Health
Prison offers vaccine after chickenpox outbreak
(CNS): Two prisoners at HMP Northward have tested positive for chickenpox (the varicella-zoster virus). As a result, the Ministry of Home Affairs has implemented a programme to curb the spread and offer both prisoners and officers the chickenpox vaccine. Acting Chief Officer Julian Lewis said the Public Health Department was helping the ministry to manage […]
Insurance company battles to regain trust of providers
(CNS): Around 10% of healthcare providers are refusing to accept Cayman First Insurance cover at the point of need. Health facilities have been asking patients to pay upfront and claim back the money themselves because of significant delays in payments by the beleaguered local company, which has said it is working to persuade all providers […]
McKeeva Bush admitted to Health City with chest pain
(CNS): McKeeva Bush MP (WBW), was admitted to Health City in East End on Monday morning with chest pains. In a statement, the veteran politician and Father of the House revealed that for the past few weeks he had not been feeling well but had prioritised the care of his wife. But after attending the […]
Samples negative for bird flu after chickens killed
(CNS): The official results from samples sent to a laboratory in the United States from a flock of local chickens were negative for avian influenza (bird flu). After five samples were suspected to have been positive following local tests, the entire flock was euthanised. But the Department of Agriculture has now said that bird flu […]
Breakdowns and crashes delay Brac garbage collection
(CNS): The Department of Environmental Health is apologising to Cayman Brac residents over delays to garbage collection services due to a series of mechanical truck failures and a collision involving a loaded garbage truck earlier this month. The Department of Public Works (DPW) is making the necessary repairs, but the vehicle downtime resulted in a […]
XBB found in local COVID tests but BA.5 dominates
(CNS): As 2023 gets underway and three years after the COVID-19 virus arrived in the Cayman Islands, variants of the original strain are still infecting dozens of people here. According to the latest edition of the Public Health Department’s Spotlight report, the highly contagious XBB variant has been detected in local samples here but the […]
HIC identifies problems at local insurance company
(CNS): The Health Insurance Commission (HIC), in consultation with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), conducted an investigation last year of the local insurance company Cayman First Insurance following complaints about its failure to pay legitimate claims to healthcare providers. During the investigation, the regulator found a number of problems at Cayman First, including a […]
Turner blames communication breakdown for resignation
(CNS): Health Minister Sabrina Turner has blamed “a breakdown in the communication flow” for Dr Marc Lockhart’s resignation from the Mental Health Commission, which he said was due to delays with the Long Term Residential Mental Health Facility (LTMHF). Turner said the ministry was understaffed when she took over with numerous people in acting roles, […]
McTaggart blames premier for delay on MHF
(CNS): Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart has taken aim at Premier Wayne Panton in the fallout from the resignation of Dr Marc Lockhart from the Mental Health Commission over the lack of movement on the mental health facility by the health ministry. The Progressives leader said that the situation was “unacceptable and should be an embarrassment […]
Chickens euthanised after bird flu suspected in local flock
(CNS): Five possible cases of Avian influenza (bird flu) have been detected in Grand Cayman during the Department of Agriculture’s routine surveillance for the virus in the local poultry population. The DoA explained that its veterinary staff conducts preliminary rapid testing of all domestic poultry that have died of possible respiratory illnesses.
Psychiatrist resigns in the face of ministry inertia
(CNS): Local psychiatrist Dr Marc Lockhart has resigned in frustration as chair of the Mental Health Commission after his efforts to keep the long-awaited mental health facility project moving forward have been met with an “anaemic response”. Speaking to CNS, he said the blockage was inside the ministry as Minister Sabrina Turner, like her predecessors, […]
