Antigua just ordered a fresh batch of 120 nurses from Ghana to plug the massive holes left by locals fleeing for better pay abroad. Maurice Merchant confirmed these reinforcements touch down on January 23 to keep the public health system from collapsing completely. This move attempts to fix a staffing crisis that gets worse every week as qualified workers migrate elsewhere.
The incoming squad will mostly staff the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, while others head to community clinics and schools. Officials claim these recruits bring high-level experience and training to the table immediately. The government admits they need these foreign professionals right away to maintain basic service delivery standards for the public.
Locals keep getting poached by countries offering better deals, which forces the administration into this contractual arrangement with Ghana. While they claim to be fixing the problem long-term by training students at UWI Five Islands Campus, importing labor remains the only quick fix available. The strategy simply aims to stop the bleeding while they figure out how to keep their own people at home.
The incoming squad will mostly staff the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, while others head to community clinics and schools. Officials claim these recruits bring high-level experience and training to the table immediately. The government admits they need these foreign professionals right away to maintain basic service delivery standards for the public.
Locals keep getting poached by countries offering better deals, which forces the administration into this contractual arrangement with Ghana. While they claim to be fixing the problem long-term by training students at UWI Five Islands Campus, importing labor remains the only quick fix available. The strategy simply aims to stop the bleeding while they figure out how to keep their own people at home.
