Patrick Herminie

Patrick Herminie was born in the early hours of 22 September 1963, at Baie St. Anne Praslin Hospital, Seychelles’ second biggest island. Born to a local couple, a devoted housewife Christa Herminie (née Christa Jules) and a respected and well liked policeman, Louis Herminie, Patrick was the fourth of five children.[1]

A few years after he was born, Patrick's mother and father, who had been living on Praslin since Mr. Herminie had been posted there for work, moved back to the main land (Mahe) along with their family, where they settled and raised their five children. During this time Patrick's father continued to work as a policeman and his mother, who was once a seamstress, stayed at home to raise their children.[4]

As a young boy Dr. Patrick Herminie attended Seychelles College. Seychelles College, originally an all-boys’ school, opened in 1947 and was then seen as the foundation of modern education in Seychelles, together with Regina Mundi Convent for girls. Both schools closed in the early 1980s after the government decided that education would be free and compulsory to all children, who had to attend schools in their respective districts.[1]

At school, Patrick thrived as a student and got along well with all of his peers. Furthermore, Patrick not only excelled in his studies, he was also a great sportsman, especially in football whereby he led the Seychelles College-based Schalke04 youth Football team as captain in many competitions.[5]

After completing his O Levels and A levels at Seychelles College, Patrick went on to do his Doctorate in General Medicine at Charles University in Prague, Czechoslovakia, which he completed in 1990. Upon returning from his studies in Czech Republic Patrick met his wife, Veronique Herminie (née Veronique Sinon) in 1991, and they went on to marry and had two children, Venessa Herminie and Martin Herminie. Venessa is presently a medical doctor whereas Martin is a civil engineer.[1]

After completing his Doctorate in General Medicine, he was appointed Medical Officer at Victoria Hospital in 1990. He was promoted to Senior Medical Officer at Victoria Hospital in 1992 and then Director of the Environmental Health Section, Ministry of Health, in 1995. In the same year, he was awarded the Chevening Award by the British government, and he went on to complete his master's degree in Public Health at the Nuffield Institute, University of Leeds in England.

After returning to Seychelles, Dr. Patrick Herminie was appointed Director General of Disease Prevention and Control in the Ministry of Health in 1996. In an effort to continuously improve his knowledge and skills set, Dr. Patrick Herminie has always made it his mission to continuously invest in his studies. In 1997 he attended a Training of Trainers (Epidemic Control) which was held by the World Health Organization [WHO] in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1998 he was appointed Director General of the Division of Primary Health Care in the Ministry of Health.[4]

Between the years 2000 to 2003, Dr. Patrick Herminie was Director General of Primary Health Care at the Ministry of Health.

In 2004, Dr. Herminie decided to pursue a career as a full-time politician (see political career) but had to temporarily stop in 2016 when nhi party lost the Legislative election. Dr. Herminie was, by then, the Speaker of the National Assembly.

So from 2016 to 2020 he served as Secretary of State for the Prevention of Drug Abuse and Rehabilitation. Seychelles was by then faced with an unprecedented epidemics of heroin addiction, Dr. Herminie set-up an Agency to deal with the problem head-on.[1]

Dr. Patrick Herminie's political career began in 1992 when he was appointed Member of the Commission drafting the Constitution of the third Republic. In 1993 he was elected as Member of the National Assembly for English River Constituency, and was furthermore re-elected as Member for the National Assembly for the English River Constituency in 1998 and 2002.[1]