Nurses Union President: “It’s Not Enough but It’s a Start”

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Bahamas Nurses Union President Muriel Lightbourne is calling government’s $11.6M healthcare upgrade plan a step in the right direction, but questions whether it’s enough.

Finance Minister, Michael Halkitis, made the announcement on Wednesday during the 2026/2027 Budget Communication.

The funding is air-marked for clinics in Abaco, Andros, Acklins, Berry Islands, Crooked Island, Exuma, Eleuthera and Long Island, along with a commitment for $20M towards its proposed New Providence hospital.

While praising the initiative, Lightbourne says the real test will be whether those promises turn into action.

She says too many healthcare projects have faced long delays, and points to the renovation of Princess Margaret Hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department as an example.

Additionally, Lightbourne is also calling for greater accountability for contractors, saying government cannot afford to waste money while clinics across the country remain in disrepair.

Muriel Lightbourne – President, Bahamas Nurses Union

“ We have clinics all over this country that needs repair. You have the Palmetto Point Clinic in Eleuthera. You have three clinics in Acklins that is in disarray, that needs to be repaired.”

“You have clinics in Andros that needs to be repaired, and if we are wasting and we are allowing contractors to waste these monies, $11.1 million I think it is, will not be sufficient.”

The Nurses’ Union also raising concerns about staffing shortages.

Muriel Lightbourne – President, Bahamas Nurses Union

“ I smiled yesterday because they had a pinning ceremony, and there was over 100 persons, 100 nurses that was pinned in that ceremony. And so I’m praying. I sat down in that ceremony and I say, lord, please let them have the money to employ these nurses so we can have these people working in our clinics.”

Then when it comes to the government moving forward with the new specialty hospital in Western New Providence, Lightbourne had this to say:

“Get the hospital up and running, and then once that hospital is up and running, then we can look outside and say, let’s move this from here and put it out there.”