Grenada Polyclinics Offer Model For BVI
Health Minister Vincent O. Wheatley says the polyclinic model he visited in Grenada could be replicated across the Virgin Islands to handle minor medical needs in community settings. He identified Virgin Gorda’s Iris O’Neal Clinic and East End and West End on Tortola as potential sites for similar facilities, noting closures and gaps in local primary care services.
During the 11th Council of OECS Ministers of Health Conference in Grenada (October 20–24, 2025), Hon Vincent O. Wheatley visited the Gouyave Medical Complex and returned to the Virgin Islands with a clear recommendation: the polyclinic model seen in Grenada could address gaps in primary care across the BVI.
Wheatley told our News Centre that the Gouyave facility — a relatively new structure sited in a remote area of Grenada — is not a hospital but is equipped to manage a wide range of minor cases, from routine deliveries and asthma care to treatment of minor injuries. "What I like about it is that this building has a little bit of everything.
It provides various services in one space," he said, adding, "This is what Virgin Gorda needs, somewhere that can handle a variety of minor issues." The minister suggested that a similar approach could be adopted for East End and West End on Tortola. "One polyclinic to serve the East End community and a similar one in West End to serve that area, so that for every little issue, people don’t have to go to the main hospital," Wheatley said, emphasising the usefulness of community-based clinics for rural areas and locations outside the main hospital.
The call for polyclinics comes amid ongoing local service disruptions; according to Virgin Islands News Online, the Iris Penn Smith Clinic in East End was temporarily closed effective January 14, 2025 and has not yet reopened. Wheatley also named the Iris O’Neal Clinic on Virgin Gorda as a facility that could be expanded or redesigned to fit the polyclinic model.
For BVI residents, the proposal speaks to two familiar challenges: reducing pressure on the territory’s main hospital and improving access to timely care in outlying communities. A polyclinic model could shorten travel times for minor emergencies and routine maternal and child health needs, and could centralise several primary-care services under one roof.
Any move toward establishing polyclinics would require planning around staffing, equipment, recurring costs and governance. Wheatley’s remarks signal a direction for health policy discussion locally: exploring investment in community-focused facilities that broaden access without duplicating full hospital services.
The minister’s observations at the OECS conference add Grenada’s experience to the options under consideration as the BVI evaluates how best to strengthen primary care for residents across the territory. (Source: Virgin Islands News Online)
Primary source: VINO