Last Updated on May 28, 2026, 4:53 PM AST by Anthony Morris
St. Kitts and Nevis has launched the “It’s Okay Campaign” at the Joseph N France General Hospital. The launch event for the campaign was hosted on May 26, 2026 in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Taiwan Technical Mission’s Mental Health Service System Enhancement project.
The Republic of China, through the various organs of cooperation that exist between the two nations, has been working with St Kitts and Nevis to promote focus on mental health. Taiwan has helped in bringing better facilities for mental health support to the island
The focus of the campaign is to provide support to the medical support staff working at the hospital, that is the Nurses. The campaign was led by Andrea James Wattley, a Mental Health Counselor, Employee Relations Officer. The Taiwan Embassy also shared the importance of the campaign.
They highlighted that the world is currently facing a shortage of nurses, which is also apparent in the island. This has resulted in the nurses taking more workload in terms of hospital operations and patient care.
In such a situation, it is equally important for the nurses to take time to take care of themselves. The campaign aims to give the nurses a space for them to pause, reflect, and remember this message.
During the launch of the campaign, the nurses were asked to write down how they felt in this moment. Afterwards authorities observed that several healthcare workers were constantly ‘Drained’ and ‘Sleepy’ however, they were also some of the most resilient and adaptable people in the workforce.
In light of these contrasting feelings, the government of St Kitts and Nevis has announced that they want to give a simple message to their nurses, It’s Okay Not to Be Okay. The experts have claimed that recognising exhaustion is not weakness but it can be the first step toward self-care and healing,”
During the launch, participants explored the ups and downs of daily life through the Rose, Thorn, Bud reflection exercise.
Rose – What brings you joy?
Thorn – What challenges are you facing?
Bud – What people, goals, or experiences give you hope and motivation?
Participants had the opportunity to identify sources of strength, moments of gratitude, and reasons to keep moving forward, even during difficult times.”
The Embassy thanked all the nurses who participated in the launch of the mental health campaign despite their busy schedules.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
