The Barbados Nurses Association (BNA) has issued a stark warning regarding the potential strain on the nation’s healthcare system due to the impending implementation of the CARICOM free movement agreement. Starting Wednesday, citizens of Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines will be permitted to live and work across these nations without requiring work permits or CARICOM skilled national certificates. While this move aims to foster regional integration, the BNA has expressed concerns over the lack of adequate planning and resources to manage the anticipated influx of migrants. Dr Fay Parris, President of the BNA, highlighted that while discussions on migration frameworks and qualification standardization have taken place, nurses have been excluded from critical high-level talks addressing resource allocation and staffing needs. She emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues, given the imminent implementation date. Public concern has surged, with many Barbadians voicing fears on radio programs that the healthcare system, already grappling with a chronic nursing shortage, could be further overwhelmed. To mitigate staffing gaps, Barbados has historically relied on recruiting nurses from Ghana, Cuba, and the Philippines. However, challenges persist, including high failure rates among local nursing students, which threaten the sustainability of the domestic nursing workforce. Dr Arthur Phillips, Senior Medical Officer of Health, assured that the Ministry of Health and Wellness has been providing primary and emergency care to CARICOM nationals under existing policies. Nonetheless, Dr Parris stressed the need for comprehensive planning to safeguard the nursing workforce and health infrastructure from being overburdened by the new arrangement.