Antigua and Barbuda’s government is accelerating plans to launch a permanent domestic cardiac care unit, after disclosing that it has already poured tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars into emergency heart treatment for citizens abroad in just the last fortnight. Health Minister Michael Joseph shared new details of the initiative during a recent appearance on Pointe FM’s current affairs program *On Pointe*, confirming that he will travel to China next month to advance negotiations and finalize arrangements for the long-awaited facility, which he has labeled a top strategic priority for the nation’s health sector.
Joseph revealed that over the previous 14 days, the government spent roughly 80,000 euros to fly patients requiring urgent cardiac intervention to overseas medical centers. This staggering short-term expenditure, he emphasized, lays bare the unsustainable financial strain of relying on foreign healthcare for critical heart services. When extrapolated to a full calendar year, the cumulative cost of overseas referrals reaches levels that place enormous pressure on public health budgets, he added.
Once completed, the new local cardiac unit will enable medical teams in Antigua and Barbuda to perform all major invasive heart procedures on-site, eliminating the need for expensive, time-sensitive patient transport abroad. Beyond cutting long-term healthcare costs, Minister Joseph noted that domestic cardiac care will dramatically improve access to life-saving treatment for patients experiencing urgent heart events, removing the delays that come with arranging international medical travel.
The cardiac care project forms part of a broader government push to upgrade and expand the country’s entire public healthcare system. Joseph also highlighted two additional high-priority initiatives: the construction of a dedicated national mental health facility and the passage of new, comprehensive mental health legislation. Both projects, he said, are core components of the administration’s ongoing healthcare modernization agenda, cementing mental health support as a central focus alongside advancements in cardiac care.