IT key to Shetty hospital
(CNS): The renowned Indian heart surgeon behind the planned development of a health city in the Cayman Islands said that information technology would play an important part in making the hospital one of the best and safest in the region. Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for the first phase of the project at High Rock in East End on Monday, Dr Devi Shetty said that he hoped the facility would be the first paperless hospital, where technology would be used to assist with diagnosis and to allow remote monitoring of patients from India during the night shift in Cayman. Dr Shetty told the group of dignitaries and guests gathered for the official start of the medical tourism project that hospitals in general were not very safe places and even in the west people died due to errors.
He said that when health staff use iPads instead of paper, the mistakes can be cut by half.
The doctor said that in less than ten years software would be common place everywhere in the diagnosis of patients alongside doctors, reducing the margin for error, but the plan would be to introduce that type of technology at the Cayman Islands hospital as soon as possible. The use of technology, he said, could also help monitor the machines keeping people alive in an intensive care unit in Cayman at night by day shift staff that would be fresh and awake miles away in India.
While the goal of the Shetty hospital is to reduce the cost of health care compared to North America, the hospital would become well known, not because the care was less expensive but because it was the safest and the best quality of care, according to Dr Shetty, who will perform the first surgery at the new facility.
Describing the benefits of the health city, the Indian surgeon said local people would have access to high quality care at a reduced cost locally, saving lives. Shetty said people usually die from a heart attack within the first hour and for people in Cayman that is more often than not when they are on the air-ambulance on the way to a hospital to save their lives.
While some 300 workers are expected to be involved in the construction part of the project, Shetty spoke about the medical vacancies that would exist in the future as he promised those young Caymanians who were already studying or wanting to study medicine a job at the hospital.
He said that the medical visitors that wouldl be attracted to the facility would stay longer in Cayman and spend more money than regular tourists, benefitting the local economy. While people think about water sports now when they think about the Cayman Islands, he said, in future they would be thinking about Cayman when they have chest pains or creaky joints.
The groundbreaking event marking the start of the project was for a 140-bed tertiary care hospital due to open in November 2013. A joint venture between Shetty’s Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospitals of India and Ascension Health Alliance, a non-profit healthcare organization in the United States, the goal is to bring high-quality, low-cost healthcare to Cayman.
A US$2-billion project of the 2,000-bed health city is to be built in phases over 15 years on a 200-acre site and will eventually include a tertiary-care hospital, an educational facility, a biotech park and an assisted living community. The multi-specialty hospital will provide services not widely available in the region, such as open-heart/bypass surgery, angioplasty, heart-valve replacement, cancer treatment, bone-marrow transplant, nuclear medicine, organ transplant, and orthopaedics.
Clan Construction, a Cayman-based construction company, was hired earlier this year as the main contractor on the project and up to 300 local workers will be needed for the construction of the first phase of the $50 million project, which is expected to take 14 months to complete.
As well as the groundbreaking, an official website about the project has also been launched which gives details about the work available.
Category: Health
I think any deal this udp gov. Is involve in should be scrap.
I know what you mean..but I do wish them success, just wish it didn't involve so many usual suspects.
Strange that a comment on the compass story of the same thing whines and moans about the headline not being the "groundbreaking" But is in fact mentioned at the very start of the piece. I can confirm this individual, handle sir turtle, is truly a troll of the highest order, lets hope he stays on that string with the "headlines" just as he likes them and does not affect CNS with his misery. A media outlet that looks after only itself is where he belongs.
IT is important in a hospital. That is true.
Janitors are also extremely important. Janitors are on the front line when it comes to protecting staff and patients from drug resistant bugs.
Dr. Shetty, please treat your janitors well as they are a key piece of your future success. The work is not high paid or glamorous, but the work is critical to your reputation.
Guys, given that this is pretty good news for Cayman, give it a break. If it really does get going, and is not a Mac publicity stunt, its jobs for here. 300 is a big dent in the unemployed number if it is true and assuming the unemployed actually want to work and not sit scrounging on the social benefits. And a lot morejobs afterwards if we train the kids for them properly.
As for medical standards, if the facility does not meet international standards, no-one will go there and it will close in a very short time. In fact, for it to succeed, it has to be better than most US facilities in its specialist areas. The rumour mill works quickly and if they do things well then people will come. It is the way of the world.
I am just praying that work will begin fully now and that the money is all there.
So for once, lets unite behind something good for Cayman.
Dont know who is trolling me, but suspect it is the same people who will not be applying for jobs because they dont want to….dont need to…they find it better just to sit around doing nothing or making trouble…
I just trolled you for complaining about trolling.
I was not complaining about being trolled, but enjoyed the fact that you trolled me because you thought I was.
This Dr., and his associates have performed thousands of heart operations over the years at a success rate that out performs big US hospitals. And they are innovative in their methods. I believe hospitals, in years to come, would do well to emulate his methods. The Henry Ford of Health surgery is what he's called. And what is wrong with paying one tenth for a procedure in his hospital compared to others, as long as it's safe, clean, and caring. I, for one, wish them success for if they are, we'll all benefit.
Anybody remember the Thompson project in Pease bay?. They all came to celebrate, good food, good music, good plans,, but as usual. they ate him out. plans denied bacause of objections. Everybody looking forward to a Job of some sort in the new development, be it Nurses or even landscaping, So far, I have only heard about the opertunities that can be gotten. Not heard any inquiries as to how to become qualified to become Nurses and IT and such. I guess waiting for the hospital to be built and say that you had a cut when you was a baby and you cleaned and covered good "like a nurse" so that would be enough qualifications, Places such as India, the nurses are qulaified just short of being a doctor. Dont wait and say that the hospital must train, please start the movement now. goverment do somthing, instead of just talking, put the courses in place and somthing worthwhile that can be used. Caymanians and Residents alike, move with the flow, there are only a few "single mother" and few Dead beat dads" that make the lot look bad. Once a nurse , always a nurse., even doctors are nurses when you think about it.. Come on Cayman, dont wait, start the training now, not just for this project but for current and new projects being done. And yes go ahead and complain that the hospital is being built to take away Jobs from caymanians that never existed to begin with.
The remote monitoring allows the patients AT NIGHT to be monitored by his on-duty staff in India. It is not the only monitoring!
In a typical hospital the nightstaff is reduced and many doctors remain only on call. What Shetty is saying is that while our doctors here are sleeping the doctors in India can respond to the night shift nurses requests instantly and can monitor if a patient is in trouble. 99% of monitoring in a hospital is remote anyway (out to a central nursing station)- having that station in India with cardiac doctors awake and instantly available at night is a great idea. The cruise ships all do it now with monitoring back to USA mainland while you are cruising the caribbean. Additionally Many deaths occur in hospitals between midnight and 3am for whatever reason. Great idea to have a few extra qualified doctors on instant call during that time.
Please be open minded Cayman. This does have the potential to make significant improvements in our economy but more importantly in our health care. No longer do we have to wait 8 to 10 hours for an air ambulance out of miami and pay $18,000 for the ride. Shetty’s hospital will have a cardiac surgeon available 1hour drive after your heart attack.
Hope this really happens as it’ll be a great boost for Cayman and creating new jobs. Trust that the Shetty Hospital will pave the way for green business and medical tourism.
It will be interesting to see which local telecom they will use (if any).
And then, to see if that company will just run the service to the hospital, bypassing Prospect, Spotts, Sav., BT, etc. or will be held accountable to provide the same quality service to residents.
"remote monitoring of patients from India during the night shift in Cayman"
That will go something like this:
Wake-up!
Dis is da monuturning centar in India.
Hallo, mai name is Bob.
Yor bloodpressar is currantly loow.
Pleease taake da 2 blu pills on yor night ta-bell.
Tank you and have a pleasant sleep.
Worst Indian accent ever…
You must read this article:
http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/ascension-health-plans-billion-cayman-health-city-project/article_cbe07d56-8d91-11e1-85c9-001a4bcf6878.html
Quotes:
"We’re not considering this a medical tourism facility. That’s not the intent at all," said Anthony Tersigni, president and chief executive of Edmundson-based Ascension Health Alliance, which runs the nation’s largest Catholic and nonprofit health system. "I’m not sure we’re going to have U.S. patients at the Caymans."
"There’s no shortage of Americans right now who would love access to non-expensive health care," Turner said. But he added: "I’m suspicious of this idea that there is going to be thousands of people jumping onto airplanes to get treatment in the Caymans.”
"The partners have indicated that the Cayman hospital will perform a variety of advanced surgical procedures, at deep cost reductions, and employ mainly physicians and nurses who do not have U.S. credentials. . . According to Cayman press reports, government officials offered incentives and concessions to capture the "health city" in an effort to diversify the nation’s economy and create jobs. That included . . . amending employment laws to allow India-trained doctors to practice there with no further training.
"The financing behind the "Cayman Health City" project remains unclear. Tersigni declined to specify the amount of Ascension’s investment or ownership stake, calling that information proprietary."
"Putting aside the incongruities in their public statements, the partners appear to have endorsed a mass-market approach to health care — gambling that demand for these services will sustain a major medical center on a small island. . . Shetty has promoted his health system’s cost-effective approach to patient care as the "WalMart-ization" of medicine."
Shetty also secured an "exclusivity commitment" not to grant the same “up-to 100-year concessions” to developers of any other "large-scale medical tourism facilities.”
You missed this:
"We’re going to continue to take care of poor people in this country, and to try to take care of poor people in the Caribbean and South America," Tersigni said. "And we have to be creative in doing that."
Sounds like they'll be bringing Haitians/Dominicans/Jamaicans to Shetty's hospital that can't afford treatment in their country.
See St Louis Post Dispatch of April 24, 2012 For an interesting article about this project
My Gosh! the man said "remote monitoring" he did not say "Administering Care"- So Nurse- your job should still be secure- as I am sure an injection- or other medicine cannot be given from overseas through "Remote Monitoring".
Give it time!
AH SO!! They avoid having to meet local medical standards of the "Cayman Medical Association" by using a satellite monitoring system for checking their patients. Very good!!
But what happens if the Local Physicians on duty or on call are unavailable due to serious illness, accident or some other unforeseen emergency? It would be of little comfort to send a STAT call throughout the hospital. "SOMEONE" PLEASE SAY THIS ISN'T SO!
XXXXX
Confuse us.
THIS ISN'T SO!
Why don't you try and get more educated about the facility? instead of criticizing this great Hospital and its founders?
How can it be a "great hospital"? It isn't even built!
"A US$2-billion project of the 2,000-bed health city is to be built in phases over 15 years on a 200-acre site"…… Where is this two billion dollars (that's two thousand million dollars) coming from?
Patients will rest easy knowing their lives are in the goods hands of an Indian call center. What could possibly go wrong? Like they say, you get what you pay for.
A few years ago I was lying in a bed in the ICU of Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta.
Middle of the night, hooked up to all sorts of monitors. I needed to go to the bathroom and pressed the call button. Several times over about 5 minutes.
Not getting a response I asked my wife, who was with me day and night, to unhook me from the monitors. I was now flat-lining. Thing was beeping like you see on the TV.
I went to the bathroom, came back and she hooked me up again.
In all that time NO ONE CAME! Even though all the monitors showed I was dead!
Would I have been any worse hooked up to people in India? At least they might be awake and caring.
Really?
In the ICU?
Not likely.
This is going to be a great thing for CI
Although Shetty is partnered with the Ascension Health Alliance for the operational aspects, I'm curious as to who ponied up the $50mil. investment for construction and set-up. Anyone know?
18;50
We dont care, there are plenty of investors in the world. Can you tell us who set up your investment?
Awesome.
Thank you Dr. Shetty, and all people involved in seeing this magnificent project through. And should any of these hypocrites happen to be an emergecy heart patience…plese accept them with open arms.
I hope it succeeds as a new business. I read the article about his vision in the "Economist" awards. A very well respected business journal and honoured amongst other great achievers: Founders of gmail, kindle reader, disposable syringe, electric cars….
Cayman, let's HOPE that we have a world class innovator arriving to our shores! This could be the birthplace of the new healthy care so don't be so quick to judge!
http://www.economist.com/node/21540389
it would be an interesting article to read if someone could chart the history of this project including from the beginning the various announcements, changes, missed deadlines…..
doesn't matter now. It's happening.
along with being paperless, it will be your first loss making hospital too…… thats if it is completed…..
when did planning get submitted and approved btw?
18;02
Is this the echo of jealousy? sounds like you want this hospital to fail already. The world is full of idiots!
I am sure the local doctors are thrilled at the competition. Shetty is receiving all sorts of breaks and now can put some of those who have served us paying full duty's and fees ,being full qualified etc, out of business. Thanks Doc!
Did you ask for a break…or you are one that stays home, or sit on your ass, and say..the Government knows what my needs are.
With all due respect the local doctors were of no benefit to me during my heart attack, they stabalized me and it was a VISITING cardiologist who just HAPPENED by good fortune to be on island who actually saw me and ordered my airlift, that airlift was CI $27,000! I had to wait in ICU here locally for 12 hours for it and then I was finally able to see a full cardiology unit and team and have my angiogram and progress from there and I am not your typical person you would expect to have a heart attack. The facilities here did not have the professionals or the equipment and still do not to handle the complexities of my case.
When you are having a heart attack every minute counts! And it is pretty darn scary to be stuck in an air ambulance and then in an ICU away from family and friends and your home and then have to wait in a hotel for a few weeks before you can finally fly back home to finish your recovery.
However, I also use my local doctor to do my check ups and do everything that is necessary to ensure my heart and the rest of me remains healthy, I would not go running to a tertiary care facility for my day to day medical needs. The local doctors are not being put out of business in fact their businesses are enhanced as they are able to choose from three facilities to refer their patients to based on needs assessment. This also potentially drives down the cost of insurance which all of us could benefit from.
I just hope all of the negatives on here never have to experience that very lonely trip in an air ambulance because it really is pretty awful!
So, how about a link to the cited official website?
http://www.healthcitycaymanislands.com/
Don't know about you but I'm lookimg forward to a feww more curry houses!
IT will be key because he is outsourcing a lot of the work back to India. The remote monitoring simply means less jobs here and the work will be done back in India. So much for my lil nursing job I wanted.
Let’s hope that Lime can improve the atrocious Internet speed or it will be a pointless wast of money!
Don't worry. Shetty will install his own IT direct connection. Mac give him 110% in concessions. No need for him to pay any import duties or even import materials that follow any international or local standard. Oh yeah, it will be installed by people on unlimited work permits with zero fees. But don't worry… there will be lots of benefits for politicians… Whoops, I mean Caymanians.
Odd, that’s the one line of the article that struck me. Shame about your job, but also a shame that the person doing it is not here, on a permit, renting a room, buying gas and groceries…
To Hummm. 16:28,
Remote monitoring only means this new hospital will have computerized systems so they can monitor other patients in their other hospitals as well as here in Cayman. Also the paperless hospital technology isn't all that new, a few years at the most. Doctors and nurses have used wireless devices for quite some time now even at the patients bedside. You being a nurse or {want to be a nurse}, one would think you would have at least heard of this remote monitoring technology.
I have a few suggestions for you' either get with the changing times of Computer Technology {wireless devices}' or look for another line of work' since you have no idea of what you are talking about.
Right, a lot of call center workers in India.
He can't outsource a job that you never had in Cayman before. What a bunch of whiners. There's going to be lots of new jobs but you won't get many of them because you will remain unprepared and useless.
This sounds great and I wish them every success in this venture!