Government Spending Thousands on Overseas Cardiac Care as Plans Advance for Local Heart Unit
Health Minister Michael Joseph says Antigua and Barbuda is moving ahead with plans to establish a cardiac unit locally, revealing that the government recently spent tens of thousands of dollars sending patients overseas for heart-related treatment.
Speaking on Pointe FM’s On Pointe programme, Joseph said he is expected to travel to China next month to follow up on efforts to secure the cardiac unit, which he described as a key priority for the health sector.
“As a matter of fact, I think I should be traveling to China next month to follow up on getting that,” Joseph said.
The minister disclosed that within the last two weeks alone, the government spent approximately €80,000 to send patients overseas for cardiac treatment.
“We’ve spent about 80,000 euros sending individuals overseas within the last week for cardiac issues,” he said, noting that the figure demonstrates the financial burden of relying on overseas care.
Joseph said the proposed cardiac unit would allow Antigua and Barbuda to perform more invasive heart procedures locally, reducing the need to transport patients abroad and lowering healthcare costs.
“With the build-out of the cardiac unit, it would mean that we won’t have to fly patients out of Antigua when they have matters that require invasive actions. We’ll be able to do them right here,” he said.
The minister argued that local treatment would not only save money but also improve access to care for patients requiring urgent cardiac interventions.
He pointed to the growing costs associated with overseas medical referrals, noting that when the recent expenditure is projected over an entire year, the figures become significant.
Joseph said the cardiac unit forms part of a broader effort to modernize and expand healthcare services across the country.
He also identified the establishment of a mental health facility and the passage of new mental health legislation among his top priorities, describing both initiatives as critical components of the government’s healthcare agenda.
“The mental health bill and the mental health facility is top priority for us,” Joseph said.