The people of Cobbs Cross and surrounding communities can at last breathe a sigh of relief as the long delayed health clinic has finally been officially opened and ready to serve the health-care needs of residents.
Before a packed audience that included Prime Minister Gaston Browne and several members of the Cabinet and the Senate, Member of Parliament for the Area, Foreign Affairs Minister E.P Chet Greene described the occasion as more than the symbolism of the ‘ribbon-cutting’. Instead, he said, it represented a new chapter in the provision of health care in the community.
“We stand here as a testament to a simple yet powerful promise; a simple but powerful truth; Promise made, promise kept,” he declared.
The representative recalled that the doors of the previous clinic were shut back in 2003 ‘in disgrace’, adding that it was not a closure by choice, but one that was forced upon the authorities when the conditions had deteriorated to the point where rodents literally chased the people who worked there away.
MP Greene described the time of the closure as ‘a low point’ as it was a symbol of the neglect that the health facility and the people of the community had experienced for ‘far too long’.
However, according to the representative out of that negative situation came an opportunity; an opportunity to right past wrongs with the construction of a brand new facility to serve the communities.
“This however demanded leadership; it demanded a vision and I am happy that our prime minister is a visionary who joined me in working towards the realization of this project. So from that disappointment, a seed of determination was planted. We made a vow that day to you the people; we will not rest until you had the health facility that you deserved. A facility that would not let you hang your head in shame, but to hold your head up in pride,” he stated.
The opening of the clinic, Greene emphasized is the fulfilment of the vow and replacing the memory of decay with a modern new building state-of-the-art community health centre,” he declared.
Greene called on the members of the community to see the facility as an investment for them, and he encouraged them to make the best of its services. “Take ownership of this facility, cherish and protect it as it stands as a monument to resilience and shared progress,” he remarked.
He also announced plans to acquire neighbouring lands to erect a dental and eye-care clinic.
