Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and Diaspora Relations, Dr. Kenneth Darroux strongly believes that to survive this COVID-19 pandemic and to better prepare for the future, priority must be given to universal access to quality healthcare services for all citizens.
He made the remarks while addressing the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Monday under the Theme: “Building resilience through hope – to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations.”
According to Dr. Darroux, this will require a greater role for the World Health Organization and its hemispheric counterparts such as the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Caribbean Public Health Agency (CAPHA).
“For small developing states like Dominica, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to reverse the gains that we have made in the socio-economic development of our people, by placing additional burdens on national budgets as our governments are forced to provide increased support to our citizens,” he said.
He continued, “The closure of businesses, and the additional cost of operating businesses during the restrictions occasioned by the actions to contain the virus, is having an extremely debilitating impact on the private sector.”
He said the tourism industries have been dealt a devastating blow, as the impact has been most severe in the hotel, hospitality, and service sectors.
“We must therefore work collectively to end this deadly pandemic,” Dr. Darroux stated. “Distinguished delegates, living with the COVID-19 pandemic and preparing for future pandemics must now become essential components of sustainable development.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister went on to say that developing countries like Dominica are at risk of not being able to meet its Sustainable Development Goals if this pandemic continues to severely impact our people and countries.
“Thus, our international development partners, both bilateral and multilateral, must be responsive to our new realities and call for more creative financial instruments that take into account these new realities,” he stated. “ Dominica is of the view that this new dispensation must also reward countries for progressive policies directed at creating sustainable systems for production and consumption.”
Dr. Darroux believes that Universal access to quality healthcare must now be pursued more aggressively, whilst at the same time, access to quality and relevant education must continue, if small states are to build capacity and advance their national sustainable development agendas.
He thanked the WHO, PAHO , CAPHA and all the other bilateral partners for their continued support in the country’s effort at preventing, detecting, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also expressed gratitude to the Government of Republic of Cuba for allowing its medical brigade to complement the services of our healthcare workers who have been stretched to capacity and to the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for supplying PPEs and test kits as part of Dominica’s response.
“The Government of the Peoples’ Republic of China continues to be a true friend to Dominica, by being one of the first countries to our aid, with the supply of masks, other Personal Protective Equipment, ventilators, testing and other diagnostic supplies and ventilators, especially during the early days of the pandemic, when these were in short supply,” Dr. Darroux noted.
Video link to full Speech by Dr. Darroux:
If one has to make such a statement to UN General assembly to open their eyes, that definitely means the world’s richest countries who run the UN and have bought and horded all of these vaccines while the rest die are some very dirty people. You have to beg for this too?
Get Real….WHEN AMERICA AND THE UK DECLARE THE PANDEMIC OVER, THAT IS WHEN DOMINICA WILL SAY ITS OVER…NO SOONER.
Why does Dr. Darroux believes that the World Health Organization and it’s counterparts such as the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Caribbean Public Health Agency (CAPHA) should provide a greater role in his so-called Building resilience through hope – to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainability. I wonder if Dr. Darroux really understands the inner workings of these world bodies with nice names, does he think they got a magic wand, lol. It is time for people to take a serious approach as it regards their health and wellness, that’s where it starts. We need to stop the idea that we should get sick and then be treated, we have made a cult out of this model, calling it health care. We need a paradigm shift to a preventative approach.
Thank you Gary, the Wesley kid has given you thumbs up: Note your #2 thumbs up came from me.
As I said these people when they get their fifteen minuets of fame on TV, or some other forum; they use it only to make a nuisance of themselves, and give the world a reason to laugh at our country, and people!
Just another puppet of Roosevelt babbling!
Just curious, would you compliment me if I had congratulated Dr. Darroux for his speech. I’m cognizant of the fact that your complement is just a conduit for expressing your dislike for the Government, but any way, your compliment is accepted. I would just like to add, why did Dr. Darroux not express thanks to the US Government for their help, the recent shipment of Vaccines. Did Dr. Darroux forgot this
https://bb.usembassy.gov/us-provides-masks-ppe-to-assist-in-covid-control-in-dominica/
To Admin: can you get hold of the speech and post it, you all just gave snippets of the speech.
PM, now you have to go behind the scenes to correct such
negligence, isn’t there some kind of protocol in place to prevent such thing from happening, preventing such embarrassment. When you are on the world stage, diplomacy is Numero uno.
ADMIN: A link to the full speech is now available at the end of the article.
No Gary; absolutely not; because in that case you would have towed the political line kissing up to Darroux behind!
Have you noticed how many thumbs up you got on that submission?
That is because the reading audience recognize that: “you have discovered that Darroux” does not have a clue of what he is talking about where it pertains to Universal Health Care.
One word in you submission made that happen!
Just because one is called doctor does not mean she/he cannot indulge in talking far.
So, perhaps you should asks Darroux if he and your boy; Bald Head Roosevelt Skerrit have universal health care in the Red Clinic; if they do; I boy coming to Dominica to the red clinic to get me Bald Head treated to see if me ole behind go grow back some hair nuh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahah!
Be normal as you wrote in that submission; and stop upholding the people who’s main purpose in the country is corruption and thievery.
No name no warrant!
Gary, in your history of writing comments on DNO, you never scored ten thumbs up in the past until, now and it is not because people don’t like you; they simply gives you thumbs down, because they know that you are in Roosevelt cabal; he’s has part of you twisted, around his small finger; and the rest of you in his hip pocket eh!
By the way; the reason why I get so many thumbs down is because dem doh like me eh: but, I doh care oui!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!
He did not thank the USA for the Pfizer vaccine?
But why? When the dust settles you may find that they had a heavy hand in this, may be chemical warfare between Trump and China that went bad, very bad. You may be getting what’s owed pennies at a time.
All of all you betrayed Dominica. How shameful. When I see all you or listen to all you I simply remember Alibaba and his forty thieves.
Guy you need to shut up, because you don’t know in the natural what the hell you are babbling about; you got a fifteen minutes of fame on the stage; so you are babbling; but as usual the world powers such as America Canada, Britain and the rest; above third world nations does not listen to anything coming from the voice underdeveloped nations, and especially “Dominica.”
Universal health care simple means all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, which ought to be of sufficient quality to be effective!
How effective is the medical establishment in Dominica, when as soon as one comes down with a headache, they have to be on Radio and Television begging for money to travel to other small islands even to Antigua to get proper medical attention.
Dominica is behind the rest of the world in everything; yet we talk as if we have all the answers to universal issues; I know they have universal…
Cont:
Dominica is behind the rest of the world in everything; yet we talk as if we have all the answers to universal issues; I know they have universal health care in England, Canada (not yet in America), maybe Roosevelt Red Clinic provides universal health care for the red devils in Dominica.
Guy when people speaks of Universal Health Care there is plenty which goes along with the idea, or facts of the matter than what you may be thinking!
Just think in therms of America the richest nation on earth, do have difficulties implementing Universal Health Care.
That rules Dominica out.
We dont need lectures now…we need stimulus…too much talk….i am getting fed up of such…skerritt and his acolyte….get real…all u eating the whole legs and telling us none for us….soon remember election will be here again….time for this government to get real
While I totally agree with the concept of affordable, universal healthcare, I am a bigger proponent of responsible behavior and conduct that help to protect the well being of all.
Anybody can talk the talk but one’s action is the ultimate evidence of their sincere beliefs. Thankfully it does not take a Medical degree to understand the simple premise that “prevention is better than cure”.
YOUR HYPOCRITE!!!!
Did you allegedly sponsor a fete in Bellevue Chopin, while liar Skerrit went from Venezuela, to funeral, then to parliament, where the accomplished cretin was virtually jeering at people with masks?
Why didn’t you use the opportunity at the UN to apologise to the nation of Dominica?
Deceiptfully bad examples like you and liar Skerrit have largely contributed to where we are today re this covid pandemic….and to add insult to injury you all are still babbling hypocritical garbage to Dominicans and the world. Long before Covid you all had already wrecked Dominica’s economy. Tourisn was dead, agriculture was dead, manufacturing was dead, money missing and cannot be accounted for, etc,etc,. Covid is just an excuse for you all incompetence.
Get the hell out of my computer!!
BAD EXAMPLE!!!
Skerrit didn’t go to New York? That confirm what I have been saying for a while now… Well, well, well, the PM of Dominica can’t go to the USA anymore? Remember, only a few years ago he spent more time a year in NY than in DA. I wonder what happened?