Cabinet spokesman Lionel Hurst confirmed the Cabinet’s decision to convert the Edward Ward at the old Holberton Hospital into an annex to the MSJMC Dialysis Unit.
According to Hurst, “this is the first phase of a transformative plan” and this decision has been informed and advised by the Ministry of Health.
Cabinet notes state that, at this time, “approximately 120 patients are “dialysed” daily at the Mount St. John Medical Center, and more patients are requiring the service every month”.
A three-person team from a foreign firm called Renaissance was invited to Cabinet to present a proposal to address the challenge of an increasing number of dialysis patients in Antigua.
The Renaissance firm has indicated its willingness to supply new dialysis machines to a transformed Edward Ward; to train the medical personnel on the use of the new machines that it would purchase; and, to provide the supporting equipment required, including a water treatment plant.
Hurst says, however, that though the group did make a proposal to Cabinet, much more information is needed from the firm before the Cabinet can accept any proposals.
“The number of persons that might be included as a result, who would pay [the company]; what charges they would cause each patient to have to pay and so forth. Those kinds of things were absent [from the initial proposal],” said Hurst.
As a result, there has been no time-frame given as to the completion of the dialysis annex.