Advertisement

Advertisement

Premier Reuben T. Meade meets with members of the Dominican Republic.
Premier Reuben T. Meade meets with members of the Dominican Republic.

Montserrat Looking to Dominican Republic for Medivac and Supermarket Products

Premier Reuben T. Meade met with members of the Dominican community in Montserrat over the weekend to discuss pressing concerns and explore opportunities for economic and medical cooperation with the Dominican Republic.

Speaking on ZJB Radio’s What’s on Your Mind on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, Premier Meade explained that the meeting was a result of prior discussions in Antigua.

“I met my brothers in Antigua on a previous weekend visit. So I invited them to come across to Montserrat to speak with the Dominican community here because [of] their concerns which they have. And we thought it important for them to come and help us to explain how we can resolve some of their problems,” said Premier Meade.

During the meeting, representatives from Antigua’s foreign affairs department, the Dominican consul in Antigua, and local officials discussed solutions to key issues affecting the Dominican community in Montserrat. One area of concern was the challenge of birthright recognition, which Premier Meade pledged to address after the upcoming budget process.

“There are some other problems in terms of birthright problems, which, as I promised them, I will address after I get a little bandwidth once the budget has been passed in the Legislative Assembly,” he stated.

Supermarkets Considering Importation from Dominican Republic

In addition to addressing community concerns, the Premier noted discussions with Montserratian merchants about importing goods from the Dominican Republic.

“Dominican Republic produces quite a number of goods. We also met with the merchants… and they had a very wonderful discussion in terms of how we can look at the Dominican Republic as a source of some of those other products coming into Montserrat, especially given the trade war that the United States has started, and we will be impacted by [it],” Meade explained.

Recognising the need to mitigate the rising cost of living, the government is considering shifting imports away from the U.S. to alternative markets, including the Dominican Republic.

Exploring Medivac Services

Healthcare was another major topic of discussion, with the government exploring options to reduce the high costs of medical travel.

“Currently, we’re doing Medivac to Trinidad, which is extremely expensive. We can do the medivac to the Dominican Republic to English-speaking institutions at a fraction of the cost,” Premier Meade said. “Once funds are made available after the budget… we’re expecting a team will go to the Dominican Republic to tie down the medivac option.”

Improving travel routes between Montserrat and the Dominican Republic was also a priority. Premier Meade acknowledged that current flight schedules create logistical and immigration challenges for travelers.

“We’re also talking with the airline that flies between [the] Dominican Republic and Antigua. Currently, they come in too late for the connections to be made for those coming from there, coming back to Montserrat,” he noted. “We’re trying to get them to come in around 10:00 so that you can get from Montserrat to Antigua on time to get the 11:00 flight going to [the Dominican Republic].”

Premier Meade reaffirmed his government’s commitment to exploring opportunities that improve the lives of Montserratians and the local Dominican community, stating, “We’re exploring all opportunities, so that the people of Montserrat can get the best of the services that can be offered.”


Discover more from Discover Montserrat

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Discover more from Discover Montserrat

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading