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Gov’t Weighs Retention Strategies as Nurses Leave for Overseas Jobs
Cabinet has acknowledged the continued migration of locally trained nurses to overseas jobs and is weighing strategies to retain healthcare professionals in Antigua and Barbuda, even as it invests in their advanced training.
During the post-Cabinet media briefing, Chief of Staff Ambassador Lionel Hurst confirmed that the government is currently supporting 15 nurses enrolled in a master’s programme in public health at the UWI Five Islands Campus.
“These 15 nurses will receive the additional monies from the Prime Minister’s Scholarship,” Hurst stated, noting the group had already completed the first year of the two-year programme.
While recognising the trend of nurses leaving for better-paying opportunities abroad, Hurst said the government still sees value in professional development.
“We may lose some, but we’ll also gain in the long run,” he said.
“Many doctors, for example, go abroad to learn special skills and then return to Antigua and Barbuda.”
When asked about plans to reduce the brain drain, Hurst explained:
“We live in a free market and, except for the times when we bond some students… most workers are free to find employment elsewhere.”
He added that even temporary migration can offer long-term benefits.
“There are students at the Antigua and Barbuda Hotel and Training Institute… who go off to the Jersey Islands during the summer months. They come back with new skills, new experiences.”
Cabinet also reiterated its long-term goal of self-sufficiency in healthcare staffing.
“The importation of the doctors and nurses is a stop-gap measure,” Hurst explained.
“There will come a time when Antigua and Barbuda will be completely self-sufficient—but that time has not yet arrived.”
The government continues to collaborate with the UWI Five Islands Campus to provide higher-level training and is supporting both undergraduate and postgraduate nursing programmes as part of a broader healthcare strategy.
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Local teachers are not paid. I am pretty sure nurses have the same problems. Their work condition is horrible. In fact, I am offering these nurses assistance to apply for US greencard based on them being nurses under EB-2 or other. The people deserve better paying jobs and working condition. ABLP is not helping anyone but calling us entitled for wanting to expand ourself and our businesses..
We can’t blame them for leaving when opportunities abroad are more lucrative.
It’s disheartening to see our healthcare system suffer due to staff shortages.
Perhaps offering scholarships with a commitment to serve locally could help.
Let’s support our nurses before it’s too late.
Retention isn’t just about money; career growth opportunities matter too.
Let’s talk about this mr Brown since you on the topic of nurses for a big primister you full a cough and no cold nar come up you in everybody else business fix the nation we crying out for HELP.
Bull crap so is only the nurses at the hospital you are going to thank so what about saying thanks to all nurses across antigua and barbuda? This needs to stop you go up hospital just to be treated like a dog by some of the local nurses they don’t have compassion or Empathy.
Furthermore we don’t need your thanks we want better wages and better risk allowances also our working environment needs upgrading we need upgrading in the system overall and let’s not forget we need our BACK PAY NOW WE CANT WAIT NO MORE.
And also we as nurses everyday speak to our patients about healthy eating choices but in reality where is the money people can’t even afford to eat healthy because even just by thinking about going to the supermarket your money done we can’t go to supermarket think about that prices high and you do nothing about that.
They treat us nurses like DOG thats why every nurse across antigua is seeking for greener pastures worldwide. we fed up.
And I must let you know we are going to protest we fed-up we work so hard leave our children and family for long ours to take care of everybody but in return no one cares about us nurses we always get left behind.
A next thing these building that we work in especially at night it is so uncomfortable no where to rest your head if you are doing a grave yard shift we have to sit up hold night are we dogs that’s what we as nurses are treated as we need a up grade in our working environment immediately.
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