Antigua and Barbuda patients afflicted with cancer will soon be able to receive
cutting end cancer therapy with the planned reopening of the Cancer Centre
located adjacent to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.
The announcement comes from Prime Minister Gaston Browne who revealed that
the deal to complete the sale of the entity has been reached with a North American
company that is to take over the operations of the facility shortly.
“I am pleased to announce that we closed the sale of the cancer Centre on Friday
for EC$13 million. We acquired the building, not the equipment, and the value that
has always been placed on the building was that amount. There is an entity out of
North America that is involved in the health space. They have a number of novel
cancer treatment and they will be providing the services here. In addition, they
have some products that will be exported throughout the region from St. John’s,
and that cancer centre services are now likely to become an export product for the
Caribbean region,” he reported.
In the case of locals, the prime minister indicated that the price for treatment at the
cancer centre has been capped atUS$12,000.00 per persons, which he indicated the
government will underwrite. Under the former operation of the centre, that amount
was at US$10,000.00, but the prime minister explained that this meant that the
government had to write off the cost of electricity. In absence of this, therefore, the
government agreed increase the amount it spends on each patient receiving
treatment at the facility.
The prime minister comments came on Saturday’s Browne and Browne show on
Pointe FM, where he spoke of the push for Antigua and Barbuda to export certain
services, such as health care, health education with plans for a new medical school
as well as educational services offered through the UWI FIC.
PM Browne also revealed too that Ambassador, Dr. Joseph (Joey) John, has built
out a private hospital and that this too will be providing healthcare services not just
for Antigua and Barbuda but for the rest of the north eastern Caribbean. These
include cosmetics surgery among other therapies.
Many are already benefitting from some of these services, according to the prime
minister.
“For example, we have developed a very extensive stem-cell industry. Every
month, we have dozens of North Americans traveling here to get treatment with
stem cell. So, you can come to the Caribbean for vacation and leave rejuvenated
because of the many services that we will offer,” he revealed.
