Thank you for coming today to allow me to provide an update on the actions the Ministry has taken to date to ensure the safety and security of our children in care settings.

As the Ministry responsible for administering the licensing and registration process for Day Care Centres and Day Care Providers in home settings, we are acutely aware of the need for quality care and the history of concerns.

The Ministry of Health advises that effective 1st December 2018, the Ageing and Disability Services office will implement set walk-in and intake hours to improve client access and efficiency.

The Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim N. Wilson JP MP, met today with members of the Health Financing Reform Stakeholder Consultation Group (photos attached).  This group is tasked with providing feedback to the Government on options being considered to help achieve affordable and accessible healthcare for all.

The Hamilton Health Centre on Victoria Street remains closed while urgent building repairs are carried out. Unfortunately plumbing problems have recurred and repairs are still underway.

As such, the following health services have been relocated:

Thank you for coming today to allow me to provide an update on the Hamilton Health Centre.

The Health Centre has been under stress over the past month due to a number of structural problems with the facility and, most recently, for example, three floods at the Hamilton Health Centre, water quality issues,  and several unsuccessful attempts to resolve the problems. The fire at Warwick Clinic further compounded the demands placed on our resources.

Yesterday, the Minister of Health The Hon. Kim Wilson JP MP, along with members of Department of Health’s Oral Health Section, officially re-opened the St. George’s Dental Clinic. The clinic was recently renovated to meet the needs of its clients and a fulltime dentist and hygienist have been employed.

The new clinic offers comprehensive services to children aged 0-18 years, seniors 65 and over, and priority groups including prisons and uninsured clients. The clinic is open from 8:45am to 4:45pm. Emergencies can be seen, but individuals should call the clinic first.

The Department of Health hailed their four-hour “Celebrating Wellness” event yesterday a huge success.

People enjoyed a wide variety of family friendly activities on land at the Barr’s Bay Park on Pitt’s Bay Road – and, tried gig rowing on a pilot gig, a six-oared rowing boat.

Free health screenings will be held this Friday, 28th September 2018 in King’s Square, St. Georges from 4 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

They will be the last in a series of four the Department of Health has hosted as part of the “Taking it to the Streets” series through the summer.

The free health screenings help identify persons at risk of chronic non-communicable diseases and the Department of Health has evaluated 173 persons – 94 males and 79 females.

Of those screened, 68% were overweight or obese according to their Body Mass Index and 69% had a risk of hypertension.

The Department of Health’s Dance Walk around Hamilton included a meeting of the minds with the Premier David Burt and the Minister of Health Kim Wilson, who joined in for an energetic dance during the group’s visit to the Cabinet Office today.

The Dance Walk lunch time event is organized quarterly by Health officials to encourage individuals to move more for better health.

Today, it was also used to encourage participation in next week Wednesday’s four-hour “Celebrating Wellness” health extravaganza at Barr’s Bay Park.

Please read the below remarks of the Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim N. Wilson JP MP during the St. John Ambulance Bermuda Emergency Medical Responder Graduation ceremony last night.

Good evening,

I’m delighted to be here with you for this Emergency Medical Responder Graduation. It is important in our increasingly complex world that there are more citizens qualified to help in a medical emergency.

But I’m also happy to be here as you near another major milestone: your 125th anniversary of serving Bermuda!