers. Initial official records listed 113 registered people on board, but ongoing investigations have revealed stark discrepancies between the official manifest and the actual number of people traveling. Authorities now estimate that as many as 180 passengers may have been on the vessel when it overturned – a figure nearly 60% higher than the recorded passenger count. So far, 67 people have been rescued alive from the river, but only 35 of those survivors appear on the official passenger list, deepening confusion over the true scope of the disaster.

Search teams were able to pinpoint the sunken ferry on Monday, thanks to a collaborative effort involving local commercial fishermen, ExxonMobil Guyana, and multiple national response agencies. Local fisherman Haresh Singh, who joined rescue efforts immediately after the capsizing, played a key role in narrowing the search area, while ExxonMobil’s specialized sea and land survey technology helped confirm the wreck’s position on the riverbed close to the site where the vessel’s initial distress signal was sent.

Prime Minister (Ret’d Brigadier) Mark Phillips confirmed the successful location in a statement Monday, crediting the coordinated work of all responding stakeholders for the breakthrough. “Through the aggressive and coordinated efforts of all the responding agencies and stakeholders, the location of the MV Barima was positively confirmed,” Phillips said.

With the wreck located, the operation has officially shifted from an active rescue mission to a full recovery effort, as maritime officials work to extract remaining victims from the sunken vessel and investigators unpack the chain of errors that led to the disaster. Early reporting from local media has already revealed a critical red flag: the 87-year-old ferry had previously been formally condemned by regulators and was not authorized to carry passengers when it sank.

In a key administrative move ahead of the formal inquiry, Guyana’s Ministry of Public Works announced Tuesday that the entire management team responsible for the vessel’s loading, dispatch, and overall oversight has been suspended from their duties. Ministry officials explained the suspension is designed to protect the integrity of the investigation by eliminating any risk of evidence tampering. Investigators have already secured critical surveillance footage from the Kingston Goods Wharf, the ferry’s departure point, which is expected to help investigators reconstruct the final hours before the capsizing.

Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill met with senior leadership of the Transport and Harbours Department this week to formalize the suspensions and map out the next steps for the inquiry. Beyond Guyana’s borders, regional leaders have extended messages of condolence and solidarity to the grieving nation. Among them are St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew and Nevis Premier Mark Brantley, who shared a public message of support via social media.

“We pray for God’s grace and mercy that all will be found alive and returned safely to their families,” Brantley wrote. “Guyana, we stand with you at this difficult time.”

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – In a significant show of corporate community commitment, a locally based private cleaning enterprise CleanRite has delivered a substantial donation of modern sanitation and hygiene infrastructure to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Ministry of Health, for use at the islands’ flagship Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital. The handover of the equipment took place on Thursday, July 16, 2026, and was formally announced to the public earlier this week.

The full suite of donated materials is designed to equip every public sanitation area across the entire JNF General Hospital campus, bringing the facility’s hygiene access points in line with modern infection control standards. The donation breaks down to 46 tamper-resistant toilet paper dispensers, 100 dual-function hand soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, 15 standard paper towel dispensers, 10 C-fold paper towel dispensers, and 1,000 batteries to power locking and monitoring features on the new units.

Unlike standard generic dispensers, the models provided by CleanRite come with integrated built-in security mechanisms that cut down on two persistent problems for large public healthcare facilities: theft of consumables and unnecessary product wastage. Beyond their functional benefits, the sleek, modern design of the new dispensers will also upgrade the overall appearance of public restrooms and hygiene stations throughout the hospital, creating a more welcoming environment for all facility users.

Health sector officials note that the contribution will directly support ongoing efforts to upgrade JNF General Hospital’s infection control protocols, a core component of delivering safe, high-quality care to patients across St. Kitts and Nevis. By raising the facility’s baseline sanitation standards, the upgrade will deliver tangible benefits to three key groups: patients receiving treatment at the hospital, visiting family members and guests, and the full body of clinical and administrative staff that work at the institution daily.

In an official press release announcing the donation, CleanRite representatives emphasized that the gift aligns with the company’s long-standing core mission: to cultivate cleaner, safer, and healthier public and private spaces across the St. Kitts community. Company leaders added that the donation is part of the firm’s ongoing commitment to standing behind local healthcare workers, who play a critical role in protecting public health across the federation, and improving sanitary conditions for every person that accesses care and services at JNF General Hospital.

The Ministry of Health of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has publicly extended its sincere gratitude to CleanRite for the generous, community-focused contribution. Ministry officials added that they welcome the ongoing partnership between the public health sector and local private enterprises, and look forward to collaborating on future initiatives that strengthen healthcare access and quality for all residents of St. Kitts and Nevis.

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – July 20, 2026 – The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) is continuing its targeted support for vulnerable working families across the island, with nearly $300,000 in cumulative childcare investments rolled out through its flagship Assisted Childcare for Toddlers and Infants on Nevis (ACTION) Plan Daycare Assistance Programme. The initiative, designed to ease financial burdens for caregivers and expand early childhood access, has already supported 67 children and 40 local households, marking a key milestone for the CCM-led administration’s social development agenda.

Honourable Senator Jahnel Nisbett, Minister of Gender Affairs and Social Development, shared an official update on the programme’s progress during a recent sitting of the Nevis Island Assembly. To date, the initiative has disbursed a total of $280,000 in direct daycare support for qualifying Nevisian families. Nisbett added that 15 children currently enrolled in the programme will age out and transition to formal preschool later this year, and reminded community members that enrolment remains open 12 months a year for eligible families with children in registered daycare facilities.

Nevis Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Mark Brantly, whose administration spearheaded the programme, noted that the initiative grew directly from community engagement. Speaking on the origins of the programme, Brantley explained that it launched after a single mother in the Hamilton community shared her struggles covering daycare costs with administration officials during a neighborhood walkthrough.

“This project came from being in the community, listening to people, and then implementing solutions to try and help people,” Brantley said. “It’s a project that we’re very, very proud of.”

To date in 2026 alone, the NIA has invested roughly $56,000 into the programme. A key structural feature of the initiative sets it apart from many other assistance schemes: funds are disbursed directly to licensed daycare centres rather than to families, creating a dual benefit that stabilizes local childcare providers while eliminating out-of-pocket costs for qualifying caregivers.

Under the programme’s eligibility guidelines, single-parent households earning $2,000 or less per month and dual-income households earning $3,000 or less per month qualify for support. Eligible households can receive up to $300 per month for up to two children, covering kids from birth through age three. Currently, close to 40 households across Nevis are actively receiving assistance through the scheme.

Brantley emphasized that investing in early childhood daycare is an investment in Nevis’ long-term social fabric, framing the programme’s core mission as “Supporting Working Families and Strengthening Futures.”

“We recognize that a lot of our children get their primary foundation in daycare, so we need to be strong at the roots if we want them to grow up and be strong trees and become pillars in the society,” he said. “That programme is certainly still going… a programme that I believe has been assisting people in a meaningful way.”

The Premier encouraged all qualifying parents to take advantage of the open enrolment policy to give their children a strong early start. Caregivers interested in applying can contact the Department of Gender Affairs at 469-5521, extension 6750, or visit the department’s office at the GMBC Building on Government Road for in-person assistance.