Medical Health
COVID spreads but not fuelling respiratory illness
(CNS): Seeking to allay concerns in the community that an increase in the spread of COVID-19 in the Cayman Islands has caused a correlating increase in respiratory illnesses, Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Gent has said that current hospitalisations due to respiratory problems are in line with previous years.
Cannabis ‘gummies’ delivered without prescription
(CNS): Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Gent is asking medical professionals and pharmacists to follow the law when it comes to the dispensing and prescription of cannabis products, as all forms of the drug are illegal here unless prescribed by a doctor. After a local pharmacy mistakenly delivered cannabis gummies to a young patient without […]
COVID vaccine becomes a seasonal shot
(CNS): Local cases of COVID-19 are on the decline and the last batch of Moderna vaccines on-island has expired. Therefore, the Public Health Department will no longer offer the shots on a monthly basis but will instead administer them seasonally, as is the case with the flu vaccines. Officials told CNS that since April, when […]
CIHC to focus on doctor-patient relationship
(CNS): This year’s annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference will be focused on the relationship between patients and their doctors. Good communication between patient and physician is the key to improved health outcomes, Lizzette Yearwood, CEO of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, said about the theme, Bridging the Gap Between Patient and Practitioner; Pathways to […]
New HSA clinic specialises in care for seniors
(CNS): The Health Services Authority (HSA) has expanded its range of specialist clinics to include geriatric medical care, which is the study, diagnosis and treatment of diseases or conditions associated with people aged 60 and over, including multiple chronic conditions, functional decline, dementia and frailty. This service will be delivered by Dr Glaister Bell, who […]
Vaccine mandate for permit holders lifted
(CNS): The legal requirement for non-Caymanian residents and their dependents to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has been lifted. From Friday, applicants for work permits (new and renewals), permanent residency, specialist caregiver certificates, student visas or Cabinet entry permits, as well as dependents no longer need to prove they are vaccinated, according to government officials.
Anti-tobacco UN treaty extended to Cayman
(CNS): The World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has been extended to the Cayman Islands, the first UK Overseas Territory in the region to request and receive this extension. Cayman officials said that the FCTC, one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in the history of the United Nations, would […]
New horror revealed in sargassum blob
(CNS): Scientists have discovered that a flesh-eating bacteria is interacting with sargassum and decaying plastic in the ocean, creating the perfect “pathogen” storm that has implications for both marine life and public health. Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have found that the bacteria might be adapting to plastic and living in sargassum, washing up on […]
Some Caymanians could get free access to NHS in UK
(CNS): A very limited number of Caymanian patients could soon have free access to National Health Service hospitals and other health services in the UK after Britain and its territories reached a new deal at the recent Joint Ministerial Council in London. Currently, only the people of the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar have unlimited access […]
HSA drops mask mandate and ban on COVID patients’ visitors
(CNS): It is no longer mandatory to wear masks in Health Services Authority facilities except for specific areas where patients are particularly vulnerable. The HSA has also finally lifted the ban on visitors of COVID-positive patients. However, anyone with COVID-19 or flu symptoms or those around patients at risk of COVID-19 infection must still wear […]
Hospital secures international seal of approval
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority has received hospital accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI) following what HSA officials said was a “rigorous onsite review of its facilities” across the islands earlier this month. While local laboratories have been accredited for several years, until now neither of the HSA hospitals, its clinics or […]
