FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Subject: A Call for Unity and Professionalism in the Medical Community
The Executive of the Medical Association of Antigua and Barbuda (MAAB) wishes to address the recent claims and sentiments published in the media. In an era where clarity and cohesion are paramount for the advancement of healthcare, we find it necessary to set the record straight and refocus our collective energy where it is most needed.
- A Time for Solidarity, Not Division
Our primary concern at this moment remains the devastating fire that recently affected our colleagues and their practices. This is a tragedy that transcends professional politics; it is about dedicated physicians and vulnerable patients who have been displaced. Now, more than ever, is a time for solidarity, not division. We must stand together to support those who have lost their livelihoods and ensure the continuity of care for our community.
- Status of Official Grievances
Regarding the allegations of internal dissatisfaction, the present Association Executive of January 2026–2028 officially clarifies that we have not received any documented concerns or complaints from any physician to date. Furthermore, there has been no official verbal communication regarding the issues cited in recent reports. As of March 2026, there have been weekly Association meetings paired with Continuing Medical Education which all doctors are welcome to attend and are able to communicate via this medium also. While we respect the freedom of the speech, it is essential that the narrative reflects the reality of our internal communications.
- Proper Channels for Communication
We wish to remind all doctors and members that the Association maintains formal, appropriate channels for submitting grievances. We are committed to transparency and advocacy, but we can only address issues that are brought to us directly. We encourage any physician with concerns to reach out via:
- Recent Efforts Toward Unity
In March 2026, the MAAB hosted a successful series of events to commemorate International Doctors’ Day under our 2026 theme of “Unity.” These events, including our Sunset Social, Church Service, and Sports Day, were specifically designed to foster connection. They provided ample opportunity for all physicians to network, engage with the Executive, and share their visions for the future of the profession in a fraternal atmosphere.
- Maintaining Professionalism
The Executive is working tirelessly behind the scenes on behalf of the entire medical fraternity. While constructive criticism is a hallmark of any democratic body, we urge our colleagues to remain professional and focus on the systemic issues that impact our practice. We must shy away from personal insults and “ad hominem” attacks, which only serve to weaken our collective bargaining power and public standing.
- The Power of Active Membership
Finally, change is a collaborative process. We encourage all doctors in Antigua and Barbuda to officially join the Medical Association by paying their annual dues. Real progress requires more than just commentary; it requires contribution. We invite you to be the change you wish to see, rather than leaving the heavy lifting solely to the volunteers who have dedicated their time to govern and protect the interests of this Association.
Respectfully,
The Executive Team Medical Association of Antigua and Barbuda (2026-2028)
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No wonder the hospital sucks…
Blaaa blaaa blaaa.
Bunch of hypocrites.
So are you telling me that the executive members are unaware of the issues complained about?
Are you saying to the general public that the executive is so removed from what’s happening our primary medical facility that the issues raised are unknown to them?
And are you saying that the executive can only advocate for its members on matters that are officially brought to its attention in writing??
Give me an aspirin…. We all can walk and chew gum at the same time.
Yes solidarity, yes cohesion, yes togetherness but we also have pressing issues that needs the collective voices of the association to bring about changes to a system that has fallen down.
#5 is a Hallmark of professional bodies used to silence their membership. Don’t let people know the truth.
The tone of this response is not helping. They could have been brief and said current priority yes but we will look into issues raised and encourage and welcome formal complaints.
You can tell why the membership is not comfortable reaching out to people who thought a retaliatory public lambasting was best course of action.
Junior doctors have over the years raised issues that have come into the public.. It did not come out of left field.
Do better.
When your fraternity doesn’t feel respected or heard, guess who it trickles down to? One guess.
MEDICAL ASSOCIATION CONSIDER THE PUBLIC LETTER AS YOUR OFFICIAL NOTICE. WHAT DOES A FIRE THAT AFFECTING A FEW MEDICAL PERSONNEL HAS TO DO WITH THE LETTER. I FIND THAT YOUR RESPONSE IS VERY IRRESPONSIBLE AS A BOARD.
BECAUSE OF YOUR RESPONSE IS WHY NO ONE CANE TO THE BOARD OR COMPLAIN TO YOU GUYS. I REMEMBER YEARS AGO HOW UR BOARD TREATED ONE OF YOUR OWN MEDICAL PERSONNEL THAT THE PERSON WANTED TO LEAVE. YOUR BOARD NEED TO BE MORE OPEN MINDED AND STOP BEEN SO BAD MINDED AND STOP SHOWING FAVORITISM.
Profesionalism?? How profesional is being employed at Public sector with high pay in the Hospital and at same time having a private bussiness doing same? If they jump quickly to bring an answer letter for one single post..means that letter touch the wound and they are trying to cover it with first aid bandages
I thought doctors were VERRY busy people❓ Who found time to write this
This hasty response has left the MAAB looking wanting
HEY, have a re election
All I have to say is the Doctors in this Country needs to show more compassion on those that are very sick and do all they can to help them to get well. From what I have experience in Antigua is that the Doctors are all about Money and they love to charge you some ridiculous amount of money for their services. The Lawyer in that Building that recently burned down he is a very wicked man he told the Anjo Insurance not to Compensate my sister for her Damages when one of Anjos Customer damaged my sister with her car. GOD is watching all of us and he allows certain things to happen to us because some of us are all about money and don’t care about Humanity.
I have ro comment on this as a nurse.I have been working with Dr’s for years and to be honest the medical Association is disappointing. The way the Dr’s are treated is horrible. They don’t fight for the Dr’s the Dr’s are not appreciated. Can you imagine the other day was Dr’s Day and many Dr’s were not even aware there was such a Day? In my opinion the chose which set of or class of Dr’s they want to support .Many of the times the Dr’s have issues and they issues where is the Association? And God for bid you are a Dr that works in a Clinic.The Association need to get their act together and fight for the Drs.Sometimes too me it’s best they join the nurses Association.
I have ro comment on this as a nurse.I have been working with Dr’s for years and to be honest the medical Association is disappointing. The way the Dr’s are treated is horrible. They don’t fight for the Dr’s the Dr’s are not appreciated. Can you imagine the other day was Dr’s Day and many Dr’s were not even aware there was such a Day? In my opinion the chose which set of or class of Dr’s they want to support .Many of the times the Dr’s have issues and they issues where is the Association? And God for bid you are a Dr that works in a Clinic.The Association need to get their act together and fight for the Drs.Sometimes too me it’s best they join the nurses Association.
The criticism that this letter is “poorly timed” misses a deeper and more uncomfortable truth: moments of crisis are often the only times when people are willing to listen.
To suggest that there is a “right” time to raise systemic issues in healthcare is, in itself, part of the problem. The reality is that the issues highlighted – overwork, lack of representation, inequity, and barriers to practice – do not exist in isolation from tragedy; they are part of the same ecosystem that makes our healthcare system fragile. The fire at Gambles Medical Centre is not separate from these concerns – it is a stark reminder of how vulnerable we all are when systems are strained, under-supported, and inadequately advocated for. These issues are not competing; they are mutually inclusive.
If anything, this is precisely the time to speak. Crisis does not only expose physical vulnerabilities – it reveals institutional ones as well.
There is also a certain irony in the response from the Medical Association. In seeking to emphasize unity and sympathy, it has, whether intentionally or not, deflected from the very concerns that demand urgent attention. Expressions of solidarity, while important, cannot become a substitute for sustained advocacy. To acknowledge one visible tragedy while remaining silent on ongoing, less visible struggles creates a perception – fair or not – of selective engagement.
The discomfort with this letter is not truly about timing; it is about content. It challenges long-standing norms, questions representation, and calls for accountability in spaces where such calls are often unwelcome.
It is also important to clarify a fundamental point: membership in an association is not a prerequisite for that association to act within its fiduciary and professional obligations. A medical association does not exist solely for those who pay dues or hold positions within it – it exists to uphold the integrity of the profession as a whole. That includes advocating for physicians broadly and, by extension, for the delivery of optimal patient care. When any group of physicians – particularly those on the frontlines – are struggling, it is not a private matter; it is a professional one that directly impacts the public.
Advocacy, by its nature, is not always convenient. It rarely arrives at a “comfortable” time. But waiting for comfort is how systemic problems become entrenched.
The young doctor’s letter does not diminish the tragedy of the fire – it expands the conversation. It asks us to consider not only how we respond in moments of visible loss, but how we address the quieter, persistent failures that shape our healthcare system every day.
If we are truly committed to solidarity, then it cannot be conditional, selective, or reactive. It must be consistent – even when it is inconvenient, and especially when it is uncomfortable.
@Am Just Saying – a nerve was definitely struck. Rather than being defensive, perhaps there should have been some move to seeks to understand the young doctor’s view. Not s view that is singular or isolated, views that so many have faced in this country. I would think that those Cuban graduates who went through the pains under the tyranny of the Medical Board, that now empowered that they would have right the wrongs. SMH. Goes to show, house slaves are often more deadly than the massa himself.
Wow.
Is this the professional association?
This is tit for tat clearly. Someone got upset. The tone and everything of this letter really makes me believe that some part of that young doctor’s issue is correct.
I hope its not the executive who drafted this together? I think I know some of these members, never thought they would have taken that approach.
Many are really called but few are chosen. They do not realize this is serious business. Unless that was the standard set for the past years.
You, doctors need to get things in order.
Clearly your colleagues need the help, they work too hard for too little (pay, conditions, opportunities etc.)
Young doctor you better not visit or send any letter to the association. They will plot for your downfall because already you’re anonymous and I am feeling it for you.
It appears that the Association is above question or accountability.
Very sad!
Wow.
Is this the professional association?
This is tit for tat clearly. Someone got upset. The tone and everything of this letter really makes me believe that some part of that young doctor’s issue is correct.
I hope its not the executive who drafted this together? I think I know some of these members, never thought they would have taken that approach.
Many are really called but few are chosen. They do not realize this is serious business. Unless that was the standard set for the past years.
You, doctors need to get things in order.
Clearly your colleagues need the help, they work too hard for too little (pay, conditions, opportunities etc.)
Young doctor you better not visit or send any letter to the association. They will plot for your downfall because already you’re anonymous and I am feeling it for you.
It appears that the Association is above question or accountability.
Very sad!
Is there a cause for the fire yet identified cause when I read all of the diatribe I smh
The plight of a handful of medical practices who have been existing in their little space can’t be generating such mind boggling venom talk
It look like a lot of badmind and bad feelings exist among the medical fraternity. I feel sorry for Antigua people, it’s you who will continue to feel the brunt of this
The young ones didn’t think that taking a scholarship from Cuba could result in such a stony path. Medicine was once a noble profession. Now what is it?
@James Luke, I couldn’t agree with you more! The present executive, including the current president have reportedly presided over serious injustices, and there many reports of alleged castigating of targeted medical professionals in Whats-app groups. Who do you run to when the same persons who are to protect and defend you, are the very one casting the snare!? Perhaps the young doctor wrote in this forum for fear of retaliation given the known witch hunt actions of the powers that be.
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