Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

23 Nursing Scholarship Recipients Abscond-Five Return

23 Nursing Scholarship Recipients Abscond-Five Return

Chief Operations Officer of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA), Pat Malone-Smith disclosed on Tuesday that a number of the students who were given scholarships for nursing programmes did not return to give service to the Territory.
The disclosure was made on October 29 as Malone-Smith and Chief Executive Officer of the BVIHSA, Ronald Georges, were guests on the Honestly Speaking programme with Claude Skelton-Cline.

The comment, which was endorsed by Georges, was made in response to a question about the staff complement at the BVIHSA.

The host of the show queried about the percentage of Virgin Islanders at the facility and the composition of the nurse and doctor complement as it relates to Virgin Islanders and expats.

Malone-Smith, after stating that 70 percent of the hospital’s nurses are expats, said that she noted that persons are not returning to the BVI after receiving training on the public’s dime.

“When I first came home in 2009, we had sent 28 young ladies out for schools to become nurses; five came back…We paid for 28 – five came back,” the BVIHSA Chief Operations Officer highlighted.

In weighing in on the subject of absconding scholarship recipients, the CEO said that the enforcement of return is not within the ambit of the BVI Health Services Authority.

When asked if the investment made to educate these persons was at least retrieved, Georges said, “That’s not us, that’s Ministry of Education that deals with the scholarships and I think Social Security Board. Generally speaking, Social Security Board when they send folks out and they don’t come back, they're calling them up."

On another note, the CEO said that the BVIHSA has a staff complement of 690 and 51 percent of the figure are BVIslanders.

He further pointed out that in the area of doctors and nurses, there will be a high percentage of nonbelongers.

“That’s simply because we just don’t have the number of BVIslanders to fill those positions,” Georges explained.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
×