Government Allocates US$800,000 for Hospital Equipment Upgrade
The government of Antigua and Barbuda has approved a funding package of US$800,000 to procure vital medical equipment for the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, aiming to strengthen healthcare delivery and modernize the country’s principal public hospital.
Chief of Staff Ambassador Lionel Hurst announced the allocation during the Post-Cabinet Media Briefing on Thursday, describing the move as part of the government’s broader efforts to improve hospital infrastructure and clinical capacity.
“The Cabinet has agreed to provide EC$800,000 to purchase much-needed equipment at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre,” Hurst said. “This is in line with our commitment to ensuring that public healthcare facilities are properly resourced.”
While officials did not release a full itemized list, the funds are expected to go toward the acquisition of specialised diagnostic and treatment equipment, as well as critical care resources for both inpatient and emergency services.
The allocation comes amid wider recognition that Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare system must be better equipped to handle rising demand, particularly following lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing challenges in emergency response.
The Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre has faced capacity and equipment shortages in recent years, prompting repeated calls from healthcare workers and patients for better tools, modern facilities, and faster turnaround for diagnostics.
This latest investment, officials say, is intended to address some of the most urgent gaps and improve the standard of care provided at the national referral hospital.
The announcement follows other recent healthcare-related initiatives, including a new nurse retention and training programme and the government’s decision to set aside US$1 million for future vaccine procurement.
“These investments reflect the government’s effort to ensure resilience and readiness in our healthcare infrastructure,” Hurst added.
The Ministry of Health is expected to work closely with hospital administrators to identify and prioritise equipment purchases, with procurement expected to begin shortly.
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I hope the money will reach the Hospital frl.
Are nurses and doctors going to Benefit for this too ?
No More shortages of Medicine and Supplies plz.
When will the changes start?
Where is the money coming from?
This government is a joke 😃
The cabinet recognizes that the patients needs to be taken care of!
Like I said this government is a joke..
Get rid of them!!
Is it $800,000.00 USD or EC …… the article states 2 different figures….. we don’t want any number misunderstanding like with Elon Musk and the “alleged DOGE savings” where they claiming 8billion in savings in some instances where it would only be 8million. I’ll just chalk it up to a typographical error
800K is a very small amount in the health industry.. They need to invest in the health of the people.
I hope the service improves at the hospital because it really sucks.
All the best 👍💯 with this. The issue is when they buy them, there is no one to fix them. So minor issues become major
Not a bad career choice
Maybe it’s just me but the 1mil they want to invest in vaccines for “a possible pandemic” would be better served in getting resources and staff for the hospital. I don’t know why you would waste that much money on a possibility unless they know something but I digress.