SKNLP holds successful Legal and Health Clinics
THE ST KITTS NEVIS LABOUR PARTY (SKNLP) HELD SUCCESSFUL LEGAL AND HEALTH CLINICS Saturday for residents in Dieppie Bay in Constituency Six as the country prepares to go to the polls on August 5th.
The clinics attracted large crowds needing expert assistance from SKNLP medical and legal specialists.
Former Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas who led the Leeward Island country unbroken from 1995 to 2015 told www.sknnewssource.com in an exclusive that the clinics were undertaken following complaints from Dieppie Bay residents.
High costs for medical services and the inability of constituents to pay encouraged the party to organise the events, Dr Douglas explained.
In the housing arena, Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris’ government’s campaign of victimisation against perceived non-supporters drove Douglas and his team to provide assistance to aggrieved constituents.
Douglas said Harris’ Team Unity Coalition Government has deliberately made life difficult for scores of land owners unable to make timely payments for their lots. Many are now unemployed because of economic complications linked to the deadly ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Harris used residents economic and other miseries to confiscate their lands to make way for the ruling People’s Labour Party (PLP) supporters, Douglas explained.
Some with the financial wherewithal have sought redress in the courts.
“When we had closed the sugar estates, the lands were distributed to a number of former sugar workers and many were making their monthly payments since 2013/2014. However, Dr. Harris in his bid to reclaim the lands gave several persons a very short time to come up with all the monies to pay and this gravely affected many especially considering that many persons were not working because of COVID. This saw the Prime Minister using every possible ploy to deceive persons who had worked hard for the lands,” Douglas explained in the interview.
Crios Freeman, a lawyer by profession speaking to this media house praised the initiative, noting that it was very successful. The lawyer noted that many prominent and young lawyers were eager to volunteer their services to those seeking legal advice.
“The event went really well today as several persons from within and outside the constituency turned up for various legal advices,” Freeman said.
He added, “However most of what we dealt with were the actions by the government towards several land owners as many complained about how they are being treated regarding lands that were issued to them by the previous government. Dieppie Bay is a relatively small village but the turnout was great with about 26 persons seeking to address serious land related issues.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Jenson Morton, who was part of the team of doctors said they assisted over 120 persons with varying medical condition.
The medical team provided timely and adequate medical assistance to the scores of attendees.
“We can describe the health fair as exceptionally good as despite providing medical assistance to over 100 persons we only had one medical emergency case that had to be sent to the hospital. Several of those that were in attendance expressed frustration being unable to access the quality medical care that used to be available some years ago,” Dr Morton explained.
He explained that, like the legal clinic, the medical outreach with team members were Dr. Carlton Williams, Dr. Quincy Rubaine and Dr. Duriel Pemberton was very timely.
The legal team comprised Shamara Maynard, T. Vasquez, Vaughn Henderson, Lanine Blanchette and Crios Freeman.
