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Premier pledges full support for 'very capable' Health Minister

- said Hon Wheatley met the problems in the health sector but will get support to fix them
Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D Wheatley (R7) has described Minster for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent O Wheatley(R9) as a capable minister. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) has been struggling to carry out its responsibilities in an efficient manner. Photo: BVIHSA
The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) has been struggling to carry out its responsibilities in an efficient manner. Photo: BVIHSA
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D Wheatley (R7) has described Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent O Wheatley (R9) as capable enough to hold the portfolio entrusted to him.

Speaking during the Continuation of the Nineteenth Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly (HoA) on September 24, 2024, Premier Wheatley said the challenges faced by the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) have been recognised.

The House was debating the BVI Health Services Authority Amendment Bill 2024.

“It’s not my job to bemoan those challenges. My job is to fix them and I have a very capable minister who’s been catching some flak recently and you would think he created the problem.”

Problems in health sector will be addressed- Premier

The Premier also said the way Hon Wheatley has been constantly under fire would give the impression that he has been on the job for a long time.

“He came and met the problems, and it is his duty to be able to fix the problem,” Dr Wheatley said.

He added that the problems in the health sector will be addressed by the Health Minister together with the government and the various entities needed to support the efforts.

Premier Wheatley reminded that the issues facing the health system did not appear overnight but have existed for some time. He added that while the issues have persisted “it is certainly not our intention to pass the problem along to any other administration” and so this current government must deal with it.

22 Responses to “Premier pledges full support for 'very capable' Health Minister”

  • Interested (27/09/2024, 16:00) Like (20) Dislike (5) Reply
    “ very capable? Yea, right
    • karma (28/09/2024, 19:14) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      so the talk move from the chairman to the minister himself resigning. look karma is a bitch. i wonder when the talk is going back to the premier resigning.
  • hmm (27/09/2024, 16:07) Like (17) Dislike (1) Reply
    We don't need capable health minister, we need capable doctors at the government hospital who knows what they are about.
    • Private (27/09/2024, 16:31) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      We are capable but we have to attend private practice outside the Dr. D.O Smith hospital.
    • Capable. How?. (27/09/2024, 16:37) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
      NHI...NHI...NHI....NHI.....How many time I said it..
      Thats the amt of time the health minister and the VIP government failed...Over and over and over..
      Until they get NHI fixed they are failures nonecapable, uncapable, incapabe whatever ble you want to use
      They are useless...NDP curse the BVI and its Treasury with NHI....What VIP done about it? Naaadaaah.
  • This is what Leadership look like (27/09/2024, 16:23) Like (6) Dislike (5) Reply
    This Premier is demonstrating what real leadership looks like. He is committed to letting all the facts surface before taking decisive action, adjusting course, and applying discipline where necessary. What he won’t do is react impulsively to the clamor of critics whose primary objective is to undermine his administration and sow discord within his cabinet. His approach is methodical and results-oriented, which seems to unsettle the opposition, prompting them to resort to a strategy of flinging baseless accusations to see what might stick. His calm, steady, and supportive stance is precisely what’s needed, reflecting his continuous growth as a formidable and effective leader.
  • Dave (27/09/2024, 16:59) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    If he keeps digging this hole, he gonna get to china.

    Put. The shovel. Down.
  • Native Senior Citizen of the British Virgin Islands (27/09/2024, 17:29) Like (0) Dislike (2) Reply
    One of the most of many problems that we, of the people of BVI are currently facing, is that neither you, Hon, Premier, nor the Health Minister is capable of fixing our complex health care problems, never was, never is, and never will be, even though a part of it or them was inherited. But a good start can begin, if you show respect to the people that you lead, political reference, by you first stop lying to us, wearing a deceitful looking, smiling face, sometimes.

    • I beg to differ (28/09/2024, 09:31) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      The Premier is proving to be far more astute and nimble than his critics would have one believe. The threat of a UK takeover now appears to be past , owing to his deft maneuvering through the complexities of executing the recommendations which was hardly a trivial endeavor. It demonstrated his ability delegate ,manage and lead . In the matter of healthcare, the first imperative is to expose those processes that are draining the public funding. The next step is to neutralize the influence of those, including certain members of the BVIHSA leadership and Board Members, whose vested interests stand in opposition to any genuine reform. Their motivations are transparently self-serving, and it is doubtful they will endorse changes that would cast the Minister and the Wheatley administration in a favorable light. It seems they would prefer to obstruct progress rather than relinquish their grip on the status quo.
  • BVIHSA staff (27/09/2024, 18:04) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    He's not the problem at BVIHSA, CEO June and Director R. Williams the real problem.
  • 2024 (27/09/2024, 18:21) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    thus far Great Britain has not seek to Disrupt the Current Administration; It is only Our Own People
  • resident (27/09/2024, 19:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    What's needed is a finance minister who sees to it that healthcare is adequately funded.
  • vex (27/09/2024, 19:24) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ignore the crazy girl Vincent we got you
  • hmm (27/09/2024, 21:44) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    What a set of jokers. They should be ashamed of themselves!
  • Punch&judyshow (28/09/2024, 00:10) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    I scratch your back, You scratch my back, Who needs a doctor !
  • The watchdog (28/09/2024, 00:41) Like (3) Dislike (1) Reply
    Cindy is such a divisive force. Nasty as nasty gets. Hates locals she is on here blogging piss
  • Styles. (28/09/2024, 06:21) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
    Can someone remind me what the audit report on Covid grants said about the now health minister?

    I believe he isn’t very trustworthy.
  • Really? (28/09/2024, 09:33) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    I am so sick of “Show”ande pledging his support. What the hell does that even mean? Dude nothing is getting done!! Do you even live here?!! Can you see what the rest of us see?? You are the BIGGEST disappointment this side of the Caribbean. Please hurry up and do us ALL a favor, if you really care….don’t run again!
  • you watch (28/09/2024, 20:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Vip going right back in
  • Norris Turnbull (29/09/2024, 07:15) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Natalio is the dam Premier. Did you all miss that?


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