Newly appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, the Honourable Zavia Mayne today met with the members of the Department of Correctional Services’ Medical Unit to discuss the state of healthcare within Correctional Institutions.

Dr. Donna Royer-Powe, Director of the Medical Services Unit, presented a background on the history of the DCS Medical Unit and an update on the new organizational structure consisting of 60 newly approved posts to include Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Medical Officers, Dental Surgeons and Dental Nurses as well as the upgrading of three current posts.

Minister Mayne commended the work of the Medical Team. “The survival of the DCS hinges on an effective, functional and sufficient medical team. I thought it best to hear from the practitioners so that you could apprise me as the Minister with Responsibility for the DCS”.

Minister Mayne also indicated that the impending changes to the current legislation will increase the work that is to come. “The government will be passing legislation very shortly which will see convictions for certain firearm-related offences persons will be confined for an extended period. It is saying that you will have more persons to deal with and for a longer period. I wanted to have an appreciation of the state of healthcare within the facility, the issues that confront you. As they unfold, we want to look at them to see how best we can address them in terms of your welfare of the team- foremost and then for the broader issues that affect the (execution) of the job.”

The DCS’ Medical Unit currently has seven full-time Medical Doctors, six nursing aides and Sessional Doctors who work at least four hours per day for four days weekly who provide assistance to inmates at the 11 adult correctional institutions and 4 juvenile institutions.