St. Kitts prime minister says he is ready to return to work after treatment for a stroke

Temporarily felled by a stroke, the prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis says he is ready to return to work after weeks of intense rehabilitation at medical facilities in Florida. Terrance Drew fell ill at home in September and was initially rushed to a hospital in nearby Martinique, where doctors diagnosed him with a stroke, stabilized him, and helped him to be flown to Florida, where he was treated. He says that he has made a recovery that is strong enough to resume duties in the coming days. Drew, a Cuban-trained medical doctor, is 49. “Today, I address you not from a hospital bed, not in a rehabilitation center but as your prime minister, ready to serve, ready to resume my full-time duties. I am ready to work. I am committed to building and advancing our beloved Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” he said as he thanked locals for their overwhelming level of support during his recovery. “To my colleague and brother, Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, you stepped up when I could not. To my entire cabinet, you kept the ship steady. From the depths of my soul, thank you." Dr. Drew also announced that he planned to travel to Washington, D.C., to participate in a United States-Caribbean dialogue scheduled for Oct. 15, noting that the meeting would provide an opportunity to engage senior American officials on a range of key topics including energy security, health care, and national security issues.