{"id":252595,"date":"2025-10-05T12:06:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T16:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=252595"},"modified":"2025-10-05T12:06:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-05T16:06:18","slug":"delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/","title":{"rendered":"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

The government\u2019s plan to reopen the Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre has been delayed due to challenges in removing outdated medical equipment.<\/p>

\"\"<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Director of Communications in the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, Maurice Merchant, said the process requires specialized professionals, which has taken longer than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt remains a priority to have the centre operational, because currently the government is funding patients\u2019 treatment overseas,\u201d he said.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>
\"\"<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Merchant confirmed that an agreement on the centre\u2019s management is already in place, and work will move ahead once the old equipment is safely cleared.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Opened in 2009, the cancer centre was once a key regional facility offering radiation and oncology services. Operations slowed in recent years due to aging equipment and staffing issues, forcing many patients to seek care abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The refurbishment is part of a wider effort to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and restore access to local cancer treatment. Merchant reaffirmed that reopening the facility remains a top government priority.<\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government\u2019s plan to reopen the Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre has been delayed due to challenges in removing outdated medical equipment. Director of Communications in the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, Maurice Merchant, said the process requires specialized professionals, which has taken longer than expected. \u201cIt remains a priority to have the centre operational, because currently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":172495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-252595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nDelay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The government\u2019s plan to reopen the Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre has been delayed due to challenges in removing outdated medical equipment. Director of Communications in the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, Maurice Merchant, said the process requires specialized professionals, which has taken longer than expected. \u201cIt remains a priority to have the centre operational, because currently […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Antigua News Room\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-05T16:06:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-10-05T16:06:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"445\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"anr_staff\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AntiguaNewsRoom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"anr_staff\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"anr_staff\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038\"},\"headline\":\"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-05T16:06:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-05T16:06:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\"},\"wordCount\":165,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\",\"name\":\"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre - Antigua News Room\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-05T16:06:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-10-05T16:06:18+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":445,\"caption\":\"Antigua and Barbuda Government Planned Operation Of Cancer Centre\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"name\":\"Antigua News Room\",\"description\":\"News As It Happens\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Antigua Newsroom\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg\",\"width\":1260,\"height\":1260,\"caption\":\"Antigua Newsroom\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038\",\"name\":\"anr_staff\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96\",\"caption\":\"anr_staff\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/anr_staff\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre - Antigua News Room","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre","og_description":"The government\u2019s plan to reopen the Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre has been delayed due to challenges in removing outdated medical equipment. Director of Communications in the Prime Minister\u2019s Office, Maurice Merchant, said the process requires specialized professionals, which has taken longer than expected. \u201cIt remains a priority to have the centre operational, because currently […]","og_url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/","og_site_name":"Antigua News Room","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","article_published_time":"2025-10-05T16:06:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-10-05T16:06:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":445,"url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"anr_staff","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_site":"@AntiguaNewsRoom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"anr_staff","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/"},"author":{"name":"anr_staff","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038"},"headline":"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre","datePublished":"2025-10-05T16:06:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-05T16:06:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/"},"wordCount":165,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/","name":"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre - Antigua News Room","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg","datePublished":"2025-10-05T16:06:15+00:00","dateModified":"2025-10-05T16:06:18+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:800\/h:445\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/cancer-center-800x445-1.jpeg","width":800,"height":445,"caption":"Antigua and Barbuda Government Planned Operation Of Cancer Centre"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/delay-in-reopening-antigua-and-barbuda-cancer-centre\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Delay in Reopening Antigua and Barbuda Cancer Centre"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","name":"Antigua News Room","description":"News As It Happens","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#organization","name":"Antigua Newsroom","url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mlavawteztbj.i.optimole.com\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/IMG_1584.jpeg","width":1260,"height":1260,"caption":"Antigua Newsroom"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/antiguanewsroom","https:\/\/x.com\/AntiguaNewsRoom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/antiguanewsroom\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/f66ae26f5698168092c3ef9bccb12038","name":"anr_staff","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s=96","caption":"anr_staff"},"url":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/author\/anr_staff\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252595"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":252596,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252595\/revisions\/252596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/172495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/anr-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}