Antigua and Barbuda’s long-awaited cancer treatment centre is expected to begin offering services later this year, with specialist staff already being recruited and integrated into the programme, government officials said Thursday.
The update was provided during the weekly post-Cabinet briefing, where Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said work on the facility is advancing and preparations are underway to ensure it is fully operational once construction and equipment installation are completed.
Merchant said several key medical professionals have already been identified for the centre.
“A radiation oncologist, a radiation physicist, a radiation therapist — they have all been identified and are currently being integrated into the programme to ensure that the centre is fully staffed and operational,” he said.
Officials anticipate that treatment services could begin during the fall period, although no firm opening date has been announced.
“With all the work that is taking place there, it is anticipated that the centre will commence providing treatment services in early fall,” Merchant said.
When pressed for a more specific timeline, Merchant explained that installation of specialized medical equipment remains a critical component of the project.
“Some of the equipment are specialized equipment and there has to be bunkering facility there for some of the equipment due to the radiation that is utilized in the treatment of cancer,” he said.
The centre is expected to significantly reduce the need for cancer patients to travel overseas for treatment, a process that has placed a substantial financial burden on both families and the Medical Benefits Scheme.
Merchant noted that the Medical Benefits Scheme currently spends millions of dollars each month assisting patients who must travel abroad, particularly to Colombia, for cancer treatment.
“It is believed that with the coming on of the cancer centre here in Antigua and Barbuda, the bill for cancer treatment assumed at this time by Medical Benefits will be significantly reduced,” he said.
The government has not yet announced how treatment costs at the facility will be structured or the extent to which services will be covered by the Medical Benefits Scheme, saying those discussions are still ongoing.
Once operational, the facility is expected to provide radiation treatment and other cancer-related services locally, marking a major expansion of Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare infrastructure and reducing the need for patients to seek care overseas.
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HOW MANY PROMISES ARE YOU POLITICIANS GOING TO MAKE ON THAT PLACE? HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE SCHEDULED OPENINGS WITHOUT IT GETTING OPENED? I WOULD BELIEVED IT WHEN IT IS FINALLY OPENED AND BE OPERATIONAL.DO NOT MAKE PROMISES,YOU CANNOT KEEP.MAURICE MERCHANT,THE AI ROBOT OF A HUMAN IS LIAR THAN MAX WURST.
Just another annancy story by the ALP to keep the people quiet, because none a the things UPP have done they are capable of because of their hatred of seeing the small man get opportunity that the bourgeois people gets the chance to do, the car park you name it and ALP and Gaston will object to it benefiting the people, remember when they were installed in 2014 by the 1 percenters financing they immediately tried to condemn sir viv Richards stadium and return to the Antigua recreation ground and forced the lady governor to do as commanded hence the reason for that acrymonious fallout, but the Antigua recreation ground fell apart on them and was embarrassing to show on cameras, so they went to the stadium and change chairs from blu and yellow and there is where a lot of ALP supporters get to see the magnificent structure the UPP had built. So straight up, Gaston not getting mo cancer center to help poor people, medical benefit bed the natural attrition to it’s financial burden of supporting the sick.
Can someone please tell me when is Fall in Antigua.
Wait. STILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
It will truly help alot of people.
We opening and never opening
Just open already
So many delays. They announce it opening soon them they announce a delay and that’s how it have been for the past few years
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