Amid a regional nursing shortage, Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph has announced new training initiatives that will allow students to enter the healthcare field as aides and upgrade their qualifications over time — a strategy designed to bypass the maths barrier that has disqualified many potential recruits.

Speaking during debate on the ABCAS Bill, Sir Molwyn described the programme as both pragmatic and inclusive. “Mathematics is the biggest handicap in Antigua and Barbuda,” he said. “There are many young people who could matriculate for university, but they do not have maths.”

To meet this challenge, the government has launched an initiative in which retired nurses with master’s degrees are stepping in to train a new generation of nursing aides. “These are senior nurses who are embracing this effort,” Sir Molwyn said. “They have the experience, and they’re willing.”

He revealed that the first cohort of 30 students had already begun the programme and that the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Technology (ABIIT) will serve as its permanent home. The aim is to guide recruits through entry-level training while supporting them to attain maths qualifications that will eventually allow them to become fully certified nurses.

“This is how we meet the demand while giving our young people a fair shot at success,” the Minister said.

The government has also granted 17 full scholarships to practicing nurses pursuing master’s degrees in public health — a first in the country’s history.

Sir Molwyn said the approach blends short-term relief with long-term capacity building: “If we do this right, within three years we’ll have enough nurses trained here in Antigua and Barbuda — and we won’t have to import them.”