United Progressive Party caretaker for St Mary’s Rural North Jonathan Joseph has pledged that a UPP administration would move quickly to reopen the country’s cancer centre, arguing that cancer patients are being failed by a system that is forcing too many families into delay, expense and uncertainty.
Upp Would Move Swiftly
Speaking at a UPP rally at Thwaites Corner, Joseph made cancer care the emotional centre of his remarks, saying too many people are suffering while trying to get treatment.
According to Joseph, the situation has exposed painful gaps in the healthcare system, with some families struggling to secure the care they need while already dealing with the emotional and financial burden of serious illness.
He told supporters that a UPP government would make reopening the cancer centre an early priority, arguing that people facing cancer should not have to fight the system while also fighting for their lives.
Joseph recounted the story of a mother, herself suffering from cancer, who he said put off her own treatment while trying to ensure that her 19-year-old daughter got attention first. He said the mother died before her daughter, a story he used to underline what he called the human cost of a failing system.
His pledge comes against the backdrop of a cancer centre that has been closed since April 2023 after running into financial difficulties, a shutdown that cut off local radiotherapy access and pushed many patients back into the costly and exhausting reality of overseas treatment.
Observer media previously reported that, since the closure, cancer patients have had to travel abroad for potentially life-saving radiotherapy, while others have gone to places such as Colombia and Suriname for care.
The pressure on patients has been compounded by other weaknesses in the healthcare system.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has said the centre is expected to reopen in June 2026 after setbacks linked to ownership changes and equipment issues. Until that happens, however, cancer care remains one of the clearest examples of how service gaps can turn illness into financial and emotional crisis for families already under strain.
