Six (6) children from the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) will access well needed Cardiac treatment at the Health City Hospital in the Cayman Islands. Two (2) of those six (6) children have left Jamaica for the Cayman Islands, on January 24, 2017, to begin treatment and the remaining four (4) will depart the island later this week. One parent or guardian of the patients will also be allowed to travel with their children.
Children at the BHC will be able to access cardiac treatment because of an agreement, established in January 2017, for Paediatric Cardiac Services between the Ministry of Health through the South East Regional Heath Authority and Health City, Cayman Islands.
Minister of Health, Dr. the Honourable Christopher Tufton says “This agreement is critical in meeting the cardiac surgery needs of the BHC which is unable to carry out the required number of surgeries due to limited infastructure.” Dr. Tufton added that “It is through these types of partnership that we will be able to improve service delivery especially in areas with shortfalls.”
Through this agreement, children at BHC who require urgent cardiac surgical interventions will be referred to Health City Hospital. The Ministry of Health will underwrite the cost of airfare for the patients and accompanying parents. Health City hospital will provide heart surgery and all related ancillary and medical services including accommodation, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals and follow up care free of cost.
Through an agreement with Chain of Hope UK and other key stakeholders, a new Cardiac Center is being constructed at the BHC which will allow many children to access better cardiac care and allow BHC to provide more cardiac surgeries and treatment locally.
However this agreement with Health City is strategic because it facilitates shortfalls now, reduces waiting time and more importantly saves lives. It also establishes important regional partnerships. Until the Cardiac Center at BHC is completed, as often as the need is identified for cardiac surgery at the BHC, arrangements will be made to have children treated at Health City Hospital.