On Monday, October 12, 2026, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda officially unveiled its fully renovated Autopsy Suite and Morgue, a long-awaited infrastructure upgrade that promises to transform post-mortem examinations, death probe operations, and end-of-life care for grieving families across the nation.
Situated at the intersection of Factory Road and Nugent Avenue, the facility was opened in a formal ceremony led by Honourable Michael Joseph, Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs. The project fills a critical gap in the country’s public healthcare system, addressing years of documented complaints about inadequate working conditions and substandard infrastructure at the outdated previous morgue operated by Holberton Hospital.
In his opening address, Joseph framed the inauguration as the delivery of a high-priority public commitment that directly responds to unmet needs within Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare ecosystem. While he praised the former facility for its decades of service to the nation, he highlighted that shifting population expectations and growing service demands, paired with persistent concerns from frontline staff about unsafe and undignified working conditions, made comprehensive renovation non-negotiable.
The upgraded facility has been purpose-built to support all specialized functions of modern mortuary and autopsy services, with dedicated zones including a fully equipped autopsy operating room, temperature-controlled morgue storage, administrative offices, a multi-purpose conference room, and centralized supply storage. A particularly notable addition is a private, designated waiting and viewing area for bereaved families, a design choice that centers emotional support alongside technical operational needs.
Stacey Gregg-Paige, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, emphasized that this family-focused space reflects the government’s commitment to pairing technical excellence and professional standards with compassion and sensitivity for people navigating devastating loss. She further noted that the transformed working environment must be paired with sustained commitments to professionalism, accountability, and respect for all families who rely on these essential public services.
Though the milestone was widely celebrated, Joseph reminded facility management and frontline staff that consistent, proactive maintenance will be critical to protecting the public investment in the project. He also extended formal recognition to all contributors to the renovation initiative, including planning and coordination teams, engineering and technical personnel, contracted construction crews, ministry administrative officials, and on-site workers who brought the project across the finish line. He also paid special tribute to the mortuary and autopsy staff who continued delivering critical services throughout the renovation period, working under less-than-ideal conditions to serve the public.
The ceremony was attended by a host of senior health sector leaders, including Chief Medical Officer Dr Kamaria DeCastro, Director of the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre Shivon Belle-Jarvis, Consultant Pathologist Dr Sekeena Goodwin, Dr Lester Simon, and multiple senior technical officers from the Ministry of Health, Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, and national laboratory services.
This infrastructure upgrade forms part of the Antigua and Barbuda government’s broader ongoing push to strengthen public healthcare infrastructure across the country, and improve working conditions for the frontline professionals who deliver life-saving and essential public services. In his official declaration opening the facility, Joseph called on staff and management to steward the new space to deliver on its core mission for decades to come: supporting a safe, dignified working environment for staff and compassionate, respectful care for grieving families during their most vulnerable moments.