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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, August 23, 2025 — The turmoil engulfing the Federation’s health sector has intensified as former Permanent Secretary in Health, Douglas Wattley, has launched a blistering attack on current PS Curtis Martin, accusing him of reckless leadership and exposing the nation’s nurses to malpractice suits.

The firestorm was ignited after a leaked Ministry of Health memo dated August 14, 2025, in which PS Martin ordered the reinstatement of the 8-hour shift system at the JNF General Hospital. The memo cited a litany of problems under the 12-hour shift pilot — including staff absenteeism, reduced productivity, burnout, fatigue, excessive time owing, and most controversially, “poor documentation and medication errors not reported.”

It was that last line that set off alarm bells for Wattley, who said Martin’s memo amounted to publicly indicting nurses for negligence without proper consultation or verification.

“Read this drivel!” Wattley wrote in a fiery response. “You just told the world that our nurses are making medication errors and not reporting them. You just sold out your nurses by telling the world that they are giving wrong medications and not reporting it. This is a fireable offense.”

Wattley further blasted Martin for failing to consult with the Principal Nursing Officer, Director of Health Institutions, Director of Operations, or even the Governance Committee before circulating the memo. “There is no way the PNO or the DHI would have allowed this nonsense to be published if you had done your job and consulted them,” Wattley charged.

The former PS also raised hard questions that remain unanswered:

• How many patients died as a result of these alleged medication errors?
• How many suffered adverse reactions?
• Why were doctors not mentioned as responsible for reporting errors?

Wattley accused Martin of acting with “bad intentions,” warning that his actions have not only undermined confidence in the nation’s nurses but also exposed them to potential malpractice lawsuits. “Mr. PM, I know you said you want a smart hospital,” Wattley scathingly concluded. “But this ain’t smart leadership.”

The controversy adds to the growing perception of chaos within the Federation’s healthcare system, already plagued by chronic staff shortages, morale issues, and political infighting at the highest levels of management. Nurses, doctors, and the wider public are now left questioning whether leadership failures are putting both staff and patients at unnecessary risk.

As the calls for accountability grow louder, the Drew administration is once again on the defensive — facing accusations that poor governance, rash decisions, and lack of consultation are eroding the very foundation of healthcare in St. Kitts and Nevis.

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