Prime Minister Gaston Browne says the government’s decision to recruit more than 100 nurses from Ghana is aimed at protecting the public health system as United States pressure intensifies on Caribbean nations that host Cuban medical personnel.
Browne told state media the move is not intended to replace Cuban professionals but to diversify staffing and reduce risk.
He said Washington’s increasingly hard line toward Cuba could leave Antigua and Barbuda vulnerable if sanctions force Cuban nurses to withdraw.
Throughout 2025, the United States warned that countries facilitating Cuban medical programmes could face sanctions unless compensation arrangements were reformed.
Antigua and Barbuda adjusted its payment structures, but Browne said uncertainty remains.
The opposition United Progressive Party criticized the government’s handling of the issue, calling the changes abrupt and thanking Cuba for decades of assistance.
The party pointed to the loss of programmes launched under former Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, including an eye-care initiative and access to scholarships.
Browne said the government is not phasing out Cuban doctors and nurses, describing partnerships with both Havana and Accra as short- to medium-term measures while local capacity is expanded. He said the goal is to rely fully on locally trained health workers within two years.
He added that Antigua and Barbuda maintains friendly relations with Cuba and that safeguards are in place to ensure all foreign medical engagements meet international labour standards.
“Our responsibility is to safeguard healthcare for the people of Antigua and Barbuda,” Browne said, adding that building a fully domestic workforce is key to long-term resilience amid global political shifts.
