Cobbs Cross Clinic Reopens After Two Decades of Closure
The government of Antigua and Barbuda on Monday reopened the Cobbs Cross Clinic in St. Paul, restoring primary health services to the community more than 20 years after the facility was shut down due to disrepair.
The new facility was officially opened during a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph, and St. Paul MP and Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene.
Permanent Secretary for Primary Health Care Stacey Gregg-Paige said the reopening marked “a reaffirmation of equity and dignity in healthcare,” adding that the clinic would provide maternal and child services, immunizations, chronic disease management, family planning, wound care, and home visits for residents.
“This reopening is more than an infrastructure project,” Gregg-Paige said. “It is about ensuring that care is accessible to every resident close to home.”
Minister Greene described the event as “a new chapter in healthcare for St. Paul,” recalling that the original facility closed in 2003 after conditions deteriorated to the point where staff could no longer work there.
“This is a promise made and a promise kept,” he said, thanking the Ministries of Health and Works for completing the project and announcing plans to establish an eye and dental clinic nearby.
Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph called the reopening “historic,” noting that it was the first time in the nation’s history that a parliamentarian had opened two clinics in one year. He said 17 of the country’s 23 community clinics have now been rebuilt or renovated.
“Our goal is a strong primary healthcare network,” Joseph said. “This government has consistently delivered on its promises, and by early next year, we will bring legislation to establish national health insurance.”
The ceremony also featured remarks from Acting Principal Nursing Officer Clarissa Christopher and performances by the Cobbs Cross Primary School and local singer H.L. Cochrane.
Following prayers by Reverend Raleigh Veale of the St. Paul’s Anglican Church, officials unveiled the clinic’s new sign and cut the ribbon, officially declaring the facility open.
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Ah who Dat?
A chet dat laughing with de tap dawg?🫣
Ah wah yah!
Wonders never cease 🤔 hmm
These politicians too much!!
No convention neccessary I guess!😅
WONDERFUL NEWS 👏 👏 👏
Finally! The people of St. Paul’s must be overjoyed
Lovely photo that captured it all. Joy and happiness. Kudos to all who made this possible.
Hope the nurses are professional and compassionate
Construction, Construction,Construction! How much money was siphoned? Did any of them tell Molwyn where he was going and what was the occasion? Seems like he wants to walk the same path of Robin and the 13th Member of Parliament on the government side.
I am happy for the people of Cobbs Cross I hope that it will be well maintained
Finally! After all these years, we have our own clinic again. The people of Cobbs Cross really deserve this. No more having to travel far just to see a nurse or doctor. Big up to everyone who made it happen!
It’s encouraging to see investment in healthcare. Now we need to make sure other rural communities get the same attention.
This one touch my heart. I remember when the old clinic used to be open back in the day. To see it return brand new …that’s real progress. Promise kept indeed!
It took more than two decades, 22 years of waiting, hoping, and sometimes doubting, but at last, the people of Cobbs Cross have their clinic back.
It wasn’t empty rhetoric. The former Cobbs Cross Clinic, closed in 2003 after years of neglect, had become a symbol of everything that frustrated rural communities. Talking about crumbling walls, leaking ceilings, and broken trust. Let’s look on the brighter side of how the Government before has failed us and wants to do it again. It’s like Trump and the US.
This is a huge win for primary healthcare. Strengthening community clinics takes pressure off the hospital. This is exactly the kind of investment we need across the island
This clinic means a lot for we down South. Too long people in this area been overlooked. Glad to see something positive finally happening right here in St. Paul
I love how the community came out for this. Shows people care about progress. Let’s keep pushing for better healthcare all over Antigua and Barbuda.
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