The Cabinet meeting commenced with a prayer by a Minister of religion followed by a discussion relating to the repurposing of land across Antigua and Barbuda. Land lying fallow is to be put to profitable use whenever the opportunity arises, the Cabinet affirmed. That policy has operated ever since the sugarcane industry ended in Antigua in 1972.
1. The Cabinet invited Dr. Edda Hadeed to its meeting to discuss Sickle Cell Anemia as a healthcare challenge in Antigua and Barbuda. The Doctor pointed out that pain management is one of the greatest challenges faced by those who have the full blown disease. Sickle Cell is inherited from parents and it is a blood condition with pain which affects all aspects of a patient’s life. During a crisis, oxygen is cut off in the blood; harm results to many of the organs within the body. One out of every five persons in Antigua and Barbuda carries the trait, and about 1,000 sickle cell patients rely on medicines to help them to manage the pain. The amount of morphine available in Antigua is determined by the Chief Pharmacist, who has responsibility to ensure that the morphine is used only by very sick patients. The Cabinet agreed that a clinic dedicated to treating Sickle Cell patients, will be established on the Old Holberton Hospital grounds. The primary objective is to arrange to treat the pain experienced by a patient during a crisis as quickly as possible, diverting the patients from the hospital; harm to the patients’ organs can be minimized by early pain management, the Cabinet was told.
2. The Cabinet invited an expert in meditation and stress-free living to its meeting, accompanied by a Bishop of a Christian Church, upon the urging of the Attorney General who was impressed by the success rate of the expert. More than 10,000 centers around the world have been established by the institution which has dispatched the expert to Antigua and Barbuda; she was previously in Trinidad for six years. The expert explained to Cabinet the methodologies utilized to overcome anger and violence with meditation and other stress-free techniques. The expert sought some benefits to which the Cabinet readily agreed.
3. The Cabinet invited the Head of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Committee to its meeting in order to determine how best to serve as many Antigua and Barbuda Youth with the limited financial resources available for scholarships. The Gaston Browne administration expended more than EC$23 million on the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Program in one year. The Cabinet determined that scholarship funds for students attending UWI Five Islands and UWI Mona will have their awards paid directly to the UWI rather than to the students. The Cabinet reiterated its policy towards its own employees receiving Prime Minister’s Scholarship monies; those who receive their monthly salaries while studying abroad may not also receive scholarship funds.
4. I) The Cabinet agreed to the establishment and construction of a neurological clinic on the Old Holberton Hospital Site. The Clinic will treat neurological illnesses and will be led by an American named Myron Rolle; he will arrange the financing, the design, the cost of construction and will give an undertaking to treat nationals and residents of Antigua and Barbuda which will reduce their costs below the amounts that the patients coming out of the US and UK will pay.
ii) The Minster of Health reported that the number of women suffering from cervical cancer has doubled in the last two years. The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is solely responsible; it is a sexually transmitted disease that strikes at women, causes cancer if untreated, and can be prevented by administering a vaccine before girls begin engaging in sexual relations. The Minister pointed out that vaccination, treatment and screening are the three steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of the disease significantly. It can be eliminated from the Antigua and Barbuda population in four years by aggressive application of the anti-viral drug.
iii) The Minister of Health reported that there is a crisis in kidney failures, judging by the number of adults whose reliance on dialysis has increased. Hypertension and diabetes are the two culprits. He again reiterated the need for a balanced diet, a reduction in the consumption of salty foods and sugary drinks, and the need for exercise. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is the major cause of death and amputations among the Antigua and Barbuda adult population. Changing diet and abandoning a sedentary lifestyle are two methods by which these dreaded diseases can be avoided.
5. i) The Cabinet was informed by the Minister of Works that roller-compact- concrete-pavement will become the new method for road building. The pavement absorbs far less moisture than asphalt roads, to which Antiguans have grown accustomed, and will not develop potholes. Samples were shared with Cabinet members. Work on community roads will commence shortly utilizing this new technology.
ii) Rehabilitation of the Magistrates’ Court on High Street is almost complete and the building may likely be ready by the end of January 2024 if no disruptions take place.
iii) The Cabinet agreed to complete the seating stand at the Bolans Playing Field which was stalled because of the lack of building resources and other challenges.
iv) The Cabinet has received a request from a group out of the United Kingdom called the Caravelle Group, hoping to improve on the Cassada Gardens racetrack. The Head of the Cassada Gardens Racetrack is eager to improve the conditions there. The Cabinet is considering alternatives.
6. i) The Cabinet expresses its condolences to the wife and family of the late John Jarvis, Chairman of the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission at the time of his death. He was an outstanding servant of the people of Antigua and Barbuda having served as Chairman of the Carnival Development Committee, and a member of a plethora civic organizations that significantly impacted the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.
ii) The Cabinet also expresses its condolences to the wife, relatives, colleagues and friends of Dr. Patrick Lewis. A former Ambassador to the United States, the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN). he was a Consultant to the Honourable Lester Bird in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the decade of independence. A thanksgiving service will be held in Antigua. He died in Hampton, Virginia, where he lectured at the Hampton Institute.
