CONFUSION & COVER-UP?” — HEALTH DIRECTOR MORTON FINALLY ADMITS DIALYSIS WAS SUSPENDED, NOW CLAIMS SERVICES RESUME TONIGHT
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — September 17, 2025 — After days of swirling rumors, panic among patients, and mounting criticism, the Government has finally come clean. Director of Health Institutions, Dr. Jenson Morton, has confirmed what many feared: dialysis services at the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital were indeed suspended.
In a hastily issued late-evening press release, Dr. Morton acknowledged the controversial shutdown while scrambling to assure the public that treatments will resume tonight, Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
For patients whose very survival depends on timely dialysis, the revelation raises more questions than answers. Why was the public left in the dark until now? Why did families have to endure uncertainty about their loved ones’ lives while officials remained silent? Critics argue this belated announcement is less about transparency and more about damage control.
“Backlog” and “Housekeeping” Excuses
The statement attempts to justify the closure by citing “essential housekeeping matters” to improve service quality. Yet, for those who missed critical treatments, the government’s euphemisms ring hollow. Lives hang in the balance when dialysis units shut down—even briefly—and many now view this as a reckless lapse in the nation’s healthcare system.
Despite the promise of extended service hours to clear the backlog of patients, the Ministry of Health faces a trust deficit. Families are demanding guarantees that such a suspension will never again be sprung on them without warning.
FULL STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH
(Reprinted in full for transparency)
PRESS RELEASE
September 17, 2025Dialysis Services Resumed
The Management of the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital wishes to inform the public, and especially our dialysis patients and their families, that dialysis services resumed this evening, Wednesday 17th September, 2025.
To accommodate any backlog of patients, service hours have been extended to ensure that all individuals receive their scheduled treatments without further delay.
The brief closure of the dialysis unit was necessary to facilitate essential housekeeping matters aimed at improving the quality and reliability of the service. We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused during this short interruption and greatly appreciate the patience and understanding of all concerned parties.
The Ministry of Health and the JNF General Hospital remain fully committed to ensuring high quality medical care for all citizens and residents of the Federation.
Dr. Jenson Morton,
Director of Health Institutions
Public Demands Accountability
Tonight’s confirmation may bring momentary relief to patients, but the larger issue remains: why did it take so long for officials to admit the truth? For many Kittitians and Nevisians, this episode underscores a dangerous pattern of opacity in healthcare management.
One furious patient’s relative summed it up bluntly: “This is not housekeeping—this is life and death.”
As the dialysis machines hum back to life at JNF, the people of the Federation are left demanding more than apologies and belated press releases. They want accountability.
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