120 Nurses to Arrive as Health Minister Flags Strain on Hospital Emergency Care

Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph says 120 nurses are expected to arrive in Antigua and Barbuda in the coming weeks, providing relief for an overstretched public health system.

Speaking during the Governor General’s annual visit to the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre on Tuesday, Joseph said mounting pressure on the hospital’s emergency department has exposed limits in its size and design.

About 25,000 patients used the emergency department this year—more than 2,000 a month—far beyond what the facility was built to handle, he said.

“The size of the emergency department cannot accommodate this volume,” Joseph said, adding that policy discussions between the Health Ministry and hospital administrators will begin shortly to address the strain.

He said solutions will extend beyond physical expansion to include changes aimed at improving patient flow, capacity and staffing. The incoming nurses are expected to be central to easing pressure on frontline staff and improving emergency care.

Further consultations are planned in the coming weeks as authorities work toward a broader response to rising demand at the country’s main public hospital.

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