The Virgin Islands is moving to establish a formal referral arrangement with Trinidad and Tobago's National Prosthetics Centre in Penal, allowing residents who have lost limbs to access prosthetic care through the facility.
Health and Social Development Minister Vincent O. Wheatley toured the centre on Friday, October 16, 2026, during official travel to Trinidad and Tobago. The visit built on earlier talks between Wheatley and Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe at the Pan American Health Organisation.
The Penal facility stands out for its speed: prosthetic limbs can be produced within hours, with some patients fitted the day after arrival. Wheatley said this combination of rapid turnaround and specialist expertise reflects the standard of care the VI should offer its residents.
"I met with the Centre's staff and reviewed the full process, from assessment and production to fitting and rehabilitation, to understand what a partnership between our two territories would require," Wheatley said in a Facebook post.
The VI's health ministry will now coordinate with Trinidad and Tobago officials to finalise the arrangement. Work ahead includes setting out which VI patients qualify for referral, establishing how cases will be sent to the centre, and planning how patients will be supported after returning home.
Wheatley positioned the initiative as part of a wider push to broaden healthcare access for Virgin Islanders, especially those living with disabilities. He expressed thanks to Dr Bodoe and the National Prosthetics Centre team for their openness to collaboration and said updates would follow as the partnership develops.
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