No Healthcare Interruption
Government Assures There Will Be No Healthcare Gap as Controversial InterHealth Agreement Is About to Change Hands
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government is preparing to transition away from its longstanding and controversial hospital arrangement with InterHealth Canada while promising that patient care will not be interrupted.
The transition plan was outlined in the 2026–2027 Speech from the Throne, read by Governor Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam in Parliament on September 8, 2026, on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government.
The Throne Speech stated that the InterHealth contract is coming to an end and that a joint transition committee has been established to manage the handover.
The committee includes representatives of the Government and InterHealth Canada and is expected to oversee the transition while successor arrangements are developed.
The Government said staffing, essential repairs, critical supplies and interim financing would be addressed during the process.
“The immediate duty is clear,” the Throne Speech stated. “Clinical care and facilities services must continue without interruption while successor arrangements are put in place.”
InterHealth has operated the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre in Providenciales and Cockburn Town Medical Centre in Grand Turk since 2010 under a 25-year public-private partnership.
The agreement covered the construction and operation of the two hospitals. Approximately $124 million in financing was arranged for the original hospital project.
The agreement has remained one of the most controversial public contracts in the territory’s recent history. Questions have repeatedly been raised about its procurement, overall cost, complexity and the long-term financial obligations imposed on the public purse.
Critics have also questioned whether residents received sufficient value from the arrangement, particularly as the Government continued spending substantial sums on overseas medical treatment for services unavailable locally.
Political representatives have called at different times for greater transparency, a comprehensive review and, in some cases, the termination or renegotiation of the agreement.
Concerns have also been expressed about service limitations, the availability and operation of medical equipment, and the division of responsibilities among InterHealth, the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Board.
The relationship deteriorated further during a payment dispute in 2026.
According to The Times, InterHealth moved to terminate the agreement in July after alleging that it had not been paid for services for 18 months.
The newspaper reported that disputed invoices exceeded $9.3 million and that arbitration and legal proceedings had created substantial additional costs. Those allegations and figures were not detailed in the September 8 Throne Speech and remain attributed to the newspaper’s reporting.
The Government’s latest statement places its immediate emphasis on continuity of care and the establishment of a financially sustainable replacement system.
Healthcare remains one of the largest expenses in the national budget, with $94.1 million allocated during the current financial year. Healthcare also accounted for approximately one-quarter of recurrent expenditure recorded through the end of July.
“Access is a right, but without sustainability it is threatened,” the Government said. “Reform is unavoidable.”
Under the proposed reforms, a Health Services Authority will be established to oversee primary, secondary and some tertiary healthcare.
The Health Regulations Authority, Health Professionals Authority and Migrant Health are expected to be combined into a single regulatory body.
The Government said stronger domestic capacity would be central to its healthcare strategy for 2026 to 2030. Priorities include primary and preventative care, expanded diagnostic services, improved emergency response, mental-health treatment, nutrition programmes, long-term care and services for older residents.
Changes are also planned for the Treatment Abroad Programme.
Government-funded overseas treatment will be restricted to Turks and Caicos Islanders and British Overseas Territories citizens residing in the territory. Other residents will continue to have access to domestic healthcare but will be required to secure private coverage for treatment overseas.
Previously approved cases and transitional arrangements will be protected. Eligible patients will also continue receiving overseas treatment when the specialised services they require are unavailable in the territory.
The Government said its goal is to build a health system supported by transparent provider arrangements, responsible financial controls and a properly trained workforce.
“The people must be able to reach a hospital they can trust, at a price the country can sustain,” the Throne Speech stated.
Comments