Access to and from Montserrat is “definitely not adequate” and will be a priority area for the new government, health minister Ingrid Buffonge stated in an interview this week.
“It’s really important that we admit that,” she said. “If we want progress to happen… we’re not going to get everything sorted until we get our access problem sorted out.”
On ZJB Radio on Monday, 16 December, Buffonge spoke about the island’s John A Osborne Airport which can only accommodate regional connections.
Current restrictions, due to the length of the runway and other factors, mean that only small Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander aircraft can fly in and out with a full load.
“I envision in the first few months of next year, us sorting out this mess that says that only little Islanders can come here – that is inadequate,” she said.
“I think sticking to that constraint, it really limits the ability for us to develop ourselves as an island.”
Buffonge added that she is keen to ensure that before the end of five years, the government has “at least started” on developing an international airport in Montserrat.
“If you look at the other islands that have achieved success in terms of development, having an international airport has been really crucial in them getting there,” she said.
Health access
The health minister told radio listeners that her dream is that patients in need of emergency care can be quickly transported by helicopter from Glendon Hospital to an appropriate facility.
She added that for those that do not need urgent care, there should be access readily available for them to reach Antigua or other places for medical treatment.
Currently, there are no passenger ferries travelling from Montserrat to any other island, and limited flights can only run during the daylight hours.
During her interview, Buffonge apologised to those who had hoped to travel to Montserrat for the festive season.
“I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks to see what manifests… and just leaving the door open in terms of hope. So that might be good for last minute travellers,” she said.
“But for those who were really counting on a ferry to plan attendance, all I can do at this point is apologise and hope that we still have time to get it right.
“Definitely in the new year we’ll have this sorted. So give us a chance, let’s see what happens over the next week, and if not, we’re talking about January, February.”
Premier Reuben Meade recently attributed the access problems to financial mismanagement by the previous government.
