Public spending on health in St Vincent and the Grenadines was four per cent of GDP in 2011, equivalent to US$310 per capita. In the most recent survey, conducted between 1997 and 2010, there were 75 doctors, and 379 nurses and midwives per 100,000 people. Additionally, in the period 2007-12 virtually all births (99 per cent) were attended by qualified health staff and in 2012, 94 per cent of one-year-olds were immunised with one dose of measles (2012).
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Environment manages planning and policy issues for health care. There are 40 health centres that facilitate the delivery of primary care. Secondary care is offered at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown and in the six other hospitals in the country. A new wing at Milton Cato, built with the help of funding from the World Pediatrics Partnership and the Mustique Charitable Trust, acts as a centre for pediatric surgery for St Vincent and the Grenadines and other nearby Caribbean nations. Serious medical problems often require air evacuation to the nearest large country with the necessary medical facilities. The government imports pharmaceuticals through the Pool Procurement Service of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (PPS/OECS) enabling it to maximise the value of health care services to its citizens through the advantages of buying in bulk collectively, along with neighbouring countries.
The most recent act of parliament relating to mental health in St Vincent and the Grenadines is the Mental Health Act (1991). There are 4.6 mental health outpatient facilities and 146.4 beds for mental health patients per 100,000 people (2011).
