To tackle rising mosquito populations and the associated health risks, officials from the Public Health Unit and the Environmental Health Division have joined forces with local communities to curb mosquito breeding in key areas of the British Virgin Islands.

Chief Environmental Health Officer, Lionel Michael, emphasised the importance of community action in reducing mosquito breeding grounds. “We’re focusing on the community level, particularly in areas with high mosquito indices, to identify and eliminate breeding sites,” Michael said. “Our goal is to work hand-in-hand with residents to mitigate vector-related issues.”

Health officials are targeting communities such as Sea Cow’s Bay, East End, Lower Estate, Huntum’s Ghut, Purcell and Baugher’s Bay, where mosquito breeding has become a pressing issue. The collaboration aims to provide residents with the knowledge and tools needed to manage the ongoing vector problem in their neighborhoods.

National Epidemiologist Harmonie Brewley-Massiah stressed the importance of managing mosquito populations to reduce the risk of vector-borne diseases. “We’re particularly concerned about the spike in Dengue Fever cases as the numbers continue to rise,” she said.

The first community meeting will take place in East End on Saturday, September 28, and Sunday, September 29, at the Francis Lettsome Primary School from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Topics will include mosquito-borne disease prevention, control measures, and the importance of community engagement in managing mosquito populations.

“We encourage the community to partner with us in this effort,” Brewley-Massiah added. “It’s only through full participation that we can reduce the risk of disease and lower mosquito indices.”

The Ministry of Health and Social Development reaffirmed its commitment to managing environmental factors that could negatively impact public health, aiming to ensure that all residents of the BVI can maintain optimal health and well-being.

A committee dedicated to improving healthcare on Virgin Gorda is sounding the alarm over the government’s failure to act on critical funding requests made by the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA). The Committee for Urgent Enhancement of Healthcare to the Virgin Gorda Community has expressed growing concern about the lack of attention and resources allocated to their community’s health services.

According to the committee, despite repeated appeals through the formal Standing Finance process and independent meetings, key requests made by the BVIHSA to the Minister of Health and Social Development, as well as the Government of the Virgin Islands, have gone unheeded.

The funding requests, submitted during the 2023/2024 budget discussions, were intended to address severe operational deficits and capital needs affecting healthcare facilities throughout the territory, including those on Virgin Gorda. Specifically, the BVIHSA requested:

1. An annual subsidy of $2 million to cover operating deficits at community clinics, including the one on Virgin Gorda. Without this funding, the BVIHSA warned, health services in the outer islands could be severely compromised.
2. Capital expenditure assistance of $384,400 to repair the leaking roof of the Nurse Iris O’Neal Clinic, Virgin Gorda’s primary health facility. The leaks, which have caused water to pool on the second floor and disrupt operations below, pose serious risks to both patient care and staff safety. The situation has also halted planned renovations to the second floor.

Despite the urgent nature of these requests, there has been little movement from the Ministry of Health or the Virgin Islands Cabinet to resolve these issues, the committee claims. They argue that the Ministry and the BVIHSA failed to properly communicate the gravity of the situation to the Ministry of Finance, leaving the clinics without the necessary funds.

“We are extremely concerned that our healthcare needs are being ignored,” said a spokesperson for the committee. “The lack of action is having a direct and harmful impact on the quality of care available in Virgin Gorda. We need immediate explanations as to why these essential funds were not prioritized.”

The committee is also anxious about the upcoming 2024/2025 budget submission, fearing that without urgent attention, healthcare for Virgin Gorda and other outlying communities may continue to fall by the wayside. They are now calling for transparency in the budget process, including a breakdown of healthcare funding by island and clinic.

“We cannot afford for our health clinics to be an afterthought,” the committee said. “The community of Virgin Gorda remains committed to advocating for better healthcare, and we expect the government to address these needs without further delay.”

The committee also noted that they have yet to receive any follow-up from a community meeting held on Virgin Gorda on September 6, 2024, where these issues were discussed. They are demanding another meeting by October 2, 2024, to receive updates on the situation and the government’s plan of action.

For now, the residents of Virgin Gorda are left waiting, while their healthcare services hang in the balance.

For further inquiries, the Committee for Urgent Enhancement of Healthcare to the Virgin Gorda Community can be contacted at: vgpetitionforhealthcare@gmail.com.

A significant shift occurred within the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) Board when Health and Social Development Minister Vincent O. Wheatley requested the resignation of Chairman Ron Potter.

The reasons for this request remain unclear, and it has not yet been confirmed whether Potter has complied. Potter, who was appointed Chairman in 2023, succeeded Moleto A. Smith, a U.S. Virgin Islands resident who was also reportedly compelled to step down.

The Cabinet’s decision to remove Smith and appoint Potter was formalised in a document from the Cabinet’s meeting on March 8, 2023. At that meeting, the Cabinet decided to appoint Potter, a former Chairman of the BVI Electricity Corporation, to lead the BVIHSA Board for a three-year term, pending approval by the House of Assembly.

Smith’s removal, which took place before the end of his contract set to expire in July 2024, was not fully explained. The Cabinet cited Schedule 1, Section 3(1) of the BVI Health Services Authority Act 2004 as the basis for Smith’s removal. This provision allows the Minister of Health to remove a board member if they have been absent from three consecutive meetings without consent, become disqualified, unable to fulfil their duties, or breached their appointment conditions.

Further details about the potential changes at the BVIHSA remain undisclosed, and no official statement has been issued regarding the matter.