ANTIGUA & BARBUDA TOURISM AUTHORITY

Artist rendering of The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean.

Regional Health leaders will gather in Antigua and Barbuda on Thursday 26th April for the Official Ground Breaking Ceremony to signal the start of construction of The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean at the Mount St. John Medical Centre facility.

The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean, the brainchild of Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda the Hon. W. Baldwin Spencer is a joint venture partnership between Global Health Partners, Ltd., the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Governments of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the MEI Healthcare Corporation.

In 2009, during a Regional Symposium on Services held here in Antigua, Prime Minister Spencer expressed the desire for his government to partner with the private sector in the development of a Cancer Centre, equipped with state f the art machinery and technical expertise that will serve the islands of the OECS.

According to Prime Minister Spencer, The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean will provide high quality medical, radiation and surgical Oncology services, markedly discounted for Government-supported patients. 

“In addition, The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean will aim at enhancing cancer services at Government hospitals within the OECS through the hosting of regular Oncology Clinics, develop cost effective and safe chemotherapy services, provide oversight and expertise in the various islands and provide major cost savings to partner governments.  This I believe is major progress in this field within the OECS,” said PM Spencer.

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda will play a regulatory role in the construction and management of the facility and also provide a safety net for the less fortunate who are required to utilize the services of the facility.

According to Director of The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean and a member of the Management team of Global Health Partners Limited, Dr. Conville Brown, the partnership with the Governments of the OECS will result in the provision of accessible cancer treatment services to the people of the region and this model of “Partnered Care” with an element of government ownership may well be utilized in several other areas of medicine, and in other industries such as agriculture and fisheries for moving the region forward.

The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean to be constructed on the Mount St. John Centre property at a cost of $13.5 million EC dollars will feature similar equipment to The Cancer Centre Bahamas, Varian’s Unique Linear Accelerator and will be capable of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image guided radiation therapy (IGRT).

The Board of Directors of The Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean is chaired by Sierra Leone born the Honourable Dr. Arthur Porter, Professor of Medicine and Oncology.  Former Superintendent of the Medical Benefits Scheme Cothrille George is Deputy Chair of the Board.