Grenadians in need of Oncology and Radiology Treatment will now be able to secure this at a reduced price following this country’s signing of an agreement with the OECS Cancer Institute based in Antigua.
It follows an agreement made by OECS heads several years ago to set up a centre of excellence for the treatment of Cancer to be based in Antigua. Health Minister Hon Nickolas Steele says Grenada is the second OECS country to sign on after Dominica.
“What this means Mr Speaker, is that for Oncology and Radiology Treatment which is not offered in any of the OECS islands except Antigua there is a fixed cost to any Grenadian citizen who seeks that treatment and, because there is a government to government arrangement to the institution, this cost is fixed at US$10,000, for the entire treatment,” Minister Steele told Parliament during his contribution on the 2018 Budget.
“So not just for one visit, but one case, so where it is usually somewhere in the region of US$15,000–US$20,000, abroad anywhere else, it is now available to Grenadians at US$10,000 and in fact Mr Speaker there is individuals who are already accessing that treatment (there) as we speak at the reduced price.”
Addressing the availability of ambulances in Grenada, Minister Steele says 2 were received since 2013 and 4 more are expected within the next month. “Those in fact, based on contractual arrangements with the suppliers were supposed to be on island at the end of November, the suppliers are late, the assumption is that it’s because of disruption to shipping that occurred a couple months ago,” the Minister explained.
“There is a catch up with respect to trans-shipment out of Florida and the Gulf in general (those various states within the Gulf of Mexico), but we expect those ambulances based on our contractual agreement but there are 4 new ambulances expected in Grenada.”
The Grenadian health minister says a central dispatch unit will coordinate ambulance requests/call outs.
“The Ministry of Health will also coincide the arrival of theses ambulances with a central dispatch so that within the State of Grenada there will be one number to be called for an ambulance, that entity/office will have the information and location and will direct accordingly.”
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