By Tahna Weston
An attorney-at-law and resident of the St Paul Constituency is continuing to raise questions about a Child Health Clinic being housed in the St Paul’s Empowerment Centre.
Wayne Benjamin Marsh was quoted in a recent article as expressing his concerns that the Empowerment Centre, owned by a government minister, is offering clinical services without official word coming from the Ministry of Health that it has been designated the centre for such a purpose.
However, in response to Marsh’s concerns, the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) issued a press release on November 8, which said that the facility was being used to ensure uninterrupted healthcare services to families and children within the community. This has become necessary as the Cobbs Cross Clinic is under construction and the Liberta Clinic is undergoing refurbishment.
But Marsh expressed his dissatisfaction with the explanations put forward for the use of the facility as a Child Health Clinic.
“Well, I am concerned to the extent that it would seem to me that before a decision is made to ask persons or to open this child health centre at the Empowerment Centre, one should have looked at … the alternate locations within the St Paul’s community.
“We have two clinics, and as far as we know, those two clinics are closed and it would seem to me highly improper, perhaps not unethical, but highly improper for the minister who owns this building to direct — whether it be by the community health nurse or the community nurse — to direct the traffic or to direct the provision of healthcare services to a facility that he owns. It is not something that ought to be encouraged,” Marsh said.
He added that it has not been made clear what role the Ministry of Health played in this arrangement. He also noted that since his concerns had been highlighted via another media house, the health ministry has not issued any response. In fact, he pointed out that it is the ABLP through its press release that indicated that the request came from the community nurse.
While querying who is the community nurse, Marsh said this individual has no authority to make such recommendations as it’s the Ministry of Health’s duty to respond to requests and to put proper facilities in place for the provision of healthcare services in the community.
“Who is this community nurse, because it would seem to me that a community nurse could be any nurse that works within the community.
“There’s a channel in which decision-making ought to flow and that has not been followed. It seems to me that there’s a clear disconnect between the Ministry of Health and the minister or the representative of St Paul, and that is the issue that we must address,” he said.
The attorney added that information outlined in the press release — that the establishment of the temporary Child Health Clinic is in line with a mission of public service, and provides essential services to families at no cost — does not address concerns as to whether any financial benefit is being accrued for use of the building.
“The issue of provision of health services for persons in St Paul and the nation of Antigua and Barbuda has always been free. Persons are not required to pay when they go to the clinic. My concern or the concerns of those persons who have contacted me is whether or not the minister and the representative for St Paul is receiving monies paid to him directly.
“We all know that he’s the owner of the Empowerment Centre. He has confirmed that himself. And so it is not a question of whether or not the persons who receive services there are paying for it. It is a question as to whether or not he’s using his position as minister and as MP for the area to personally feather his pocket. It’s a simple question that we’re asking and he’s not responding to it,” Marsh added.
The St Paul resident also raised questions about healthcare for other vulnerable members of the community including the elderly, since the clinic is now been deemed a Child Health Clinic.
The ABLP release described Marsh as being politically motivated and accused him of providing misinformation about the clinic.
However, he denied this claim stating that he is “only a vessel directing or asking questions on behalf of persons who are concerned”.
