Myron Walwyn, who represents the Sixth District, has disputed the government's rejection of a locally-based cancer treatment facility, contending that the territory possesses sufficient wealth to provide such care within its borders.
At a recent House of Assembly session, Walwyn questioned Health Minister Vincent Wheatley about the stalled proposal, asking for specifics on projected expenses, financial backing and a potential launch timeline. Wheatley disclosed that the BVI Health Services Authority had previously submitted an initial proposal, but no full business case was ever developed and the government has not allocated any funds to the project.
The health minister defended the decision by saying the original concept lacked viability, pointing to the BVI's limited population as insufficient to operate a specialised cancer centre. He outlined instead a Caribbean-wide model in which each nation focuses on particular medical specialties: Antigua handles cancer, St Kitts and Nevis manages kidney disease, St Vincent provides paediatric care and Trinidad offers prosthetics services. Patients from smaller islands would travel to these regional centres for treatment.
"The BVI could not have a specialty for cancer; the population is too small," Wheatley stated, noting that other options were under consideration.
Walwyn challenged the minister's failure to commission a thorough business case, noting the proposal had drawn substantial discussion during recent budget sessions. Wheatley subsequently conceded he had not sought one.
Walwyn also highlighted the long-pending cancer registry as a potential resource for determining which cancers most affect the BVI population and which treatments might be delivered locally. "I don't like the idea of people being shipped off all over the place. We are a fairly wealthy enough country that we can take care of our own people," Walwyn stated.
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