Good morning.
Today marks a turning point for Anne’s Town—and a clear statement of intent from this government.
While we are here to reopen a clinic we must also face the truth.
For too long, too many Bahamians have lived with a healthcare system that has struggled to meet their most basic needs. They’ve waited too long for help. Travelled too far for treatment. Watched facilities close or fall into disrepair. And they’ve spoken out—loudly, clearly, and rightly.
They’ve said the system is broken. And they are not wrong. For the past three years, we have begun the work of bending it back into shape.
Minister Darville, I have every confidence to believe.
We will bend into shape our broken system.
We have to.
Because the consequences of failure are too great. This is not about political promises—it’s about people’s lives. People who deserve to be treated with dignity. People who deserve care that’s consistent, local, and humane.
This clinic in Anne’s Town has been modernised—not refurbished, modernised. It’s been equipped to deliver 21st-century primary care. The infrastructure is stronger. The technology is up to date. And the services will now reach more people, more quickly, with fewer barriers.
This is part of a wider strategy—a serious, coordinated effort to fix what has long been broken in our healthcare system. Because I’ve seen the problems up close. I’ve sat with health officials. I’ve spoken to nurses working double shifts. I’ve heard from patients who waited weeks to be seen, or never got through the door at all.
I know what the reality has been—and I know what it needs to become.
We are a country of islands, but that must never mean a country of unequal care. Geography can’t be a reason people go without help. And so, our plan meets that challenge head on.
We are improving infrastructure—not just here, but across the Family Islands. We are expanding mobile units to reach isolated settlements. We are upgrading our patient data systems to ensure continuity of care. And we are strengthening public health teams to focus on prevention—because it is no longer enough to treat sickness after it arrives.
We must prevent it before it takes hold.
Our people are living with chronic conditions—hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease—that can be better managed, even avoided, with stronger community-based care.
This is where the shift begins.
But we must also face the harsh trush that rebuilding a system that has been neglected for years does not happen in one press release or one budget cycle. It happens through honest assessment, disciplined execution, and a long-term view.
And it requires something more—something government must always have: moral clarity.
Because this work is not optional. It is not political. It is necessary. It is the difference between fear and reassurance. Between delay and access. Between being seen, and being forgotten.
That’s why we are doing it.
We are fixing clinics. We are investing in personnel. We are backing our nurses and doctors with what they need to do their jobs well. And we are confronting this challenge the way it should have been confronted years ago: seriously, strategically, and sustainably.
The people of Anne’s Town—and communities across this country—have been patient. In many cases, too patient. They deserve a system that meets them with competence and care.
Today, we take another step toward that. This is a new beginning, but it’s also a clear sign: we are building a healthcare system worthy of the people it serves.
We will bend it into shape. We have to.
The truth is: we inherited a system in crisis. But we didn’t stand back. We stepped up.
And while there’s more to do—and I won’t pretend otherwise—progress is being made. Quietly. Steadily. Seriously.
Friends,
For me, this is not about infrastructure. It’s about people. It’s about building a system with dignity.
Dignity for the young mother who needs help for her child and doesn’t want to wait hours to be seen.
Dignity for the elder in Cat Island or Crooked Island who deserves the same access to care as someone in Nassau.
Dignity for the nurse working through the night, who deserves a safe working environment, working equipment, and fair pay.
That’s why we say: we will bend our broken system back into shape. We have to.
Because this is no longer about diagnosing the problem—we all know what’s gone wrong. This is about doing the hard work to make it right.
And that’s what the PLP is doing.
We’re focused on delivery. On making the system more responsive. On catching illness earlier. On shifting toward prevention—because care that arrives too late isn’t care at all.
And most importantly, we are restoring trust—between the people and their public health system.
Because Bahamians should not have to fight for basic healthcare. It should be there—close to home, ready when it’s needed, and delivered with respect.
That is what we’re working toward.
And that is what we’ll continue to build—not in theory, but in real places, with real resources, and for real people.
And we will.
Thank you.