SLBMC Staff Told to Welcome New Nurses as Ghanaian Medical Professionals Arrive to Support Health System

Staff at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) have been advised to prepare to welcome a new cohort of medical professionals from Ghana, as Antigua and Barbuda moves to ease ongoing staffing shortages within the healthcare sector.

In a notice issued on behalf of the SLBMC Board of Directors and Management, it was confirmed that the country is expected to receive a group of Ghanaian healthcare workers in the coming days. The team includes Registered Nurses — some with specialised training — Laboratory Technologists, and Mental Health Officers.

According to the advisory, SLBMC is expected to benefit significantly from the initiative, with approximately eighty (80) Registered Nurses and two (2) Laboratory Technologists slated for placement at the country’s main public hospital. Other members of the cohort will be deployed across community settings, clinics, and healthcare institutions nationwide.

While the professionals will arrive shortly, hospital management stressed that they will not immediately begin clinical duties. Instead, they will undergo orientation and onboarding processes over the coming weeks to ensure they are fully integrated into the local healthcare system and aligned with SLBMC’s standards of care and workplace practices.

The Board and Management acknowledged that Antigua and Barbuda’s healthcare system has been under sustained pressure in recent years, citing staff shortages, increased workloads, and burnout among healthcare workers. The arrival of the Ghanaian professionals is expected to provide much-needed relief, strengthen healthcare teams, and improve both service delivery and staff well-being.

Hospital leadership emphasized that the incoming professionals are highly trained, qualified, and experienced, and will be joining SLBMC as colleagues and partners in care.

Staff were encouraged to extend a warm, respectful, and professional welcome to the new team members, with management underscoring the importance of teamwork, mutual support, and collaboration as the institution continues to serve the national community.

The notice concluded by thanking existing staff for their continued dedication, resilience, and commitment during what has been a challenging period for the healthcare sector.