Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 10, 2026 (PMO) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is taking another major step towards strengthening healthcare delivery across the Federation with the addition of 47 trained nurses from the Republic of Ghana, an intervention Prime Minister the Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew says will ease longstanding pressures on the nursing workforce while supporting improved standards of care and better patient outcomes.
Prime Minister Drew officially welcomed the healthcare professionals during a ceremony held on Monday, August 10, where he outlined the significance of their arrival to the Government’s broader efforts to address human resource gaps within the health sector. The 47 nurses will be deployed across various wards and departments within hospitals and clinics, expanding the capacity of the healthcare system and providing much-needed reinforcement to local nursing teams.
Drawing on his own experience as a medical doctor and Minister of Health, Prime Minister Drew acknowledged that nursing professionals have for years operated under significant pressure as a result of workforce shortages. He explained that insufficient staffing can contribute to increased workloads, fatigue and professional burnout, while limiting the time nurses are able to dedicate to individual patients and their families.
The Prime Minister said this reality strengthened his determination to address the shortage in a deliberate and sustainable way.
“We will end the shortage of nurses once and for all,” Prime Minister Drew stated, noting that the arrival of the Ghanaian professionals represents an important step towards fulfilling that commitment.
Of particular importance, Prime Minister Drew pointed to the expected improvement in nurse-to-patient ratios as the nursing workforce expands. He indicated that reducing the number of patients assigned to individual nurses will have important implications not only for healthcare workers, but also for the quality and safety of care received by patients.
“Therefore, for even our nurses who are here, going from a ratio of one to seven to a ratio of one to four means less strain, less stress, less frustration,” the Prime Minister said. “It means you can really deliver the care that you were trained to deliver. It means you can be empathetic, sit at the bedside, sit with a family, and deliver all that you are supposed to.”
Prime Minister Drew further underscored the connection between adequate staffing and patient safety, noting that strengthening the nursing workforce can reduce the potential for errors while improving overall patient experiences and outcomes.
“In addition to that, the ratio of errors will drop significantly, which means patient outcome will improve,” he said.
The recruitment of the nurses follows direct engagement between Prime Minister Drew and the Government of Ghana. During discussions earlier this year with Ghanaian President John Mahama, Prime Minister Drew raised the human resource challenges confronting the health sector in St. Kitts and Nevis and explored opportunities for cooperation to help address those gaps. The discussions ultimately resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding facilitating the placement of well-trained Ghanaian nurses in the Federation.
Prime Minister Drew used the opportunity to express appreciation to President Mahama and the Government and people of Ghana for their partnership, describing the initiative as another manifestation of the deep historical and cultural relationship shared between the Caribbean and Africa.
The addition of the 47 Ghanaian nurses forms part of the Government’s continuing efforts to build a stronger, more adequately staffed and patient-centred healthcare system.
