Opening of Peebles Hospital Expansion Project

Remarks by Chief Minister D. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE

Peebles Hospital

Wednesday, 15 June, 2005

10:00 a.m.

Thank you Madam Chairperson, Ms. Aasha Flax, future BVI doctor

His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Thomas Macan

Platform guests and speakers on today’s programme

Students and our future

Ladies and gentlemen

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a true pleasure to join together as a community to celebrate this important milestone in our Territory’s development. Standing before this magnificent new building which will mean so much for the people of the BVI, we are all reminded of the possibility that derives from shared commitment.

When we stand together and work in common cause, the limits on our accomplishments are set only at the outer stretches of our imagination. When this Government was elected we resolved to never be modest in our ambitions for this Territory. We came to the task of leadership with a deep faith in the ability of the people of the BVI to achieve great things.

That is why we have aimed for excellence without compromise across all areas.

We have looked at our educational system and said: yes, here in the BVI our children can and will have access to a world-class education; they will have educational options, including vocational schooling for those whose aptitudes lie outside of academics; and they will have opportunities to continue their education both here in the BVI at the HSLCC, as well as abroad.

We have looked at our infrastructure and said: yes, here in the BVI the people will have a transportation and communications services that meet the standards of the developed world – they will have a network of roads, bridges, sea ports and airports that will allow safe, fast and convenient travel, and a telecommunications system that connect them to the world affordably and reliably.

And, we have looked at our healthcare system and said with absolute determination: yes, here in the BVI our families will all have access to the highest quality care possible.

And it is with tremendous pride that we stand here today and recognize that the people of the BVI are rising to the challenge of the moment.

This expansion comes at a critical time. Healthcare technology and knowledge are making enormous strides. Today, doctors and nurses have the ability to protect and extend people’s lives in ways that were unimaginable even 10 years ago. And the benefit of these life saving treatments goes beyond the inherent value of keeping our loved ones well. It is also critical to our economic health, as well.

A healthier population is a more productive population. Quite simply, giving our healthcare professionals the tools they need to care for our people is a smart and strategic investment in a stronger economy. But in order to realize these benefits, we cannot afford to limit our vision.

We need to realize that this expansion is not an end in itself – but rather it is another step in a process that is well begun, but whose end is still a long ways off. In order to keep moving down that road on our long journey to a healthier future, we must first stop and look to the future to consider what is possible to achieve here.

Can we have a world-class centre for treating cancer and other terminal diseases?

Can we provide quality of life treatments, including plastic surgery, advanced dermatological services, eye care and other value-added services that could not only provide important care for our people here at home, but could also attract individuals from around the world to consider coming here for the express purpose of “medical tourism?”

Can we use readily available and affordable information technologies to make our healthcare system the most efficient in the world, with every resident’s medical history quickly and easily accessible for all healthcare providers in the Territory, so that time and money are never wasted on duplicate procedures?

Can we put in place a Territory-wide educational programme for people of all ages to learn good health habits including diet, exercise and avoidance of high-risk behaviour in order to cut down on incidence of preventable death, disease or injury?

I, for one, look at all these possibilities and say: yes we can. Here in the BVI we can do these things and more. They will not all happen quickly or easily – but if we have the will to greatness then there is no reason why we cannot create a healthcare system equal to our best hopes. And I can think of no cause more noble or more worthy or more valuable for the long-term strength and success of our Territory.

Ladies and gentlemen, in my soul I am today, and will always be, a doctor.

Caring for people was the Lord’s purpose for me on this Earth, and of all the many blessings that have been bestowed upon me in my lifetime, none equal the joy I have taken over the years from serving the people of the BVI.

This place – Peebles Hospital – it is so much a part of my life that it is as if it were my own home; and the people here are as dear to me as if they were my own family.

It is a very special institution. And it is one that we should all be proud of.

Today, this hospital is taking another great step forward toward answering its enduring mandate to care for the sick and wounded of this Territory. It is a mission that is close to the heart of so many of our finest men and women – and it is a goal that sits at its appropriate place atop our territory’s agenda.

My Government stands behind the Health Services Authority Board and has no doubt that they will help my government take healthcare to the highest standards in the region.

 We anticipate with great excitement the first days the doors are officially opened and the first patients are admitted for care.

We look beyond and see the new hospital being built, the new services being introduced, the new doctors and nurses being trained and we see a vision of a healthier future for our Territory. That is a sweet vision. It is one which I know I share with everyone gathered today.

And if we maintain our will and our conviction, if we work hard and are prepared to sacrifice, and if we join together in a spirit of community and common purpose – then I have no doubt that we will see this vision realized.

Thank you. God bless you. May he bless this Peebles Hospital Expansion and may he continue to bless the British Virgin Islands.