Bush excited by health city

| 17/12/2009

Cayman Islands News, Cayman Islands Health News(CNS): Speaking in the Indian city of Bangalore on Wednesday, Premier McKeeva Bush, said that plans by Dr Devi Shetty to establish a healthcare facility in the Cayman Islands represented the most significant inward investment in the jurisdiction in decades. He added that the Cayman government appreciated the display of confidence in Cayman’s economy by Dr Shetty and was excited about the plans. Bush was in Bangalore to deliver a key note address at the opening of the famed doctor’s latest health city. (Left: Dr Shetty with Premier McKeeva Bush)

Bush said that Cayman welcomed the plans by India’s most renowned cardiologist to build the large medical complex in Grand Cayman that would provide tertiary care to patients from North and South America, as well as Cayman’s own patients. "We in the Cayman Islands are very excited about Dr Shetty’s stated intention to build a first-class healthcare facility in our country,” he said.

Bush had traveled to Bangalore with a delegation from Cayman for the formal opening of the new cancer treatment facility. The new 500,000 square foot hospital, with 1,500 beds, is the largest in the worldand is a part of a larger complex of specialty-care hospitals which comprise Dr Shetty’s Narayana Health City.

“It is amazing to hear that Narayana Health City will be able to cater to more than 15,000 patients daily, bringing down the costs substantially,” Bush said. He observed that access to quality health care is a fundamental right and not a privilege and that the Narayana group had been a model to the world in achieving that objective.

Bush said that Dr Shetty’s commitment of “inward investment” in the Cayman Islands is one of the most significant in decades. “Our government appreciates the display of confidence in the Cayman Islands economy by Dr Shetty and his colleagues,” Bush added. “There is intense competition for India’s foreign investment and there are many choices of jurisdictions with which to do business. We want to work to make the Cayman Islands India’s preferred location,”  the premier acknowledged.

On behalf of the people of the Cayman Islands, Bush issued an invitation to the people of India to come to Cayman. “Bring your families and see for yourself what we have to offer,” he said.

Health Minister Mark Scotland; MLA Cline Glidden, HSA chair Canover Watson, and businessmen Gene Thompson and Harry Chandi formed part of the delegation on the India leg of the premier’s world tour.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Lack of Infrastructure for this Project

    The CI government would have to invest millions of dollars in the island’s infrastructure before Dr. Shetty could even begin to think about building a Health City in Cayman.  A 2000-bed hospital would require thousands of employees; so let’s assume:
    1) 8,000 jobs are filled by expatriates.
    2) Half are married, making a total influx of 12,000 adults. Isn’t that around a 20% increase in the population of the Cayman Islands?
    3) Half the new expatriate families have one child, although Indian families are usually larger. That’s an influx of 4000 children into the schools system.
    4) Every family has one car many, although many will have two. That’s at least 8,000 more cars on the roads of Georgetown. And you think trying to find a parking space in town is difficult now!
    This article mentions that Dr. Shetty’s facility in Narayana manages 15,000 patients a day. Let’s assume the Cayman facility will manage 5,000 per day. Can anyone tell me how an airport the size of Owens Roberts will cope with the daily arrival and departure of hundreds more travelers, all sick patients?
    The infrastructure of the Cayman Islands is in no state to consider a proposed project of this size.
    • Anon says:

      Thank god there are still people in this world with common sense! The UDP is up on jupiter now but they all will get a rude awakening. This project is just to big and they are just going to look like fools, trying to get into business that they don’t have a clue.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Ok, If the hospital in India is a 1,500 bed Hospital, Why do we need a 2,00 0 bed Hospital here on this very small congested Island? Think about the logistics, Who will be employedat this Hospital? not Caymanians!! We will then be bringing another culture here, including a new Religion, lots more children, a new language, lifestyle, teachers whom our born Caymanian children won’t be able to understand, different foods etc etc. Who will be providing the out of hospital aftercare services to these patients? Will there be an outpatient aftercare unit or will they be utilizing an existing hotel for that?  Will these building be equipped with bedpans, wheelchairs, walkers etc etc? Will these Indians be properly screened by Immigration, before they take flight all this distance to Cayman? Will Cayman have to adjust their culture more to accomodate them, like we are being asked to do for other Western cultures? Will the Indians have to abide by the rules of the land or will the land have to abide by the rules of the Indians? This Hospital will bring MAJOR Changes to Cayman.  The Insurance Companies of India will probably be introduced.  They may not want to accept certain Insurance cards, They may just target people with money and the locals may not even be accepted.  They will probably cause the CTMH to shut down and there won’t be anymore Government owned Hospitals.  The local private doctors will probably be put out of business.  There will be a domino affect and not necessary to the likings of a lot of people.  Wake up Cayman and see what’s happening.  This hospital may get Government concessions like the Ritz and the Caymanians will be limited with what services they will get at that hospital because of Insurance.  Heed the warning signs and Pray for these tiny Islands under the current leadership.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Until they solve some of our domestic issues bringing in foreign investment is not a good idea!

  4. Anonymous says:

     

    No matter what optimistic scheme is sold to the public about this hospital, there will be times when there are empty beds (i.e. not enough medical tourists to fill the facility).

    In order to fill the beds one must wonder if the HSA patients will be targeted and treatedat the new facility.

    Once the govt. finds another facility to treat their patients, there is no need for the HSA.

    This removes a huge recurring expenditure from govt.’s balance sheet, freeing up revenue for other priority items.

    One must ask, what is govt. doing in the business of providing health care and owning a hospital in the first place, except losing money?

     

    –CaymaniansFirst

    patients armust wonder if the grand plan is to have

  5. Hanson says:

    Folks

     
    It is great to see, and the envy of the Opposition and certain UK officials that our Premier has went to the cradle of civilization (India) to market the Cayman Islands’ tourism industry. I hope Dr. Shetty’s health city become a light to the world and provide affordable health care for all. Furthermore, I hope it tremendously benefit these Islands. Despite Ivan and the harsh lessons we have learnt in life, let us not forget that Almighty God has blessed us all, and will continually to bless us, because “he hath founded it upon the seas.” If legend is true, even King George who declared these Islands tax-free (free from violating the 8th Commandment) did realized God’s ideal purpose for the Cayman Islands when our forefathers went out upon dangerous seas to save the lives of those on the wreck of the Tens Sails – saving lives. Continue to pray for our leaders and rear our young people in the reverence of the Lord. Let us not forget that in every bad situation there is something good out of it. The only thing that stands forever, untouched, it the Rock of Ages
     
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all
    • Anonymous says:

      The Cradle of Civilisation is in Africa not India…

      • Kermit says:

        The Cradle of Civilsation is commonly considered to be Mesopotamia although the term can be applied across a broad geopgraphic range from the Middle East to India.  Where is most certainly is not is Africa.

      • Anonymous says:

        I wonder about people like you, god help you who ever you are. You never know maybe YOU WILL END IN THAT SAME HOSPITAL.

      • au revoir says:

        Kermit is correct.  The Cradle of Civilisation is generally applied to Mesopotamia and Levant, certainly not Africa.  Africa is known as the Cradle of Humanity or of Humanity’s Origin.

      • Anonymous says:

        Why have 11 people given an approval vote to a comment that is just plain wrong?  The Cradle of Civilization is not Africa.

    • Anonymous says:

       You *hope* that is what will happen… I also hope that I come into a small fortune in 2010. I agree that Cayman has been blessed, however do not see the relevance of the Wreck of Ten Sails anecdote.

  6. Just Askin says:

    Will this new hospital be offering gastric bypass surgeries locally?

    • Dr. Acula says:

      Apparently some of the side effects of gastric bypass surgery include rampant egomania and terrible political judgment.

  7. Anonymous says:

    This is a huge acomplishment. Also to think Cayman Premier was a keynote speaker at such a distihguished event. Way to go Cayman Islands!

  8. Anonymous says:

    Just wondering how the medical waste on this scale would be dealt with.

    • Anonymous says:

      Incinerators, like it is dealt with throughout most real parts of the world….and as is at the HSA facility in George Town…

    • Anon says:

      Ok now you see why something on this scale is crazy, just plain mad!

      Medical watse is just the tip of the iceberg of eventual problems for the CI.

      • Anonymous says:

        Please tell us why something of this scale is mad? enlighten us …as you can see incinerators deal with the waste…This is nothing but good for Cayman and anyone who says it is not never got through junior school…

        • Macman says:

          Excuse me   "and anyone who says it is not never got through junior school"

          Well obviously you did not!

          • Anonymous says:

            Actually the statement about this project being mad kind of tells you the IQ of respondents, not your comment…For the record I did get an education…including but not limited to the understanding of the real economic realities of what a project of this nature could do for Cayman and Caymanians.

            • Anonymous says:

              Well done! LOL

               Of course if you are telling the truth of your wonderful education then you would also realise that all projects come with negative aspects.

              So your "nothing but good for Cayman" statement is garbage. There is always some bad, whether is be an overload on resources, damaging the enviroment or even just being an eyesore on Cayman’s landscape.

              May I suggest studying some more before trying to claim omnipotence on all things Cayman.

              "The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool." William Shakespeare

              • Anonymous says:

                Laugh even louder…

                So why are you trying to be smart, live and stand by your quotes…Shakespeare…

                I ma not sure where you find me claiming omnipotence to all things Cayman…

                Context my dear william context…

                 

                 

                 

                 

    • Carnivore says:

      Most of it will be made in to many delightful curry dishes, the remainder added to the mountain buliding project adjacent to Camana Bay

  9. Anonymous says:

    Congratulations Premier! Regardless of what one might feel about Mr. Bush, UDP, the politicking, politics in general or the world-tour, we should be proud that our leader is featured as a keynote speaker in a major urban centre on the other side of the world – as the guest of a recent Wall Street Journal-acknowledged success story. 

      

    • au revoir says:

      Maybe you need to raise your standards.

    • Anonymous says:

      I would be proud of him as a keynote speaker if I hadn’t witnessed a short speech he was asked to give at a conference recently held in Cayman.  About 60% of those who attended were visiting from the U.S. and all he could talk about was how he "won’t stand to take criticism from other Presidents (Gordon Brown is also apparently the President of the UK)because what they have tosay is irrelevent."  Needless to say his slow and broken speech attempting to get people on his side and to spend money in Cayman while they are visiting was completely irrelevent to the topic of the forum and an embarrassment! Thank goodness for the keynote speaker from an internationally known company who followed and made a few jokes about the situation.

       

    • Macman says:

      Pity he won’t stay there!

  10. Anonymous says:

    Politics aside, the Premier is doing exactly what would be expected of any ‘new’ leader in addressing the financial issues facing a country. Having said that, critical expectations aren’t always met by our representatives. The fact that he is taking active steps to address these is commendable and we should support that. What other options are there; to sit around and only talk about fixing the problems?  

    Yes, he’s been globetrotting to get this done and that costs money but if the efforts and footwork pays off in the near future or the medium- to long-term, these expenses are investments. However, prudence and due diligence must be ever-present as it must not be forgotten that these are lean times for at least 98% of people throughout the world; everywhere out there are hungry opportunists, looking only for what they can get, (in no way am I suggesting that Dr. Shetty and those involved have anything less than honourable, professional and legitimately commercial intentions, simply stating a general truism). Don’t forget that the sharks who precipitated the Bear Stearns and Lehman Bros meltdowns are still out there. They kept their stash! Think they’re sitting idle?

    If the efforts to attract investment are realized, some are sure to be not as healthy (no pun intended) and tangibly proven as the Shetty plans. The Government must carefully weigh all considerations and determine the true benefits. They must ensure that in the short, medium and long term all proposals, plans, partnerships or offers are encouraged or approved only if Cayman and Caymanians are the primary beneficiaries – for years to come.  

     

    • Anonymous says:

       Well said, Mr. Bush does not do the later.  It can cause a lot of damage and, frankly, it frightens me.  The Ritz is a good example.  It changed the building height limit on Seven Mile Beach, and how much has it done for Cayman?  It has caused more damage then good.  He showed a clear lack of foresight with that project, and will do so again with others with more serious consequences. 

  11. Anonymous says:

    GO BUSH, GO BUSH…………. GO BUSHY !!!!! Show your PPM critics how inward investment is really obtained and how the Cayman Islands can be rebuilt after a four year disaster by the PPM government.

    • Lachlan MacTavish says:

       It is not just the PPM that opposes Bushy’s focus rt now. There are a lot of residents/voters who question the lack of focus on internal issues. Instead of the UDP constantly posting Ra Ra pro UDP or anti PPM statements how about looking at the big picture.

    • Caymanian for DAN says:

      inward investment aka selling out your country..selling out the right to be Caymanian..sorry not PPM style

      • Who you fa says:

        right; PPM simply has no style at all…

      • Anonymous says:

        Selling out ? Inward investment , let me spell that for you in case you D O N T U N D E R S T A N D…I N W A R D    I N V E S T M E N T…

        Dictonary defines INWARD as :toward the inside, interior, or center, as of a place, space, or body.

        ie: investment into Cayman to create economic activity…

        Creating economic activity generates revenues for Cayman Business’s and huge revenues for Governement, who is going to pay to keep a large portion of Caymanians employed in the Civil Service, build roads pay the police and build schools…

        Oh I forgot the right to Caymanian status means that you dont have to contribute to your own country…Evident by the recent reaction of Cayman to direct taxation…There is nothing wrong with being proud to be a Caymanian, but patriotism  stems from pride, in order to be proud you need to have something to be proud of, there is no greater pride than a person who has helped others and contributed to his own country.

        You have two choices you pay the countries bills through direct taxation (from your salary)or you support inward investment to generate funds to pay the countries bills…

        Simple economics really…

        Singapore is the size of Cayman and relies completely on inward investment, the people now enjoy free education, housing and healthcare as well as one of the best salary scales in the world.

        Inward investment is not the enemy – ignorance is…