Residents of Antigua and Barbuda living with limb differences have gained a new pathway to critical care, following the signing of a bilateral healthcare agreement that will send eligible patients to Trinidad and Tobago for life-changing prosthetic services. The partnership, finalized between Antigua and Barbuda’s Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre and the Trinidad and Tobago National Prosthetic Centre, was officially announced this week by Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant during a post-Cabinet media briefing held on Thursday.
Merchant confirmed that the collaborative arrangement is now fully active, clearing the way for patients to travel to the neighboring twin-island nation to complete the full process of prosthetic assessment and custom fitting. The agreement addresses a longstanding gap in local healthcare, as specialized prosthetic care has not been consistently accessible to patients within Antigua and Barbuda’s domestic healthcare system. The announcement came as part of a formal report to the national Cabinet, delivered by the country’s Minister of Health before details were shared with the public.
While the new partnership marks a significant step forward in expanding care access for patients in need, key details of the program remain undisclosed as of the briefing. Merchant declined to share information on when the first group of patients will travel for treatment, what criteria will be used to determine patient eligibility, and whether the Antigua and Barbuda government will assume costs for travel, accommodation, and prosthetic treatment for participating patients. Healthcare advocates have welcomed the agreement as a critical improvement to local care options, though many are calling for the rapid release of additional program details to help patients plan for care.