The Government of St. Lucia allocated $11 million to the Millennium Heights Medical Complex (MHMC) to address financial challenges and clear outstanding debts. The allocation follows the Prime Minister’s recent promise to revolutionize healthcare financing in St. Lucia. Officials announced the funding on August 23, 2024, sourcing it from the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP) and government treasury.
The MHMC includes the Owen King EU Hospital, the National Mental Wellness Centre, and the Turning Point Rehabilitation Centre. In recent years, the complex faced financial difficulties. The government intervened with financial support to restore the complex’s ability to deliver quality healthcare.
Joanna Reynolds-Atherton, Chair or the MHMC Board of Directors, acknowledged the government’s swift response. “About four weeks ago, the board was invited to a cabinet meeting to discuss the question of financing… Today, we are witnessing the outcome of these meetings,” she said.
Health Minister Hon. Moses Jn. Baptiste emphasized the government’s commitment to healthcare. He stated, “The financing of healthcare is foremost in our deliberation every time we meet in cabinet.”
Prime Minister Hon. Phillip J. Pierre also stressed the importance of accountability in healthcare spending. “What we are investing in is taxpayer money… I will reveal to the country how we are going to hopefully and permanently solve the financial issues related to healthcare in St. Lucia,” he stated.
The government’s $11 million allocation is expected to help the MHMC overcome its financial challenges and continue to provide essential healthcare services.
Source/Photo credit: Government of St. Lucia
