The Minister of Health, the Hon. Molwyn Joseph, informed the Cabinet of a troubling trend identified by senior medical practitioners at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre—a growing and alarming rise in cases of heart disease and related conditions.

According to the Minister, patients are now being admitted and treated for heart-related issues on a near-weekly basis, a situation described as reaching crisis proportions.

In response, the Cabinet immediately approved the Minister’s request to engage a Chinese cardiologist to help establish a fully operational Cardiology Unit at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.

This unit will be outfitted with a state-of-the-art catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab) and modern diagnostic equipment to treat and manage heart diseases effectively.

The Cabinet also directed the Minister to commission a comprehensive study to determine the root causes of the increase in cardiovascular complications.

The findings will inform the Government’s development of targeted public health interventions aimed at addressing hypertension, obesity, and diabetes—key risk factors that must be tackled to reduce premature deaths and improve national health outcomes.

Further, the Cabinet approved funding for the immediate procurement of additional endoscopes and colonoscopes for the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre. The Minister was also instructed to initiate the hiring process for a dedicated consultant specializing in endoscopy and colonoscopy procedures.

To bolster primary healthcare services, the Cabinet approved the appointment of Dr. Philmore Benjamin as a consultant to improve the effectiveness of community clinics.

As the first point of contact for individuals accessing healthcare, primary care is essential—it must be accessible, affordable, and community-centered, with an emphasis on prevention, wellness, and the treatment of common illnesses.

Strengthening primary care is crucial to promoting health equity and achieving universal health coverage.