 Good day and welcome to Issues and Answers, a production of the Government Information Service. I am your host for today, Jacques Hingston Compton. And with me today is Miss Jacqueline Matthew Favery, a health planner in the Corporate Planning Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs. And she's here to talk to us about a relatively new initiative called the OECS Regional Health Project. Welcome, this is Matthew Favery to the program. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Compton. So before we get started on the meat of what we're here to talk about, can you tell us a little bit about your role as a health planner? What exactly is that? Okay, within the Corporate Planning Unit of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, particularly with this project, my role is that of the focal point, the liaison between the Project Implementation Unit of the Willbank and the Ministry of Health. Of course, yes, because the project is actually a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Health and the Willbank. Yes, it is. So let us know what exactly is the OECS Regional Health Project and what is its purpose. Okay, so the OECS Regional Health Project is a subcomponent of a broader health system strengthening project of the Willbank. It's a broader Willbank project and it comprises three components. One is to improve the lab capacity and also in the area of improving the facilities. The other component is on public health emergencies. It has another to improve capacity and build capacity, sorry, within the Ministry of Health. There is also another component under the project which we call the SOCC, and it is a component that in the event of any health emergency, whether it be health or natural disaster, we can trigger that SOCC and we can get funds disboost to assist St. Lucia in the response to that emergency. Okay, we'll get to a little bit more about what you've just discussed there, but can you also tell us a little bit about a brief history of the project, why you saw fit for it to be launched. I know it's called the OECS Regional Health Project, but it doesn't actually fall under the OECS Commission, does it? Why is it called that and what islands were chosen? Okay, so the OECS Commission is separate and apart from the OECS Regional Health Project. The OECS Regional Health Project comprises, it is implemented, sorry, across the OECS countries, Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent and St. Lucia. We share similar project activities and most of it is to improve our health and public health response in the countries. So what is, can you tell us anything about maybe a few differences between our components of the project as well as there's, or how are we, what are we focusing on in St. Lucia? Because I know each island is handling it their own way or approaching it a different way. Okay, so I'll just go through the components and it will give us an idea of what is happening. So in the first component where we would see the improvement in our laboratory capacity and we will also see an improvement in our health infrastructure. So we will have facilities remodeled and retrofitted in some instances and also the capacity of the labs to respond to natural and health emergencies. For example, you would, we would have experienced, we did experience COVID in 2000 from 2000. 2020. Yes, sorry, 2020. And going back, we experienced chicken gun here and Zika. So with the improvements in the lab and the lab capacity, it would assist us in addressing and dealing with these diseases more efficiently. Yeah, for the improvements to the infrastructure. We started an initiative with PAHO a few years ago to smart some of our wellness centers. Not all of the wellness centers were completed under that project, so we will continue under the World Bank Regional Health Project. And we will see the smarting of some floating health facilities. When we say smart, the facilities are more resilient to hurricanes and natural disasters. They are efficient in terms of what the energy that is consumed within the facilities. And it also gives room for improvement in the general service provision and delivery. In the other component, component two, which more or less addresses surveillance and emergency management. We have here, so we have here, sorry, we will see here in this component, improvement in areas, for example, food safety and food safety handling. That is a unit in the Department of Environmental Health. Also that of the vector control unit. So it will provide some assistance and improve the general service provision that is done by that unit in terms of their response to health emergencies. Another part of that component would be that of the emergency management. We know when we have natural disasters in St. Lucia, we are easily cut off from the north and the south of the island. So what we, this project is allowing us to do is to establish two health emergency operation centers, one in the north and one in the south, which can coordinate activities on the health level in the event of any natural disaster. Okay, we're actually due for our first break. So I'm going to come back to a lot of what you said. Like I want to hear a little bit more about the food security and what exactly goes into smarting of the, into the health facilities. So just stay with us. We'll be back in a moment. You're watching issues and answers. We'll be back right after this. We are working parents. And we breastfed both babies exclusively. Mother's breast milk is naturally the best milk for baby. Love yourself and love your baby. Breastfeeding saves me money and it's free. Every moment I breastfeed strengthens the bond between me and my baby. I breastfed twin boys and lost all my baby fats. We all breastfed. And we have breast milk power. I am Pastor Alvin and I support breastfeeding. For more information called the Nutrition Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness at 468-5359. Welcome back to Issues and Answers. I'm your host, Jacques Kingston Compton. I'm here with Health Planner in the Corporate Planning Unit, Mrs Jacqueline Matthew Favre, and we're talking about the OECS Regional Health Project. Now before we went on break, you were speaking about the different components of the project. And I specifically want to know a little bit more about component two, which is the strengthening of public health surveillance. Okay. So the project will support some areas of public health surveillance, particularly in the areas in the Division of Environmental Health. So we will support the Vector Control Unit, food safety equipment, and also to provide some assistance in sourcing equipment for them to better provide the care and services in the tasks they are assigned. For example, we will be sourcing some vehicles to assist them in addressing their Vector Control issues. And we know it is one that we have been battling with sometime. So this is one of the areas they will be getting support in. Also with the food safety equipment, it will assist us in testing food samples and what have you. Can you go in to dive a little bit into what some of the issues are with Vector Control? You mentioned the vehicles. Can you discuss a little bit about that? Okay. With Vector Control, in the past, as I mentioned earlier, we had faced an outbreak of chicken gun near and Zika. With the vehicles, it will give the units a better, it will allow them to respond better to these outbreaks. So they can go down to the areas, the hotspots, if I may, and better tackle these issues. So it would give them an opportunity to have a more hands-on approach where they'd actually be there and to engage and to deal with the matters. Okay. Now, you also mentioned smarting before we came to the break. What exactly is involved in smarting? I know you did mention that you would make the facilities more energy efficient. What exactly would go into doing things like that under the project? Okay. So when the facilities retrofitted to make it smart, you would see, so the aim is to change the usage. So in terms of electricity, we hope the bill to be reduced with water also. So for example, with the water, the faucets that's being used, it would be converted or changed into one that would conserve the water more. So you would have a reduced amount of water coming out of the tap to encourage you to use less to do whatever you have to do. And these would be placed throughout the facility. For example, even with the toilets. So you would have in there toilets that consume less water to enable it to flush. With the bulbs and the electricity, we would move to more energy efficient bulbs and lighting. So at the end, our energy consumption bills for electricity and water would be significantly reduced. Oh, that's excellent. Do you have sort of a general timeline as to when it might happen? At least when we... The project is a couple years old at this point. But do you have an idea of when we might see some of these improvements? Okay. You would have seen some of these improvements have happened. They've already started taking place with the, as I indicated earlier, PAHO did some retrofitting prior to this project. But coming out of this one, we hope to see some of these projects get underway at least by the end of the year. Okay. And with regards to right now COVID is a hot topic. And we have mentioned some of the disease outbreaks we've had before, like chikagonia. Is there anything that we have learned from COVID that the project will address? Anything other than the need for being able to smart or improve the vehicles, as you mentioned earlier? Yes, we have. Actually, we saw the need to improve our specimen transportation. And this project will address this issue and it will help us. They will provide us with transportation. So when the specimen is taken from the client, it will be transported to the main lab, the National Reference Laboratory in ample time. In good time to have it tested and results produced. Okay. Are there any other sort of improvements we can look forward to? In this project around this area? Yes. That one was the biggest issue, the bigger ticket item. Of course, we will see improvements in the laboratory systems as well because we will improve the lab and the lab's ability to test. So you will see improvements in tests, more tests being available that is generally required at that level. And let's say on the users of primary healthcare level. I'm a patient, I'm walking into any of these health, it newly improved health facilities. How does it affect me as a patient coming in? Okay. So it can and it will affect you. For example, before probably you would need to, when you approach the facility, you would need to get a test done and you would be referred to a private lab. With the improvement in the laboratory infrastructure, some of these tests will be made available within the primary healthcare setting. So you would not necessarily have to be referred to get that test done and it could be done right there at the facility. Not all, but some. Okay. Whatever that has been highlighted or deemed to be a further level required at that level of care. So it even reduces the time that I would spend in a health facility or? Not necessarily. Not necessarily, not necessarily. Okay. We're actually due for our final break. So when we come back, we'll discuss a lot more about the project and what to expect in the future. You're watching Issues and Answers, a production of the Government Information Service. Please stay tuned. We'll be back in a moment. What's in the food you're eating? Do you really? All the chemicals and horrors used to accelerate their growth. All the artificial flavoring, sweeteners and colors too. We consume and we don't spare a thought for the damage that they'll do. Think about the children. Think about the children. We save it. Cells and GMOs are not the solution. Use organic and join. Excessive agrochemical use, additives and genetically modified foods are harmful to health and the environment. Join the Good Food Revolution. Grow, buy and consume organic. A message from Rye St. Lucia and the Ministry of Sustainable Development with funding from the GEF Small Grants Program, UNDP. Good Food Revolution. Welcome back to Issues and Answers, a production of the Government Information Service. I am your host for today, Jack Kingston Compton, and we are with the Health Planner at the Corporate Planning Unit, Mrs. Jacqueline Matthew-Favery, and we're talking about a project that she is the focal point for, which is called the OECS Regional Health Project. So, I want to speak about something that is obviously going to be important to a lot of people, and I know that under this project, those things will improve. So, can you tell us a little bit about how the project will improve accessibility to healthcare for people with disabilities? Okay. Under the project, the component that addresses the retrofitting of the facilities will now encompass all of these areas, just in case it was not there. And in most of our health facilities, we do have access. There is access for people with disabilities. So, if the facilities down for retrofitting, these access areas would be improved. So, probably it would have been expanded to accommodate a larger wheelchair or somebody with the walking assistance to access the facility. So, we will improve it, and we will always consider the access and care for persons with disabilities because it's a health facility as well. We have to make it that any and everybody can access it. Now, with all the issues being addressed under the project, how did you go about determining what needed to be fixed? Did you meet with various stakeholders? You met with the patients. You spoke with doctors. How did the solutions to all of these problems come about? Okay. In order to retrofit them? Anything under the project, but retrofitting as well. Okay. So, before the retrofitting activity happens, there was an assessment that was conducted at all of our wellness centers to determine how we move forward to improve the care and the care services that we provide to the general public. So, that assessment will now inform the retrofitting works that will be done at the facilities. So, it depends on the level of care, and when I say the level, it depends on the service provision and the type of services that we are able to provide at that facility that we will see improvements. Okay. Now, we're also coming very close to the end of the program. Is there anything else that you would like to add before we shuffle off? Okay. Basically, the OECS Regional Health Project, it is a new initiative, one that we have not quite engaged. We have not been engaged with in delivering from the ministry's end. And we're very excited about it for the very reason that it will improve the service delivery and care for the general population. And we look forward to the completion of it in due time and to meet all of its targets and of course meeting the needs of our population. Okay, that's brilliant. So, I assume this is one of your first and hopefully not your last media appearance where you will have to discuss with the public what exactly the project is. Yes. As a matter of fact, I hope you invite me sometime later and I can tell you of the improvements and the strides we've made and how far we've gotten with the project. Of course. I will definitely be calling you back so you can speak about any developments as it is a matter of national importance because it is improving the health care of the entire country. Yes. So, Mrs. Matthew Fabri, I want to thank you very much for coming on our program. We did enjoy having you here. Yes. You're watching Issues and Answers, a production of the Government Information Service. Please stay tuned to more content from the Government Information Service and thank you for watching.