Last Updated on May 3, 2020, 10:44 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Medical internist, Dr Terrance Drew has condemned the circulation of a fake news video created by Team Unity and expressed the view that the millions of dollars in tax payer’s money could be better spent reducing poverty and increasing the standard of living of residents.
“It’s evident that they have spent millions of dollars investing in dirty campaigning. This video is as fake as the voice that is used to narrate it. It is filled with lies and deception,” said Dr Drew, the chairman of the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) and the party’s candidate for St Christopher 8.
In a statement Saturday, Dr Drew, who has been lauded for his public education programme on the coronavirus (COVID-19) long before government officials, said the assistance he has given to date to his people “has been in the form of donations with no profits made nor to be made.”
Dr Drew’s public activities include a visit to Germany that will accrue benefits to the people from an improved medical and health system.
“Early advice and recommendations to deal with Covid-19 such as an early recommendation to close the borders and for the testing of more persons. A public education drive and speaking to the nation’s primary and high schools teachers and students on being prepared for the coronavirus and best hygenic practices as well as donations of masks and care packages to scores of persons at no cost,” said the statement.
The country is in gratitude to Dr Drew for persistently calling on the government to secure the services of Cuban specialists as there is no resident epidemiologist or Infectious disease specialists in St Kitts and Nevis.
Dr Drew’s donation of anti-body kits aimed at boosting the federation’s testing capacity has been rejected by the Timothy Harris-led Team Unity Government, while similar kits given by Dr.Eugene Redmon and Prime Minister Harris’ nephew, Alexis Nisbett, were accepted. The governments of Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and Antigua and Barbuda have publicly accepted similar donations.
“These things were done to help my country at absolutely no cost,” said Dr Drew, who accused “Team Unity of seeking to dirty my name and impugn my character.”
He noted that similar efforts on a number of occasions have failed and will also fail once again because the people know the upright person that I am.”
“The money spent on slandering my name could have been used to help persons who are unable to access assistance to buy basic food and medicine.
The money could have been used for buying laptops for school children who are at home without the opportunity to continue their education.
The money could be used to help the many farmers who are struggling to get their farms going or the many who lost their livestock.
The money could have been spent to fix up the hospital and buy medication to treat patients.
Moreover, the money could have been used to buy a brand new MRI machine and fix up the lab at the J N France General Hospital which is not capable of testing for the Covid-19 virus,” said Dr Drew.
“This is silly season, and the government is desperate, but I will not allow them to get away with this cycle of false news. I will continue to serve my people as I have always done and will not be stopped by fake news. End fake news and let’s debate, a challenge to Eugene Hamilton and this government,” Dr Drew said.
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.
