Cabinet has approved a sweeping investment programme aimed at modernising healthcare services at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, encompassing new medical equipment, advanced technology and expanded specialist services.
According to Antigua.news, Health Minister Michael Joseph presented proposals outlining the priority equipment needed to upgrade the country's principal hospital, with Cabinet moving swiftly to act on the recommendations.
Cabinet approved negotiations for an EC$14 million loan to finance the acquisition of critical medical equipment and separately authorised EC$2.5 million for the purchase of a new CT scanner to replace ageing diagnostic infrastructure.
The modernisation programme covers a broad range of medical equipment and systems, including new hospital beds, digital X-ray systems, neonatal incubators, anaesthesia machines, laparoscopic equipment, ophthalmology surgical technology and upgraded cybersecurity infrastructure.
Cabinet also welcomed plans for Minister Joseph to travel to China next week to explore potential partnerships with HE Vision Group, an international leader in AI-powered ophthalmology technology. The government hopes a proposed eye screening programme stemming from those discussions could allow more than 80 percent of Antigua and Barbuda's population to receive vision screening before year-end.
In further developments, Cabinet confirmed that 24-hour pharmacy services at Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre are expected to launch on October 1. The hospital's Sickle Cell Unit is also scheduled to become fully operational on August 6.
Officials say the investments represent one of the most comprehensive healthcare modernisation initiatives undertaken in the country in recent years.
