Dr. Griffin Benjamin remains on administrative leave; no word yet from Health Ministry

Several weeks after being placed on administrative leave, the Head of Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Griffin Benjamin, remains off the job, with no indication from the Ministry of Health as to when, or if, he will be allowed to return.

Dr. Benjamin, a respected psychiatrist from Dominica, was sent on administrative leave in early September, pending an investigation into what the Ministry described as “serious concerns” surrounding his professional conduct and management of the mental health facility.

In a letter issued by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Benjamin was instructed to refrain from performing official duties, avoid entering any government health institution, and surrender all Clarevue property, including keys, files, and records. The letter also imposed an unusual restriction, barring him from leaving Antigua and Barbuda without written permission.

The move followed a complaint related to the confinement of an American University of Antigua (AUA) student at Clarevue between August 15 and 27, 2025, and questions over the use of a long-acting injectable antipsychotic medication that officials said was not on the government’s formulary. Reports also suggested that some patients were charged $150 for the drug outside official channels.

However, the medication in question has reportedly been in use for years in Antigua and is listed on the wider OECS formulary, raising questions about the basis of the Ministry’s concerns.

At the time, the Ministry emphasized that the decision was not punitive but “strictly precautionary” as part of a fact-finding process. Yet, weeks later, there has been no public update on the outcome of that investigation, and Dr. Benjamin has not been reinstated.

Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital, long burdened by management instability, outdated facilities, and chronic staffing shortages, has been without a permanent medical head since Dr. Benjamin’s departure.

His appointment in 2024 was seen as a key step toward reforming Antigua and Barbuda’s struggling mental health system.