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Antigua’s Cancer Center Opening Delayed Amid Equipment Procurement Issues, PM Says
The reopening of Antigua and Barbuda’s Cancer Center has been delayed due to challenges in acquiring specialized medical equipment, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has confirmed.
Speaking in Parliament, Browne said the facility is currently undergoing renovations and the new owners have procured updated equipment from abroad.
However, the arrival of these essential medical devices is expected to take another 60 to 90 days, further pushing back the center’s operational timeline.
“It’s not easy to acquire this type of equipment,” Browne explained. “These are specialized devices that cannot simply be purchased off the shelf. The procurement process takes time, but we are aware that orders have been placed.”
As part of the upgrades, outdated radiation therapy equipment at the facility will be removed. The government is working with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure the safe disposal of radioactive materials, Browne said.
“The Minister of Health is making arrangements to bring in experts to oversee the removal process,” he told Parliament. “Proper disposal is crucial, as we do not have the expertise locally to handle such materials.”
The opposition pressed for details on the new owners of the Cancer Center and whether they were linked to a company recently scrutinized in a New York Times article.
While Browne acknowledged that a company within the group had been referenced in the report, he maintained that the technology in question was still in use and had shown positive results in treating cancer patients.
The facility, which has faced multiple setbacks in recent years, is expected to offer advanced cancer treatments once fully operational. However, no definitive opening date has been set.
Health advocates have called for greater transparency on the center’s ownership structure and the services it will provide. The delay also raises concerns for cancer patients in need of urgent treatment, with many forced to seek care abroad.
Officials say efforts are ongoing to expedite the installation of new equipment and finalize the necessary regulatory approvals to bring the facility back into service.
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Happy to hear about progress, but will the center be affordable for all citizens?💰⚖️
Much needed! I hope this facility will be equipped with top-tier specialists. 👩⚕️🔬
Good update, but we also need a focus on prevention and early detection programs. 🎗️🩺
I hope this center reduces the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment. ✈️🚫
Looking forward to the launch! Will the center collaborate with regional medical experts?
Cancer care in Antigua has been long overdue—let’s ensure high-quality service.
The record shows that ALEX BROWNE VOTED AGAINST THE CANCER CENTER.
Yet another doomed investment project brought to Antigua by the incompetent Balwin Spencer administration which failed to conduct the necessary due diligence on this investor/investment, so desperate were they to show their capacity to attract investment in the country. By this time, however, it was too late and Spencer and his incompetent givernment were kicked out if office in spectacular fashion.
So, once again, it is left to the Gaston Browne Administration to correct the UPP’s mismanagement of the country’s governance – just like the car park, the Wadadli power plant, the “cobbled’ streets, the total absence of capital investment for ten years, the desperate reaching out to the IMF to further place their dirty “foots on our necks” (to use Pearl Quinn’s words”) just to name a few. And to think that these Ugly People and their Party, the UPP, have the temerity to demand explanations from this government, for the inevitable closure of their Cancer Center, among other things. Let’s not mistake “balls” for unmitigating gall. LEST WE FORGET!
Smart politician,Gaston know when he unpopular with the people so he give them trinkets as though they are kids, telling theme giving them cancer center ad though he is giving the nation candies.