Healthcare Crisis Looms in Virgin Gorda as Government Fails to Act on Critical Funding Requests

A committee dedicated to improving healthcare on Virgin Gorda is sounding the alarm over the government’s failure to act on critical funding requests made by the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA). The Committee for Urgent Enhancement of Healthcare to the Virgin Gorda Community has expressed growing concern about the lack of attention and resources allocated to their community’s health services.

According to the committee, despite repeated appeals through the formal Standing Finance process and independent meetings, key requests made by the BVIHSA to the Minister of Health and Social Development, as well as the Government of the Virgin Islands, have gone unheeded.

The funding requests, submitted during the 2023/2024 budget discussions, were intended to address severe operational deficits and capital needs affecting healthcare facilities throughout the territory, including those on Virgin Gorda. Specifically, the BVIHSA requested:

1. An annual subsidy of $2 million to cover operating deficits at community clinics, including the one on Virgin Gorda. Without this funding, the BVIHSA warned, health services in the outer islands could be severely compromised.
2. Capital expenditure assistance of $384,400 to repair the leaking roof of the Nurse Iris O’Neal Clinic, Virgin Gorda’s primary health facility. The leaks, which have caused water to pool on the second floor and disrupt operations below, pose serious risks to both patient care and staff safety. The situation has also halted planned renovations to the second floor.

Despite the urgent nature of these requests, there has been little movement from the Ministry of Health or the Virgin Islands Cabinet to resolve these issues, the committee claims. They argue that the Ministry and the BVIHSA failed to properly communicate the gravity of the situation to the Ministry of Finance, leaving the clinics without the necessary funds.

“We are extremely concerned that our healthcare needs are being ignored,” said a spokesperson for the committee. “The lack of action is having a direct and harmful impact on the quality of care available in Virgin Gorda. We need immediate explanations as to why these essential funds were not prioritized.”

The committee is also anxious about the upcoming 2024/2025 budget submission, fearing that without urgent attention, healthcare for Virgin Gorda and other outlying communities may continue to fall by the wayside. They are now calling for transparency in the budget process, including a breakdown of healthcare funding by island and clinic.

“We cannot afford for our health clinics to be an afterthought,” the committee said. “The community of Virgin Gorda remains committed to advocating for better healthcare, and we expect the government to address these needs without further delay.”

The committee also noted that they have yet to receive any follow-up from a community meeting held on Virgin Gorda on September 6, 2024, where these issues were discussed. They are demanding another meeting by October 2, 2024, to receive updates on the situation and the government’s plan of action.

For now, the residents of Virgin Gorda are left waiting, while their healthcare services hang in the balance.

For further inquiries, the Committee for Urgent Enhancement of Healthcare to the Virgin Gorda Community can be contacted at: vgpetitionforhealthcare@gmail.com.