Staff at Antigua and Barbuda’s main public hospital have been advised to prepare for the arrival of a new group of healthcare professionals from Ghana, as the country seeks to ease persistent staffing pressures in the health sector.
In a notice issued on behalf of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) Board of Directors and management, officials confirmed that the team is expected to arrive in the coming days. The cohort includes registered nurses, some with specialist training, as well as laboratory technologists and mental health officers.
About 80 registered nurses and two laboratory technologists are to be assigned to the SLBMC, with other members of the group deployed to clinics, community facilities and healthcare institutions across the country.
Hospital management said the professionals will not begin clinical duties immediately, but will instead undergo orientation and onboarding over the next few weeks to ensure they are fully integrated into the local healthcare system and aligned with the hospital’s standards and practices.
The board and management acknowledged that the healthcare system has faced sustained strain in recent years, pointing to staff shortages, heavy workloads and burnout among healthcare workers.
They said the arrival of the Ghanaian professionals is expected to provide much-needed support, strengthen healthcare teams and improve both patient care and staff wellbeing.
Hospital leadership described the incoming workers as highly trained, qualified and experienced, and said they would be joining the institution as colleagues and partners in care.
Staff were encouraged to offer a professional and welcoming reception, with management stressing the importance of teamwork and collaboration as the hospital continues to serve the national community.
The notice concluded by thanking existing staff for their dedication and resilience during what it described as a challenging period for the healthcare sector.
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“ the hospital’s standards and practices.”
What standards ?
Good that the patients will be taken care of in a more efficient way, but now the immigration and housing departments has a lot more work on their hands, which I doubt they are well equipped for.
With the eyes of the US already on Antigua with its terrible decisions in the past, notably the Antigua Airways Debacle, I’m interested to know what explanation will GB have for the US with talks going forward?
Though I know that these nurses might be very sincere humans, it’s the people who are attached to them, or are out to exploit these nurses for entry into the Carribean, are what I’m worried about.
And let me ask..is the contract details will be explained to the public? We know that getting nurses from Ghana is just the beginning, but what’s the arrangement for salaries, housing, and transportation?
Do 100% of their salary goes back to them, or do they have to pay for any of their accomodations?
These things needs to be explained to the tax payers who are footing this contract.