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By SKN TIMES Investigative Desk | Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis

Another tragedy has struck the Federation’s failing healthcare system — one that exposes the deepening rot beneath the surface of government PR and political spin.

A 38-year-old Nevisian mother of three has died after spending over a week in a hospital bed waiting for surgery that, according to her family, could have saved her life. The young woman, who was admitted to the Alexandra Hospital following a traffic accident near Government Road, succumbed to complications that reportedly worsened as her surgery was repeatedly postponed.

The heartbreaking story was shared with Everton “Obi” Powell, widely regarded as one of the Federation’s boldest voices in digital journalism. A grieving family member reached out to him in anguish, revealing details of what they called a “negligent death.”

“Obi good day, I had an unfortunate death in my family today. My dear young cousin, just 38 with 3 young school children, died earlier this morning at our Nevis hospital due to internal complications that resulted from an accident last week Tuesday at the top of Government Road close to the hospital.
My cousin lay in the hospital bed for over a week waiting for surgery which she never got — which probably would’ve saved her life. All they say she had was a broken leg but they kept putting off the surgery with the excuse the theater booked. Negligent death,” the message read.

The family’s statement has since sent shockwaves across both islands — igniting anger, despair, and renewed outrage over a healthcare system on the brink of collapse.

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A Week of Waiting, A Life Lost

Sources indicate that the young woman’s condition was initially considered manageable. However, repeated postponements of surgery — reportedly due to “theater scheduling” and equipment availability — led to complications that became fatal.
By the time medical staff attempted intervention, her body had reportedly gone into distress.

For many, this death feels tragically familiar — yet another in a long list of preventable fatalities emerging from what citizens are calling a healthcare catastrophe in slow motion.

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PS MARTIN’S PR SPIN WHILE PATIENTS DIE

Instead of urgently addressing the systemic failures crippling the Federation’s health services, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health, PS Curtis Martin, has been accused of engaging in image-building, public relations, and damage control to gloss over the worsening crisis.

Rather than tackling the lack of trained staff, failing equipment, and chronic medication shortages, PS Martin has embarked on what critics describe as a “PR parade” — making rounds on radio, television, and social media to craft an illusion of progress and reform.

But behind the cameras, patients are dying in droves — not from rare diseases, but from routine, treatable conditions:

• Appendix ruptures that go untreated due to delayed surgeries
• Suspension of dialysis services forcing patients to seek treatment abroad or die waiting
• Inadequate staffing that leaves wards unattended for hours
• Improper equipment maintenance causing operating theaters to be “booked” or non-functional
• Medication shortages driven by financial mismanagement
• Incompetent direction and weak leadership at both administrative and operational levels

Healthcare workers on the frontlines are demoralized, overworked, and unsupported. One nurse, speaking anonymously, said bluntly:

“We are watching people die from problems that can be fixed — if only the Ministry cared more about patients than press releases.”

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A System in Freefall

The tragic death of this young mother symbolizes a wider collapse of confidence in the government’s ability to protect its citizens’ most basic right — access to timely and effective healthcare.

Despite repeated public assurances from health officials, stories of avoidable deaths, delayed surgeries, and equipment failures continue to surface weekly. Insiders within both the JNF Hospital in Basseterre and the Alexandra Hospital in Nevis describe an environment of confusion, shortages, and frustration.

A senior doctor confided to SKN Times:

“The problem is not the doctors or nurses — it’s the leadership. When the people in charge care more about optics than operations, lives will always be lost.”

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Public Outrage and Political Pressure

Public sentiment has reached a boiling point, with citizens demanding accountability from both the Ministry of Health and the Nevis Island Administration. Social media has exploded with testimonies from families who share similar stories of neglect, delays, and indifference.

“Every week it’s another tragedy,” one Facebook post read. “While they hold press conferences and post photos, our loved ones are dying in pain — waiting for care that never comes.”

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A Nation at a Crossroads

This is not an isolated incident — it’s the latest chapter in an unfolding national healthcare disaster.

Until genuine reform replaces public relations, and competent leadership replaces political posturing, the people of St. Kitts and Nevis will continue to pay for the failures of their government with their lives.

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SKN TIMES | Investigative Public Affairs Desk
“Because the truth must not die — even when the patients do.”