Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph has announced a new healthcare model that will see doctors assigned full-time to community clinics across Antigua and Barbuda, marking a major shift in the way primary healthcare services are delivered.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Seaview Farm for All Saints West MP Hon. Anthony Smith Jr., Joseph said the reform aims to ensure clinics are open five days a week and equipped to offer broader, more consistent care.
“Currently, our clinics provide antenatal, postnatal, wound care, and diabetic services,” Joseph said. “But under this new approach, we will have a physician present every day from Monday to Friday, and we will expand to include full-time eye care.”
He highlighted that over 2,000 cataract surgeries have been performed free of charge in Antigua and Barbuda under the Medical Benefits Scheme, calling it an example of how accessible care can change lives.
The Health Minister also announced that the All Saints Clinic will be upgraded into a full polyclinic, offering free dental care, along with nephrology, gynecology, radiology, and basic lab testing.
“In the future, if you need a pap smear or certain blood tests, you won’t have to go to the Celeste Bird Medical Centre,” Joseph said. “You’ll be able to get those services right at the All Saints Clinic.”
Joseph said the initiative is part of the government’s plan to decentralize health services so that major clinics can serve nearby communities such as Seaview Farm, Buckley’s, and Freemans Village.
He also provided updates on national projects, including a new dialysis center at the Old Holberton Hospital, expected to open within 12 to 18 months. The facility will expand capacity from 27 to 45 stations and include a surgical theatre for kidney transplants.
“We have already completed 15 successful kidney transplants in Antigua and Barbuda — the first country in the OECS to do so,” he said. “This new facility will serve both residents and returning nationals who depend on dialysis treatment.”
Joseph concluded by reaffirming the government’s focus on “polyclinics, not pop-up clinics,” emphasizing that every major facility will operate at least five days per week to provide consistent, community-based healthcare.
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