HSA is only facility cleared to handle emergencies
(CNS): The Health Services Authority (HSA) is the only facility in the Cayman Island that meets the standards established by the Health Practice Commission to provide emergency services, ministry officials have said. Following the tragic crash at Parker’s Raceway in Breakers last month, questions were raised about why Kashwayne McKenzie (29) was not taken to the emergency room at Health City in East End. However, the ministry said it has been gathering “accurate and relevant information” to address the issue.
A statement from the ministry released Tuesday outlining the findings of this review of how emergency situations are handled said that the HSA’s ambulances are the only emergency vehicles registered directly to a healthcare facility with the appropriately trained staff. The HSA is effectively the only approved emergency services and trauma provider as it is the only facility meeting all of the requirements of the commission.
However, Health City Cayman Islands said that, based on the list of services it provides that have been approved by the Health Practice Commission, emergency services are included. A spokesperson for the hospital added that the facility is continuing its conversation with the relevant authorities about providing services.
A spokesperson for HCCI said that this case had “reignited the need to review the current protocols for emergencies that take place in the Eastern Districts. Health City, as always, is willing to partner at a national level to ensure we can assist as many persons as possible when time is of the essence.”
But it seems that victims of road accidents or other trauma incidents who are injured in the Eastern Districts will still have to wait for the EMS to come from town and take them back again even if they are referred to Health City after being triaged at the HSA facility.
The ministry press release outlined how emergencies are defined and how those who provide them are registered and approved: “The EMS ambulance, registered under the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA), is the only entity that meets the licensing standards with approval to respond to medical emergencies and authorised to be dispatched by the 911 Centre.”
Furthermore, the HSA “is the only healthcare facility with licensed emergency vehicles equipped for response services, and as a result is currently the only deployment location in the event of a medical emergency”.
The ministry found that, given the staffing requirements for approval as an emergency services facility, the HSA is also the only facility that meets the staffing requirements to be able to offer emergency services and employs thirteen of the sixteen medical doctors with a speciality of “emergency physician” or “emergency medicine”.
Severe trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident, is a special circumstance that is the domain of 911 Emergency Services, the ministry also noted, adding that this is a specific type of emergency. “To date, the Health Practice Commission has not received any application from any private local facility to provide services for cases of severe trauma, and as such the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) remains the epicentre of care for these cases,” ministry officials stated.
Health Minister Sabrina Turner said her ministry remained committed to building local capacity in an effort to enhance and improve emergency services.
“However, this must be done in line with best practices and the standards which we have set,” she said. “These standards are there to ensure, first and foremost, patient safety. We welcome the opportunity to engage private sector providers who have met the standards as determined and enforced by the Health Practice Commission, and as such are authorised to deliver those services safely and responsibly,” the minister added.
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Category: Health, Medical Health
This situation is a sad mess. Basically, it’s the way it is because that’s how it’s always been. This is easily fixed, if there’s the political will to do so.
If I am ever in an accident and bleeding out, I am just going to the the ambulance driver I am have a heart attack.
It still baffles my mind that the powers that be don’t consider this foolish gross negligence!! Why does someone needing emergency intervention in the Eastern Districts have to wait for an ambulance to travel from George Town! In those circumstances every second counts.
Obviously not world class then ?
The only surgeon general is at the HSA government hospital as well. Its a sad state of affairs. Health care is at a all time low.
I hope you can clarify (this is not a snarky request). When you say “the only Surgeon general is at HSA”, what exactly is his/her role? A practicing surgeon, or a management expert not in the operating rooms? To me, a Surgeon General is NOT a practicing physician/surgeon, but an administrative expert. If that is the case here, it would not matter if he/she were in GT, East End, North Side, West Bay, etc…
a classic caymanian wonderland tale…..
someone pass me the headache pills…
this is a result of letting hospitals in with the purpose of making profits.
it creates an competition environment, where government tried to protect its own hospital.
the 150 million surplus could pay for some extra ambulances, but who cares.
the solution is always simple.
How is private sector “competition” with a government owned hospital got anything to do with this? And what’s your suggestion – get rid of the private hospitals so all emergencies have to to go to George Town? In an emergency the patient should be taken to to the nearest davit capable of providing life saving care. Here’s the argument seems to be that the HSA doesn’t consider that Health City is so capable for trauma cases, but is acceptable for cardiac emergencies.
Logic eludes you. It is most certainly a competitive arrangement, and the public pays – both for the costs, and for the lack of vital services.
Common sense eludes you.
If HCCI is interested in providing EMS then, based on this article, it seems the first step to HCCI doing so would be to appropriately apply.
Of course, when someone turns up for a trauma-related emergency there is no time to confirm health insurance, assess and process a deposit & patient guarantee of payment and quite often emergency services bills for uninsured persons remain unpaid for indefinite periods of time…
For a private hospital to accept such financial liability, our Government would most likely have to provide some payment guarantee on behalf of uninsured persons that should any person within the catchment area to receive EMS at HCCI (should an EMS arrangement be made with HCCI), the Government would pay their expenses if, for example, the bills remain unpaid for x amount of time or the persons receiving such care passes away… lots to consider.
But, offering EMS to the eastern district at an more easily accessible location would be a step forward in health care for Cayman – it would be nice for our current Minister to see this through under her first tenure as she has been instrumental in a number of positive changes and additions so far.
For Minister Turner to succeed in some areas and fail in others is not what is needed. Cayman for too long has accepted a step forward and a step backward as competence; this is why real progress is so lacking – excuses and no accountability. And most sadly, when areas for improvement are pointed out, nothing is done.
What is the human rights commission saying about this issue? Quiet as a church mouse.
What has the human rights commission said about anything?
So when someone gets hit by a car coming out of the front doors of Health City can they save their life or do they have to wait for a Caymanian ambulance to take them to a Caymanian hospital? I was there the morning one of their workers was hit by a car early in the morning right down the road from the hospital. He waited for the ambulance to take him past Health city to George Town and died. Lives are not as important as some things here. We get it.
Caymanian ambulance… Caymanian hospital? The ignorance of some of you people. This is why generations of idiots will continue.
And when folks like you nit-pick terms as opposed to the reality of the facts it is a gross disservice. Do you have anything constructive to add?
If you weren’t so ignorant you would know what I mean by “Caymanian” but I digress.
Bureaucracy kills.
Typical Cayman bureaucratic incompetence, plain and simple. The medical expertise is there, the gov’t brain cells are not.
Wow, have an accident at East End, wait for an ambulance to take you all the way back, then be triaged and taken back to Health city… which the ambulance passed by TWICE! Seriously, this is profoundly third-world incompetence. Minister Sabrina Turner is a disgrace to her title, and Cayman Islands.
Correct. Reminds me of a childhood ‘Keystone Cops’ episode; except Caymanians will die due to this profound lack of responsibility from those involved.
Government is playing with people lives and it is all about money!
So to be clear, Health City contends that they can provide emergency services but never applied to do so? Similarly Government never required them to provide such services? Yikes.
Govt was too busy giving concessions to Health City instead of engaging in serious negotiation like requiring Health City to offer emergency services for the general public.
Let’s see …….hhmmm. In the same day two articles in news….one about traffic connection at grand harbor round about and another about only one hospital on island of 75k peeps able to handle emergencies. Something is gonna break or someone is going to die because of this…
Too late, several deaths have already occurred due to this mess.
The family should investigate this and the medical insurance issue. Seems more like a money thing if you ask me.
Well if people actually paid their medical bills HCCI might be able to assist as they are not a Charity. However only the rich and maybe the older Caymanian population tries to honour their commitments so therein lies another problem in addition to HCCI having to have more trauma staff on site 24 hours a day.
World Class Civil Service.
Time to FOI all dates relating to correspondence on this matter over last 2 years.
The Ministry of Health has a lot to answer…. so does the Health Practice Commission.
The height of bullshit.
Utter nonsense! #Many more will have to suffer, many more will have to die, don’t ask me why#
If I’m in a wreck out there, I’m going to beg/pay a stranger to let me bleed in his car on the way to Health City. If they think I need to be at HSA instead, at least I’ll be getting emergency care until the HSA ambulance arrives 45 minutes later. If I’m out of it, I guess I’ll just die where I lay, waiting for HSA.
AND if you’ve had a heart attack, they will send you back out to HC. SUCH BS FFS this is such a no brainer.
Best part is, if you Caymanian you don’t even have to pay.
if you work for CIG you don’t have to pay. fixed it for you.
#notmyhealthcareprovider
They are mine, saved my life when both of our other available hospitals nearly killed me.
This cannot be for real!! Wait there for 5 hours then be referred to other facility.