{"id":270830,"date":"2026-03-26T10:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T14:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=270830"},"modified":"2026-03-26T11:57:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T15:57:37","slug":"cabinet-approves-national-cardiology-centre-at-mount-st-john","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/cabinet-approves-national-cardiology-centre-at-mount-st-john\/","title":{"rendered":"Cabinet Approves National Cardiology Centre at Mount St. John"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The government has approved plans to establish a national cardiology centre at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, in a move aimed at expanding access to specialized heart care and reducing the need for overseas treatment.<\/p>

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Director General for Communications Maurice Merchant described the initiative as a major step forward for the country\u2019s healthcare system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe cabinet\u2026 approved a landmark proposal for the establishment of the country\u2019s first comprehensive national cardiology center, marking a major advancement in the nation\u2019s healthcare system,\u201d Merchant said.<\/p>

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The centre will be developed through a partnership involving internationally recognized cardiologist Professor Jingwei Zhang and is expected to deliver advanced diagnostic and interventional cardiac services locally.<\/p>

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\u201cThe primary objective is to eliminate the need for citizens to travel overseas for life-saving cardiac procedures by providing advanced interventional cardiology services within Antigua and Barbuda,\u201d Merchant said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials said the facility will introduce modern capabilities to treat complex cardiovascular conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure and arrhythmias.<\/p>

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\u201cThe center will introduce cutting-edge diagnostic and surgical capabilities, significantly improving access to specialized care,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cardiology centre is expected to be housed at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, where existing infrastructure can support the expansion of specialized services.<\/p>

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Merchant said the project builds on a two-year collaboration between Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s Ministry of Health and Hangzhou Normal University in China, positioning the country to strengthen its capacity in cardiac care.<\/p>

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Officials have indicated that additional details on the rollout and operations of the centre will be provided as the project moves toward implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative forms part of broader efforts by the government to modernize healthcare services and improve outcomes by bringing more advanced treatment options within reach of patients locally.<\/p>\n

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

The government has approved plans to establish a national cardiology centre at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, in a move aimed at expanding access to specialized heart care and reducing the need for overseas treatment. Director General for Communications Maurice Merchant described the initiative as a major step forward for the country\u2019s healthcare system. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":177756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-270830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nCabinet Approves National Cardiology Centre at Mount St. John - 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\/cabinet-approves-national-cardiology-centre-at-mount-st-john\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cabinet Approves National Cardiology Centre at Mount St. John\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The government has approved plans to establish a national cardiology centre at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, in a move aimed at expanding access to specialized heart care and reducing the need for overseas treatment. 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