Minister John Maginley on the Opening of Mount St. John’s Medical Centre

Address by the Hon. Minister of Health John Maginley on the Opening of Mount St. John’s Medical Centre.

GOOD MORNING

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come and to be a part of what is truly a great, long-awaited-for day in Antigua and Barbuda: the opening of the Mount St. John’s Medical Center!

This day represents so much more than just the opening of a hospital; it represents and truly embodies what happens when ordinary people come together, driven to accomplish extraordinary things! And, as you and I well know, it has not been easy. Trust me, I would have welcomed and celebrated inheriting a national health and health care profile that was far stronger than that I inherited from the last administration. But, that was far from the case.

That said and while I am the first to say that it has not been easy, I am also the first to say that it has been worth it; it has been completely worth it because from today on, we will be a healthier, happier nation! And, our visitors can come here knowing that if, and God forbid when, they should find themselves in need of medical care – even specialized care – that they will receive it in short order, on our shores, and of a quality level that rivals that of anywhere else in the world. So, this is a great, great day!

I want to first recognize the leadership of the honorable Prime Minister who has been a great stabilizing force in making today a reality and if it was not for his timely interventions from time to time I am not so sure we would be here today.

I would also like to recognize the tremendous effort of the Board and again say to the Board Members how much we all appreciate the work that you have been and are doing in service to this institution.

Also to the staff at the Ministry of Health who were the original working group in getting this project restarted I thank you for your support.

Of course, over the last few years, I know that everyone here has read the papers and heard on the radio about all of the bickering and back-and-forth that has occurred since we – the UPP – resumed efforts to open this needed facility.

But, let me be clear and not mince words. I want to emphasize the word RESUME because prior to our party winning the last election, the former administration had its chance to do what we – the UPP – have done today: to put the health and well being of every man, woman and child in Antigua and Barbuda first; to follow through on promises for a healthier tomorrow; to not offer excuses in lieu of action and progress; and to ensure that regardless of your socioeconomic status or health care needs, that you could – and from today on will – receive world-class health care here at home.

And, let me add this: billboards, with photo-shopped images of my face at cemeteries with suggestions and overtures that I let – willingly let – people – my fellow brothers and sisters – die –should be interpreted as nothing more than they are: a pathetic, desperate, calculated and unethical attempt on the part of the ALP to tap into a politics of fear; a politics of yesteryear; and a politics that has no place in Antigua and Barbuda today.

Ladies and gentlemen, I live here, so I have seen those billboards and so have my children, and I know which doctor underwrote their production. So, it would be remiss of me if I did not add this: to those doctors who are gifted with a scalpel, but who lack sound political acumen and good judgment, and to those elected officials with weird political acumen, but who know little of health care, please heed the same advice: God does not sleep.

Be that as it may, I must admit that I was taken aback when I saw the billboards – not only because the billboards are misleading and malicious, but because they represent what the UPP has long denounced, but what the ALP has always done. These billboards show that the ALP have and clearly continue to resort to under-handed tactics and false accusations to shamefully scare thinking – yes THINKING – voters into letting rumor trump fact; into letting accusations overshadow truth; and into making constituents fall victim to what the ALP has NOT given you credit for doing as you head to the polls, but what the UPP has always respected about you: for thinking; for being thinking, thoughtful voters.

So, to those who Photoshopped and approved those billboards and to those who wrote the checks to have them produced, I say this: I understand and take very seriously that today, the men, women and children in Antigua and Barbuda are faced with very serious problems that extend beyond just health care. And, these serious problems demand serious, thoughtful leaders who have the commitment and passion to rise above the fray; to take a stand; and to be as prepared as they are humble, ethical and accountable to implement serious solutions that will surmount what under the leadership of the ALP seemed and was thus deemed insurmountable, but that which under the leadership of the UPP has been surmounted today!

So, as we open the doors to this great facility, I ask you to think about rhetoric over record; I ask you to think about the rhetoric of the ALP over the record of action and progress of the UPP; I ask you to think about the undelivered promises that were made by the ALP versus the positive changes that have been made by the UPP; and I ask you to think about the disastrous direction this nation was once on versus the positive direction we have been on in the last five years and that we hopefully will continue to stay on over the next several decades.

I have given much thought to it and I must admit that it reminds me of the words of President Barack Obama – who I had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago – who, throughout his campaign and even in the early days of his historic presidency, denounced the politics of cynicism and the politics of fear and hate; and denounced the negative, counter-productive politics that lead good, decent, hard-working and thinking individuals to let hateful, contentious and juvenile political rhetoric speak louder than sound record.

Well, the time for such politics has ended in the United States and around the globe, including in Antigua and Barbuda. And so, the record of the UPP can and should stand on its own merit against the empty rhetoric of the ALP. And, the opening of the Mt. St. John’s Medical Center is but one example of not only the UPP’s ability to bring about change, but its commitment to working with you – the people of Antigua and Barbuda – to ensure that the change we bring about touches every family and community in a positive manner.

And, while they claim that this opening is politically-driven; that we sat on this facility for nearly five years and let the health and well being of Antiguans and Barbudans suffer; and that we are just now opening this facility to garner votes; to those claims, I say this: we’ll accept the time we took to get to today. However, it was time worth taking because it was not driven by politics, but rather by our commitment and promises to the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

You see, while I am the Minister of Health, I am first and foremost the father of two children who live here. And, my children – like all of yours, I am sure – make the sun rise and set for me. And, so, for anyone to suggest that I would prolong offering to all the men, women and children in Antigua and Barbuda access to reliable, high-quality health care for political purposes, and that I and the Prime Minister would jeopardize the health and well-being of all residents here for the sake of votes when I have two children who live here and seek medical care here is not only offensive, but simply does not make sense.

I ask you this: what father would do that? What Minister of Health would do that? Perhaps one that did exactly what I – and my colleagues – are wrongfully accused of doing: sitting on this facility, deprioritizing your health and wellness and that of your families and loved ones, and not working to get Mt. St. John’s fully functional and opened for nearly seven years. Yes the former administration started this facility in 1998 with all the funds provided by the bank to complete the job in twenty months…yet seven years later it was only sixty eight percent complete.

You know, it is not lost on me and should not be lost on all of you that those who accuse you of actions often base their accusations on that which they know they would do. Thankfully for the residents of Antigua and Barbuda, those types of individuals are not members of the UPP. They are members of the other party; the party that thinks that their shocking rhetoric and novice accusations will overshadow and even hide their lack of action.

However, it is still ironic, is it not? We worked hard – very hard – to get this hospital opened after those before us failed at the effort. And, now that we have accomplished this success, we are being criticized for doing what others have been unable to do.

But, I believe this: I believe that the men and women of Antigua and Barbuda are smarter than believing the false, erroneous messages of a trumped-up billboard; I believe that you are too clever to fall for such nonsense. And, here is another truth: it is because I am a father of two growing children here; it is because I am the son of a beloved father here; it is because I am the brother of siblings here; it is because I am the friend of great friends here; it is because I have so many mentors – without whose counsel I would be lost – who live here; and, equally as important, it is because the wonderful men and women in St. John’s Rural North put their trust in me five years ago that I took great care and needed time to ensure that we – the UPP – would keep our promises when we opened this hospital.

So, for me, today is not just about a hospital opening, for it has deeply-grounded political, professional and personal significance because after today, I know that those I love and care about the most – my family, friends, constituents, colleagues and fellow Antiguans and Barbudans – will all have access to the high-quality health care treatments and services that they may need on their own shores throughout their continuum of life in Antigua and Barbuda.

In many ways, I guess, it truly does boil down to this: as it relates to the initiatives undertaken by the Health Ministry, Prime Minister the honorable Baldwin Spencer and I were never and will never be interested in just getting something done for the sake of getting it done; we have always been interested in and committed to getting it done right; in getting it done well!

And today, with the opening of the Mt. St. John’s Medical Center, we have accomplished just that because even in the face of ill-informed criticisms, we took great care to identify and ensure that we were working with the best the island had to offer; with the most informed health planning experts; and with the most highly-skilled medical, nursing and clinical practitioners – both here and from beyond – so that when we opened the doors of this hospital, we would be ready for the people of Antigua and Barbuda.

And so, the opening of this hospital today sends a very clear message to all men, women and children in Antigua and Barbuda about how committed the UPP is to preserving good health, providing expert medical care and ensuring that every person here has access to needed health care services and treatments throughout every phase of their lives.

As I have so often said, as the Minister of Health in Antigua and Barbuda, I have thought long and hard about how to improve the quality and expand the breadth of health services to every person on our shores when our health care needs – and those of our visitors and guests – exceed our available resources. And, early on, the solution was clearly two-fold:

1) we needed to do more to meet the health care needs of the people where there are – in their communities – and so we repaired and rebuilt many of our community clinics and expanded the pharmacy services in the communities..and
2) we needed to ensure that when community-based health care services were not enough that our brothers and sisters could travel up the road to a hospital that could meet their health care – primary and tertiary health care – needs.

Mount Saint John’s Medical Center will do just that! After all of our careful planning with health and health care professionals and experts in Antigua and Barbuda, and around the globe, we have developed a medical program and created a medical care facility that will provide Antiguans and Barbudans with what is integral to good health and well being: a health care home. Additionally, we have built a facility and medical system that will ensure that our visitors also have access to high-quality medical care.

Now, sure, from the outside, this facility is as beautiful as a five-star resort, but inside, it will offer a quality of health care services and treatments that goes far beyond its exterior.

In fact, this 185-bed hospital can and should be described as so much more than just a hospital, for it is truly a modern medical complex with the capacity to provide full inpatient, diagnostic and physician services not only to address the under-addressed and unexpected health care needs of our residents and visitors, but to do so while meeting the strictest international standards. 

Not only are we assembling providers with some of the best surgical and clinical expertise from around the globe who will offer full medical-surgical services, adult and neonatal Intensive Care, but we also have experts in Pediatrics, OB/GYN, and those who are equipped and prepared to offer the most comprehensive care to the Emergency and Trauma Center – a Center that already is expected to set the standard for such care in the Caribbean.

Additionally, Mount Saint John’s Medical Center boasts an integrated out-patient Physician Clinic with same day and scheduled appointments. Those out-patient services have included in that scheme Out-Patient Surgery; Chemotherapy & Oncology; Cardiology; Dialysis; Rehabilitation; Radiology, including CT scan and MRI services; Clinical Laboratory; and Endoscopy.

I know that these services read like a laundry list and for those of you blessed with good health, they may even sound foreign. So, let me tell you what they mean in laymens’ terms: it means that after today, gone are the days when someone diagnosed with cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or another non-communicable disease or condition needs to automatically leave the Island for specialty care. Gone are the days when an expectant mother or couple needs to fret or lose sleep over knowing whether their arriving son or daughter will need additional care abroad upon arriving to the world; and, gone are the days when the residents and visitors of Antigua and Barbuda need to plan their entire day around trying to access needed health care services and treatments. So, this is truly a great, great day!

Now, before I get ahead of myself and before I list the full honor roll of services and treatments that are now available to everyone seeking care in Antigua and Barbuda, I want to revisit something that I mentioned earlier because it is important: that the opening of this hospital represents so much more than just the opening of a hospital.

And, it’s true.

Today’s opening of the Mount Saint John’s Medical Center represents not only our commitment to the health and well being of the people of Antigua and Barbuda, but also our recognition and desire to move our national health care system from one based solely on a medical model to one based on a comprehensive wellness model.

Look, here is the reality: sometimes in life, health care emergencies arise and this hospital is well-equipped and ready to handle such emergencies. However, we must be cognizant of all the days in between – the days when our day-to-day decisions about what we eat, how much we exercise, whether to use condoms on a regular basis or abstain from sex altogether, whether to smoke, drink or use drugs come into play. After all, an ounce of prevention is equal to a pound of treatment. And so, health and wellness decisions have a cumulative effect on health and those decisions do, in fact, fall under a the wellness model.

Now, I am not suggesting that good health and wellness are solely based on individual choice, because sometimes, people – for reasons beyond their control – are stripped of their choice. So, I am not blaming individuals for poor health. I want to be clear on that!

However, the reality is this: much of it is, in fact, a function of choice. And, to the extent that the sound leadership of the UPP and the efforts of the Health Ministry can continue to encourage all Antiguans and Barbudans to take control of their health and to make better health and wellness choices whenever possible, then that also is what the opening of this great hospital represents. I say that because I would like and pray for nothing more than for all of you today and your families and loved ones to make choices about health and wellness that keep you and them from ever seeing the inside of this very great, very capable facility. So, in so many ways, while I appreciate you coming out to celebrate the opening of this hospital, I hope that you do not need to be a patient here anytime soon.

In truth, I would love to see nothing more than that because as the Health Minister, I have made mistakes – I am human – but, I have learned so much along the way, because I am committed. Admittedly, I not only have learned about the tenants of a wellness model, but I am a believer in them.

We may not be able to control everything, but we – all of us – have a much greater impact on our health and well being than perhaps we know. And, so much of that begins with our daily decisions – easy decisions – about what we eat and how much we exercise; whether to take that drug, not use a condom, to drink or to light that cigarette. And, it even goes beyond that and includes us listening to our bodies, so if you feel depressed for no reason, seek help; if you do not know how to prevent an infectious disease, such as HIV/AIDS, seek help; if you feel off, seek help. And, have the courage to seek that help immediately. Do not wait; early treatment is the most effective treatment. There is no shame in that.

As Health Minister, I also have learned that we truly are connected; not only community-to-community, but nation-to-nation. So, preserving one’s own health and wellness is an honorable and noble thing to do to preserve the health and wellness of the national and global community.

So, I urge my brothers and sisters in Antigua and Barbuda to do just that. I urge you to recognize the link between healthy communities and healthy nations, and to positively affect the choices that you can about your health and well being. And, I urge you to seek the help that you may need to bolster your health outcomes. And, if you cannot get needed help in your community health facilities, then please remember that the Mount Saint John’s Medical Center is open and ready to provide the help you need.

Thank you and may god bless all of us and the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.