The team at the Ministry of Health and Social Development is bracing for an active year of productivity in completing and implementing plans and programmes following a two-day planning session that took place earlier this week.

Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Carvin Malone said that he is looking forward to greater efficiency and coordination as his Ministry and its departments, units and divisions work together to achieve a unified outcome.

The objective of the planning day events was to allow for the Ministry and the management teams under the Ministry to focus on priority areas and chart the way forward for 2022 and 2023.

“I am pleased to have attended and participated in the Ministry's annual planning sessions for 2022. Officers have been at the forefront of recovery activities during and following the storms of 2017 and the global pandemic of 2020. In spite of budgetary challenges, the various departments and agencies continue to discharge their duties professionally and admirably. The planning sessions were timely and with time will be proven most appropriate and successful,” Honourable Malone said.

The two-day workshop which focused on health and social planning was facilitated by the Deputy Director of Disaster Management, Mrs. Sheniah Jones who assisted the Ministry in identifying key priority results to be achieved within the next two years and developing a work plan for achieving those results. 

“My expectations for the Ministry of Health is to realise a fully fleshed out workplan that is actionable and monitored to ensure that the desired targets and performance indicators are being acted upon regularly within the designated timeframe,” Mrs. Jones said.

“It was a pleasure participating in their planning day and I am humbled by the amount of work, interest, passion, dedication and commitment of the public officers working within that Ministry.”

Mrs. Jones added that she is confident that going forward the Ministry of Health will be able to complete the desired plans and document programmes, results and steps moving forward, and consistently monitor status updates based on what was discussed.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is committed to improving the health and well-being of the people of the Virgin Islands.