BASSETERRE — The Ministry of Health has appointed Gardenia Destang-Richardson as Director of Health Institutions and Nikisha Hazel as Director of Institutional Nursing Services, filling two senior leadership roles central to the delivery of health care across St. Kitts and Nevis, the ministry announced last week.
Destang-Richardson brings nearly two decades of public health leadership to her new post. From 2007 to 2019, she served as National AIDS Programme Coordinator, leading the Federation’s response to HIV and AIDS. During that period, St. Kitts and Nevis became among the first countries in the world to earn the World Health Organization’s certification for eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV and congenital syphilis.
The ministry credited that achievement to “collaborative efforts of dedicated health professionals and partners” under her guidance. Destang-Richardson holds a Master of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Public Administration and Social Change, along with a Bachelor of Science in Behavioural Science with a minor in Health.
Hazel, who has spent 27 years in the health care sector, has served since 2023 as Deputy Coordinator of Community Nursing Services. She currently chairs the St. Christopher and Nevis Nurses and Midwives Council and serves as president of the St. Kitts and Nevis Midwife Association, secretary of the Caribbean Regional Midwives Association, and a member of the St. Kitts Diabetic Association.
She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health Nursing from the University of Technology, Jamaica, along with additional qualifications in health policy, health systems, midwifery, and nursing education.
The Ministry of Health said it is confident both appointees will strengthen the federation’s health institutions. “We look forward to her continued leadership, dedication, and contribution to strengthening healthcare delivery and advancing the health and well-being of our people,” the ministry said of Destang-Richardson, offering nearly identical remarks in welcoming Hazel to her role.