"Conference Tourism Moving in Right Direction"
The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams opened the Association of Haitian Physicians Living Abroad (AMHE) conference at the Westin Resort and Spa on Monday evening. The Prime Minister, on behalf of the Government and people of St. Maarten, extended her sincerest welcome on St. Maarten for its 40th Annual Convention at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa held from the 21st to the 22nd of July.
The PM stated that it is good to have the some 250 delegates here on island, representing a 40 year old membership not-for-profit organization of over 5,000 Physicians of Haitian ancestry, physicians that are represented in clinical practice and academia through the United States, Canada and Haiti.
The Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE), an organization that was founded some four decades ago by a group of Haitian physicians determined to mark their presence as a growing ethnic entity in their adopted home and to promote the health and interest of the Haitian immigrant community at large.
"It is a worthwhile and admirable aim to ensure that physicians of Haitian Ancestry and indeed those practicing in Haiti have, through the AMHE, the support necessary to provide the necessary care. Haiti is the second free republic in the western Hemisphere, and the legacy of the Haitian People is clearly seen through the dedication and professionalism of some of the finest physicians in the world.
It is also good to see there is support for the development of healthcare in Haiti and to ensure that the types of healthcare necessary in order to realize the health of the Haitian population. Similarly on St. Maarten, with its large Haitian community, I am sure that the delegates will find no where more open and more conducive to having your General Conference on our home on St. Maarten. So having said that welcome to St. Maarten and enjoy your time here. We hope to see you here soon and have an excellent and fruitful conference.
On behalf of the Government of St. Maarten, an island that we are all so very proud of, we welcome you warmly. We thank the association of the Haitian Physicians Abroad for choosing St. Maarten for this conference. You will not be sorry that St. Maarten has been chosen this year to host you and your delegates for this conference. You have already made your presence felt on St. Maarten for engaging in a social program as you provided testing and consultations to many of the Haitian Nationals living on St. Maarten. The Haitian Community is one of the largest on St. Maarten and it is important to recognize that your message of healthy living is not only reaching them but all of the people of St. Maarten," commented the PM.
The Conference is part of the PM’s push to attract more conference tourism to St. Maarten, which the Prime Minister has recently called for an increase of. "We need to further explore Conference Tourism and both this conference and previous ones such as the ICAO Conference are definitely steps in the right direction," commented the Prime Minister.