Health City switches focus to local care
(CNS): The original business model for Health City Cayman Islands was as a third pillar for the local economy catering to medical tourism. But since the East End facility opened in early 2014, it has gradually treated more and more local patients as well as regional ones. However, as the hospital, established by the world renowned surgeon, Dr Devi Shetty, now faces closed borders in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has entirely switched focus for the foreseeable future.
The hospital temporarily closed its doors on 13 March after a cruise passenger who was treated there for a cardiac emergency turned out to be positive for COVID-19, the first case in the Cayman Islands. The man, who was from Italy, later sadly died.
Since then the hospital has tested all of its staff, and the health professionals who were infected have all recovered. HCCI has also screened all of the emergency patients it has taken in for other health conditions and has isolated two patients who tested positive in its separate COVID-19 wing.
HCCI, which is expected to re-open completely in the coming weeks, is also directly involved in the Health Services Authority’s plan for managing a potential surge of COVID-19 as well as playing a key role taking test samples and performing much of the laboratory work.
But the impact of this virus goes beyond the hospital’s treating and testing for COVID-19. Dr Binoy Chattuparambil, HCCI’s clinical director and senior cardiac surgeon, recently told CNS that life after COVID-19 is going to be very different for everyone and everything, and healthcare will be no exception.
Strict social distancing, wearing masks in public and frequent hand washing are all likely to be a general part of life for many months as the community adapts to the new normal. Dr Chattuparambil said the virus is not going to disappear and what will differentiate excellent healthcare facilities from good ones will be the hygiene protocols that facilities put in place.
Health City will be catering to a lot more local patients, not just driven by its own need to keep the hospital open in the face of the closed borders, but to fill the gap that will be created by the decreased availability of international airlift. In addition, the focus on protecting patients from COVID-19 when they check in for other treatment will be critical to instilling confidence in the community, Dr Chattuparambil said.
To ensure that the virus is contained, HCCI has completely walled off COVID-19 patients from the rest of the hospital and created a ‘facility within a facility’, with its own ICU, ward and staff, from housekeepers to physicians.
With state-of-the-art features not available at any other hospital in the Cayman Islands, and better than many facilities the world over, HCCI is able to offer world class care, though the facility nevertheless faces some challenges.
Controversy has stalked the hospital since its conception. The proposed business model always raised questions, as the focus appeared to change from medical tourists from the US to patients around the Caribbean and here in the Cayman Islands.
It also took a long time for the local health insurance providers to cover patients attending the facility. Some believe that the bespoke legislation that was created, and since adapted, has given Health City a competitive advantage over other hospitals and private doctors in Cayman, which added to the trust issue with the community.
But in recent years the hospital has demonstrated its worth. Trust has improved through the actual patient care and huge success in saving lives and cutting-edge procedures. The facility is now seen as a welcome benefit to local health provision by a much wider cross-section of the community than it did when the facility first opened.
Shomari Scott, HCCI marketing director, said that while medical tourism remains in the hospital’s long-term future, it has been providing tertiary care to local people for many years now. He pointed out that taking emergency patients to Health City rather than waiting for as long as 16 hours for a medical evacuation for critically ill or injured patients has saved lives.
Scott pointed out that HCCI is a state-of-the-art facility, which offers cutting edge services and top class care. This means Caymanians no longer need to travel overseas for almost any healthcare needs. He said only a fraction of local patients are now airlifted to other jurisdictions for care.
While the hospital will be ready to welcome back patients from the region whenever the borders are eventually opened, it remains to be seen if it will ever fulfill the original hope to trigger the third pillar to Cayman’s economy.
In the meantime, the facility will continue to provide care to people living here at a time when they need it the most.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
why cant they have a hospital/hotel type of thing for wellness/medical tourism so we can be treated and quarantined at the same time? not everyone can spend 2 weeks in a hotel while quarantining, then have surgery, then spend another 2-3 weeks in hotel before flying home. many thailand hospitals are doing this.
At least permit cuban doctors and others alike to practice there as well…
Health City Cayman Islands is a JCI-Accredited Hospital. They earned the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval from the Joint Commission International (JCI) and became a JCI-accredited hospital.
They have met the stringent accreditation standards set forth by JCI, and to be the largest JCI-accredited hospital in the Caribbean to receive this accreditation.
JCI is the international arm of The Joint Commission, the leading healthcare accreditor in the U.S. JCI is the worldwide leader in accrediting the international quality of healthcare.
Being a JCI-accredited hospital is based in part on the clinical skill of our physicians and surgeons who deliver positive patient outcomes in highly complex cases.
Their physicians have been recognized with a long list of achievements and international awards of excellence.
WHAT QUALIFICATIONS CUBAN DOCTORS POSESS to practice in Health City?
Check Health City doctors credentials here:
https://www.healthcitycaymanislands.com/about/health-city/awards/
Speaking personally I’m very happy we have such an excellent healthcare service in Grand Cayman. I’ve been there a couple of times and received good treatment.
If we can’t rely on tourism for the next few years we’ll have to shift our focus to attracting retired people to live here and spend money without needing or taking a job.
One of the first question for any retired person is: What happens if I get sick. Being Medevaced to Miami is what people want to hear.
typo. I mean obviously:
Being Medevaced to Miami is NOT what people want to hear.
I think all the doctors should have equivalent U.K. qualifications. The doctors at Health City who are no longer required to leave after 2 years, should get those qualifications before they are eligible for PR & start moving into their own clinics/practices. All previous Indian doctors were required to pass additional qualifications to work on the island, outside of that one hospital.
I don’t care where they got their qualification. I would got there in a heartbeat before ever stepping in front a GT Hospital quack again. You can shove your protectionism up your butt when it comes to getting quality medical care.
I now live in the US and only go to doctors who got their education overseas. Upon coming to America they have to jump through additional rigorous hoops to practice. But it is their home country education that I value, they, the doctors are many folds smarter than their American counterparts, who literally are pills dispensers who stare at computer screens, not patients.
Examination, that included actual testing with instruments, received during 1 hour appointment with a well known, excellent German ENT in Cayman would be an equivalent of seeing separately 5 different doctors in the US all of whom would send you to further testing and evaluations. Physical Therapist specializing in vestibular disorders outright concluded that neuro-otologist’s diagnosis was wrong! Needless to say I avoid American doctors and medicine as a plague.
COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS that you have HEALTH CITI on your god forsaken island of inept people! Without highly qualified people in many fields, living in Cayman would be no different than living in a 3d world country.
I want to praise few more people in field of medicine who love what they do and do it well: Dr. Lewis(HSA) – if your doctor struggles with diagnosis, see him; I don’t remember her name, but there was a lady-acupuncturist by the airport; and of course Dr. Ecke.
Have a blessed day.
Add 100 thumbs up for Dr Ecke, a true professional.
German doctors and medicine are second to none.
Ironic that you mention qualifications. India’s state-supported qualification and continuing education regime is among the best on the planet. It channels languishing employees into the best career path for their interest and aptitude, while providing loans to private training and certification bodies. It is an extremely competitive arena. I don’t think we’d find a better continuing education regime in many “first world” countries. To be fair, I’ve visited some “full price” Cayman Islands doctors where you leave wondering if they’d cracked a textbook since the 1980s. I’ve had 10 minute colonoscopy consult at the other private hospital that was billed to insurer for over >$1000, with no actual medical service delivered! If you poll 10 people over 40, you’ll find these aren’t rare experiences.
In many countries bronchoscopy, gastroscopy, esophagoscopy and other “scopies” are done without sedation, with a throat spray and it is 5-10 min.max procedure that costs $50-$200
In the US and Cayman it is full sedation that takes all day to recover from and cost $4,500, not including “room” rent and other fees.
UK does allow a patient to go without sedation.
Bait and Switch
This is great for Cayman – as long at there is a level playing field with the other healthcare providers.
So I guess all of the staff at Health City now have to meet the same licencing standards as all other medical professionals in Cayman? Do they now need work permits or just the special permits granted by the Hon Speaker.?
They changed the licensing requirements earlier this year.
Business not good? Got to go local. Bet they take Cinico now.
No Covid19 patients as promised by Government.
Please remind us how many Covid19 cases Alden thought we’d get. Then calculate what percentage of those would be severe and need hospitalization. So far we are at a whopping 75 confirmed cases. Given governments actions based on hysteria, I suggest the hospital turn to mental health issues and there will be no shortage of business.
I believe you’ll find that that ‘hysteria’ you refer to is actually what has kept the cases low. If the govt had not issued the pain in the ass lockdown orders we would have thousands of cases. SMH.
Where’s your proof?
Here: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?
Europe, UK, and USA already field tested “prove it” policy.
As of 8:37am 06MAY20:
3,756,104 Total Cases worldwide
1,517,766 Closed Cases, of which 1,258,360 are “Recovered” (83%), and 259,406 are Dead (17%).
There are 7.8 billion people on Earth.
Do 1.3 billion people need to die horribly, to offset your continued skepticism (in May!)?
Try polling some of the 83% “Recovered” and ask them if they feel 100% or would recommend “herd immunity” to a friend. I know people that have died, and others that, thankfully, pulled through. Those people are not the same. Death is the wrong yardstick.
Give back the concessions!
Funny, nobodys requesting Dart to give back all their concessions . Don’t you think the Low Cost Housing and Infrastructure Funds (roafs and utilities) could do with getting back all the millions conceded to their developments?
its Not a matter of paying back, it’s a matter of ‘giving up’ the duty concessions going forward the hospital gets on everything medical that it brings in. If it is going to be paid by the local insurance companies for the care it provides, it should pay import duty on medical supplies just like all the other hospitals. Why should Shetty have a competitive advantage over Doctors hospital. Have you ever read that agreement with Government? Its criminal. I don’t want an insurance company to choose my health care provider because it’s cheaper, I want it to be better.
That boat has sailed. (And we never did build them their own airport terminal, so lets call it a wash.) But we can legitimately talk about their doctor certification / non-compete deal. If one side is now admitted to be off the table the other side should expire as well. Whether that means we start accepting Indian certification for locally practising doctors or insist Health City staff undergo conversion certifications like everyone else I don’t have an opinion on, but fair is fair.