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A PUBLIC STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE EUGENE ALASTAIR HAMILTON J.P,
-For Immediate Release

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In 1989, I, Hon. Eugene Hamilton, Parliamentary Representative for Constituency #8, then Eugene Hamilton, Marketing Manager at National Caribbean Insurance Co. Ltd., introduced the concept of Comprehensive Medical Insurance covering all Public Servants on the payroll of Government including all Parliamentarians both comprising of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and members of Government and the Opposition.

It took three years until 1992, for Government to establish a plan that was paid for by the State by which time I, Eugene Hamilton, had been promoted in 1990 to Assistant General Manager and General Manager of National Caribbean Insurance Company Limited in 1991.

Under this plan, no public servant was required to make any contributions or payments to join or maintain membership in the Scheme because it was fully funded by the Government, but all public servants benefited by having their medical bills paid. Such benefits included expenses for Doctors visits, Prescription Drugs, Hospitalisation, Surgery, Diagnostic Tests, X-ray, Laboratory Tests, Overseas treatment, Major Medical and Overseas Travel and Accommodation, among other things.

The drain sweeper and the Prime Minister were treated to the same benefits under the Medical Scheme established by the genius of Eugene Hamilton.

Within the first year of policy coverage from August 1st 1992, to July 31st 1993, 682 claims were paid to public servants, including one claim for overseas treatment of $19,370.00 according to a press release issued by National Caribbean Insurance in 1993. That individual was a strong supporter of the then Opposition St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party.

In 1993, then Opposition politicians Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas degraded the Scheme and criticized then General Manager of National Caribbean Insurance, Eugene Hamilton, for having put the Scheme together and having successfully sold the plan to Government.

I, however, suffered the brunt of their defamation in what can be described as a calculated series of vicious attacks from August 1993 to November 1993, resulting in public ridicule, loss of employment and denial of fundamental rights for over a decade.

Seeking remedy from the High Court, I, Eugene Hamilton, instituted civil action against Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas in 1993 and I intend to finally have my day in Court, and be vindicated by large awards of damages against Denzil Douglas and Cedric Liburd.

Diversionary tactics by the Defendants Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas were employed. The hearing of civil suits #241 and #246 of 1993, Eugene Hamilton vs. Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas, which have been consolidated, was delayed because the Defendants exercised their rights to call for a jury trial. This has never been done in St. Kitts and Nevis and the machinery for it to happen could not be implemented. Until now.

Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas can run. But they can’t hide. They have been avoiding the trial of my civil actions in the Court.

Today, some thirty years after the free comprehensive Government Medical Scheme has been established under the hand of Eugene Hamilton, and years after both Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas served as Ministers of Government, the Scheme still provides benefits to thousands of public servants and both Cedric Liburd and Denzil Douglas have had extensive overseas medical treatment that was covered by the Scheme set up by Eugene Hamilton.

It is my intention to ask the same jury Denzil Douglas and Cedric Liburd asked for to award me aggravated damages and I am confident that all those thousands of civil servants who have benefited from the medical coverage, and those who are still benefiting, will agree that I deserve it.

Dated the day of July, 2022.

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Hon. Eugene Alastair Hamilton, J.P.