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During a recent House of Assembly sitting, Sixth District Representative Myron Walwyn pressed Health Minister Vincent Wheatley for concrete details on a proposed cancer treatment centre, according to BVI News. Walwyn sought information on the facility’s estimated cost, funding commitments, and expected opening date—questions that appear to have caught the minister off guard.
Wheatley disclosed that while the BVI Health Services Authority had submitted a preliminary proposal previously, no comprehensive business case has been completed and the government has not committed any funding to the project. The minister argued that the territory’s small population could not sustain a specialised cancer centre, describing the earlier proposal as "not feasible."
Instead, Wheatley outlined a regional approach where Caribbean nations specialise in particular medical services. Under this model, Antigua would focus on cancer treatment, St Kitts and Nevis on kidney care, St Vincent on paediatric services, and Trinidad on prosthetics. This arrangement would allow patients from smaller territories like the BVI to access treatment across the region.
Walwyn challenged this reasoning, questioning why the minister had not demanded a comprehensive business case, particularly given the proposal’s prominence during recent budget deliberations. Wheatley acknowledged he had not requested such a study. The representative also highlighted the potential of a long-awaited cancer registry to identify the territory’s most prevalent cancers and determine which treatments could realistically be offered locally.
"I don’t like the idea of people being shipped off all over the place. We are a fairly wealthy enough country that we can take care of our own people," Walwyn stated, according to BVI News. His comments reflect growing frustration with the government’s reluctance to invest in domestic cancer care infrastructure.
The BVI has been exploring options for cancer treatment for some time, with the BVIHSA having submitted a preliminary proposal in the past. The debate reflects broader questions about healthcare capacity and investment in the territory, as well as the viability of small-island medical specialisation in the Caribbean context.
This debate mirrors healthcare challenges across smaller Caribbean territories, where limited populations and resources force difficult choices between establishing local medical facilities and participating in regional healthcare networks. The outcome could influence how other small island nations approach specialised medical care.
Sources and attribution
- BVI News
- Antigua-based Cancer Centre Receives Anguillian Patient for Life-Saving Treatment During COVID-19 Lockdown
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