Antigua and Barbuda’s Cancer Center is up for sale and the government says it needs to find an investor, willing to pump US$15 million dollars into the facility, in order to keep the doors open.

Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean Ltd has been struggling financially over the years and its principals informed the government not too long ago, that it was ending business here because it was just not profitable to keep it open.

Lionel Max Hurst, the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Prime Minister said at Thursday’s Cabinet press briefing that the principals wanted US$15 million for the center.

“The Minister of Health informed the Cabinet that all the patients from Antigua and Barbuda who are reliant upon the cancer center will have an opportunity to travel outside of Antigua and Barbuda at the expense of the medical benefit service, the MBS. They will have an opportunity to travel outside of Antigua and Barbuda in order to receive the treatment. A part of the reason for so doing is that the cost which the seller of the asset is demanding is a little excessive. In fact, very excessive,” Hurst said.

He said it is the government’s objective to acquire the center so that the Antiguans and Barbudans and others from the OECS who wish to use it can continue to do so.

“The challenge we face, of course, is that the cost which he is demanding is much higher than we are prepared to pay. So, we’re looking for alternate solutions in the meantime because we’ve got to negotiate a cost that is reasonable and that the Antigua and Barbuda government can afford,” Hurst added

The facility, located is located in the Medical Pavilion on Queen Elizabeth Highway, will be closing at the end of the month after its main shareholder wrote to the

The cancer center first opened in 2015