The people of Cobbs Cross, English Harbour, Falmouth, and Piccadilly are celebrating a new chapter in community healthcare following the official opening of the Cobbs Cross Community Health Clinic. The ceremony, held on Friday, was headlined by Parliamentary Representative for St. Paul, the Hon. E.P. Chet Greene, who described the event as a “promise made, promise kept.”
Addressing a gathering that included Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Health Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph, Minister of Works Maria Browne, and other Cabinet members, Greene reflected on the long journey to this moment.
“I remember the year 2003, when the doors of the old health facility were closed in disgrace,” Greene recalled. “Rodents literally chased our dedicated nursing staff from their posts. It was a low point—a symbol of neglect this community endured for far too long.”
Greene said that closure ignited a determination to restore proper healthcare services to the people of St. Paul. “We vowed that day that we would not rest until you had a health facility you deserved,” he said. “Today, that vow is fulfilled. Today, we replace that memory of decay with the reality of this new, modern, state-of-the-art community health clinic.”
The facility, equipped to deliver primary care and other essential services, is intended to serve as a symbol of both community pride and progress. Greene urged residents to take ownership of the clinic, calling it a “monument to your resilience and our shared progress.”
To the medical and support staff, he offered words of encouragement. “This edifice is a shell; it is your skill, compassion, and commitment that will give it a soul,” he said.
In his remarks, Greene also linked the clinic’s opening to broader community initiatives, including improved sanitation and environmental upkeep. He announced the acquisition of two new garbage trucks to support cleanliness across St. Paul, emphasizing that “a clean community is a healthy community.”
Looking ahead, Greene outlined ambitious plans to further expand healthcare services in the constituency. He revealed government’s intent to acquire nearby lands to build a dedicated Eye Care Centre and Dental Clinic, describing the initiative as part of a national effort to extend medical services into rural communities. “Trust me when I say, the best is yet to come,” he said confidently.
Greene acknowledged that delays in the project had tested residents’ patience and even cost him politically in the 2023 General Elections. However, he expressed optimism that the clinic’s completion represents renewed trust between his office and the people. “This delivery serves to repair that breach,” he stated. “We are restoring the confidence of the electors and demonstrating that our commitment to St. Paul’s is unwavering.”
He also used the occasion to commend the community’s strong civic spirit. “No other community in all of Antigua and Barbuda can compare with St. Paul’s when it comes to our slew of community-based programs,” he declared. “Our future is bright, and it is bright because we are together.”
The MP extended gratitude to numerous partners, including the National Parks Authority, its chairman Shoul, Parks Commissioner Annmarie Martin, local ABLP branch members Kim Donawa and Nikon Marsh, and contractor Jaga Baltimore, whose team executed the construction. “You have built not just a clinic, but a legacy,” Greene told Baltimore.
Closing his remarks with a verse from the Book of Isaiah—“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?”—Greene said the clinic represents renewal and faith in the community’s potential.
“With immense pride and joy, I declare under the banner of our enduring ABLP administration mantra: promise made, promise kept,” he said.
The Cobbs Cross Community Health Clinic now stands as a tangible symbol of that promise—a facility built on years of advocacy, persistence, and a shared vision for better healthcare in St. Paul.
