Patients living with sickle cell disease in Antigua and Barbuda are set to benefit from a historic addition to the country’s healthcare system, a dedicated treatment and care unit specifically for their needs.

The facility, located on the compound of the Old Holberton Hospital, is expected to open within two weeks and will provide 24-hour care, aiming to improve patient outcomes and reduce hospitalization times.

“For the first time in the history of Antigua and Barbuda, we will have a place where sickle cell patients can be treated and stay overnight because they now have a place where they can rest,” said Sir Molwyn Joseph, Minister of Health.

The unit is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the Sir Lester Bird Medical Center, the Sickle Cell Association, and the American University of Antigua.

Dr. Shivon Belle-Jarvis, Medical Director of SLBMC, stressed the importance of comprehensive care for sickle cell patients beyond newborn screening.

“Since September 2020, we’ve actually screened just over 4,700 newborns. Now the commitment to sickle cell disease goes beyond newborn screening. It must include appropriate care for crises which include pain and other such presentations. Therefore, it was deemed to be very important in order to facilitate optimized and efficient care for patients with sickle cell disease to have a sickle cell unit,” she said

Most of the infrastructure work is complete, according to Dr. Belle-Jarvis, with only minor finishing touches remaining. “Significant repairs have been done. The roof is no longer leaking, the walls have been painted. What is left to be done is the installation of a ramp to facilitate ease of access for our patients and also the implementation of gauze. We actually prefer not to utilize the air condition unit, because it can trigger crisis,” she explained.

The facility will be staffed by trained healthcare professionals, including at least two physicians and two nurses, alongside clerical support. “We are thinking to have at least two physicians and two nursing staff. We also need clerical staff but it’s not just about having staff because we want staff who are compassionate, staff who have empathy, staff who are passionate more so about sickle cell disease of which we’ve already certified two physicians. These physicians will have to undergo specialized training at least a month overseas, a short stint in a sickle cell unit so that they can appreciate the management,” Dr. Belle-Jarvis added.

Health officials anticipate that the sickle cell unit will be fully operational within the next two weeks, offering a long-awaited lifeline to patients and their families.