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By SKN Times Investigations | October 16, 2025

The mounting crisis in St. Kitts and Nevis’ healthcare system has been thrown into even sharper focus following a blistering public critique from Douglas Wattley, former Permanent Secretary and respected public service reformer.

In an explosive interview on the Jeffroy Morryshow weekly podcast, Wattley declared that the Ministry of Health “lacks leadership”, suffers from political micromanagement, and is being undermined by inexperienced and politically connected appointees. His comments have reignited widespread public debate about the Drew administration’s handling of healthcare and governance.

“THE MINISTRY IS NOT UP TO SPEED — IT LACKS LEADERSHIP”

Wattley began his analysis by expressing deep concern over what he described as a slow, directionless, and poorly managed Ministry of Health.

> “You did say that you think in your estimation that the Ministry of Health is in trouble. A lot of people seem to think that,” Wattley said. “I don’t know if I want to say they’re in trouble… but I will say this: I don’t think that what is happening there is up to speed. A lot more should be done, a lot more could be done — but I don’t know that the Ministry has the leadership to get it done.”

According to Wattley, the decline in the ministry’s performance is not simply due to financial or infrastructural challenges, but rather to the absence of visionary, professional leadership capable of uniting and motivating the institution.

“WHY PUT A POLITICIAN IN THAT POSITION?”

In a jaw-dropping follow-up segment, Wattley went further, directly criticizing a senior government appointee whom he accused of micromanagement, grandstanding, and political interference in the operations of the Ministry and the nation’s hospitals.

> “I can’t behave sometimes, you know, when I see guns, stupidness happening,” Wattley said. “I told the Prime Minister, do not hire that PS. You know why? He’s a politician.”

Wattley lambasted the appointment as politically motivated and damaging to the functioning of the Ministry.

> “The man was a Speaker. He only bragged about being, at one point, the third highest-ranking officer in circuits. But now he’s PS — he’s a politician. From the time you walk in the door, you just divide the organization in half — those who are pro and those who are against. Why are you putting a politician in that position?”

“MICROMANAGING THE HOSPITAL — AND DENYING PROFESSIONALS ROOM TO WORK”

Wattley accused the current PS of “hovering like a helicopter” over hospital management and interfering with the work of professionals such as the Director of Health Institutions (DHI).

> “Now he’s there like a helicopter hovering over the hospital and denying the hospital and the director of the health institution the opportunity to get his job done because he’s hovering over him,” Wattley said.

He continued with a stinging rebuke of what he described as bureaucratic overreach and poor administrative judgment:

> “He’s trying to micromanage a director. Well, in fact, what you should do is delegate goals and objectives and let the man do his job. And if he fails to perform, you hold him accountable. But you don’t want to make him wrong. What the hell wrongs are you making? You got a DHI — let the DHI do his job.”

“STOP SHOWING OFF — WORK WITH THE PROFESSIONALS”

The former PS also blasted the same official for using media appearances for self-promotion rather than collaboration, accusing him of undermining the ministry’s communication chain.

> “And the other day, he goes on Freedom FM and all he went there to do is to show off that he’s learned something about health. Why would you go on Freedom FM to talk about health but only work with your PRO? What happened to the PRO? What happened to the DHI? What happened to the Director of Community Health Services? What happened to the CMO? They are specialists in their field.”

Wattley concluded the segment with a cutting remark about misplaced ego and misplaced competence:

> “Are you going there as if you are the expert in everything? You’ve mentored health, you’re talking about it — everything, you are the one talking about it.”

A MINISTRY ADRIFT: LEADERSHIP BY EGO, NOT EXPERTISE

Wattley’s critique paints a picture of a health ministry crippled by internal power struggles, poor delegation, and politicization of public service roles.

Observers say his remarks reflect what many insiders have long reported — that the Ministry of Health has become a political arm rather than a professional institution, with decisions made based on loyalty rather than merit.

Healthcare professionals on the ground have voiced similar frustrations, citing micromanagement, low morale, and lack of direction. One senior nurse described the ministry as “a place where politics trumps professionalism every day.”

THE WIDER HEALTHCARE CRISIS

Wattley’s comments arrive amid growing public dissatisfaction with the state of healthcare in St. Kitts and Nevis — from medication shortages and hospital overcrowding, to unfilled senior medical posts and frequent breakdowns in essential equipment.

The system, analysts warn, is now facing a governance crisis rather than just a resource crisis. Wattley’s call for professional leadership has reignited debate over whether Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew’s dual role as both head of government and medical doctor has created blurred lines of accountability and control.

ANALYSIS: A BRUTAL BUT NECESSARY DIAGNOSIS

Douglas Wattley’s intervention is more than a critique — it is a diagnosis of decay within the heart of the public health system. His words reflect a growing national frustration with a government seen as more interested in self-promotion than service, and more skilled in political optics than institutional reform.

By calling out what he describes as “helicopter leadership”, political micromanagement, and a culture of self-congratulation, Wattley has touched the raw nerve of governance failure.

If his warning goes unheeded, St. Kitts and Nevis’ health sector — already on life support — may not recover under the current leadership model.

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