Ministry to measure local health risks
(CNS): Health Minister Mark Scotland opened a regional meeting of chief medical officers Monday with a call to improve healthcare throughout the Caribbean, while announcing that next month his ministry will undertake a risk-factor survey. CMOs and other officials from 13 countries are attending the two-day CARICOM meeting, which Scotland told the gathering was about “identifying priority health areas and promoting technical cooperation among all of us so that we can all optimize our resources”.
Joining Scotland to open the conference, being held for the first time in Cayman, were Dr. Rudolph Cummings, Programme Manager, Health Sector Development, CARICOM Secretariat, and Dr. Delroy Jefferson, CMO of the Cayman Islands. As he opened the conference, Scotland said that it marked the 20th such meeting of CMOs, and the knowledge that participants gain could be used to influence relevant legislation and policies in their home countries.
“As you join here this week to discuss some of the region’s more pressing health issues, you are sure to gain invaluable knowledge and new insights which you can take back to your legislators and policy makers so that these issues can be addressed pro-actively on a regional and global scale,” he said.
Noting that the Cayman Islands is not a full CARICOM member, the minister said that “we have always supported, participated in and certainly benefited from regional health initiatives”.
Scotland added that while participants come from all over the Caribbean, the health issues are comparable. “For while we all hail from different countries with our own unique identities, many of the health challenges we face are very similar: maternal and child health, aging populations, control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and injuries, and AIDS prevention and control – to mention a few.”
The issue of NCDs is being addressed locally, Scotland said, as his ministry has recently allocated funds to undertake a health-risk-factor survey in May, with the Pan American Health Organisation assisting in the training for and planning of the exercise. In previously announcing the launch of a committee to establish a framework for the survey, Scotland said the results will allow health professionals to identify specific issues that contribute to the rapid local rise in chronic disease.
PAHO is also assisting in developing Cayman’s National Health Policy and Strategic Health Plan, he said, by providing a consultant to help facilitate the process, which will also start next month.
Following the CMO conference, from 19-21 April, Cayman is hosting for the first time the annual CHRC/CARPHA (Caribbean Health Research Council/Caribbean Public Health Agency) Scientific Conference, which will encompass almost 60 sessions covering research done in each country on such issues as communicable diseases, diabetes, obesity, and nutrition.
The three-day event, the 57th annual symposium, is the largest health research conference in the English-speaking Caribbean, with more than 200 delegates expected to attend, including researchers, policy makers and healthcare providers.
Category: Health
Mr Minister, whatever happened to the Air Ambulance service you were going to put out to tender. It took 14 hours to get my newborn on an air ambulance just a few ago. He could have died and his blood would be on your hands.
I understand there was a young Caymanian who had proposed to base two planes here for air ambulance service to the past PPM government and to you only to have the door slammed in his face by both governments.
Is this being saved for Shetty and gang while we risk the life of our babies? Does he have to get Caymanian status first so that you can say you gave it to a Caymanian?
Do something worthwhile soon…
to make matters worst..this young man was from Bodden Town where both Health Ministers supposedly represent their people..makes you see that it doesn't matter if it's PPM or UDP…neither one really cares about their people only about getting re-elected and lining their pockets while they are there…oh yeah and ensure they can have that big fat pension if they get kicked out…
Mark Scotland is for Mark Scotland just like Tony Eden was for Tony Eden…You can put a red or green t-shirt on either one, it will make no difference..
Keep an eye on the Shetty group. This government tells us they can't do anything that is why they have to bring in foreign investors, give them permanent residency or sometime even status, plus duty concessions while the Caymanian who wants to start his business is held back by red tape, beaucracy and given to concessions whatsover should he be able to charge ahead with his project.
I just hope that Mark understands that we the people of Bodden Town voted him in and we will be voting him out come election time. We want Caymanians that will stand for Caymanians(and yes Bodden Towners) and give the the same rights and priviliedges that they give to the Shetty's, the Hon's, the Ryans and the like.
It is a shame that every successive government gets in, even from Gilbert's time and promises a reliable air ambulance service based in Cayman but we all know that is what a politicians career is based on..promises..promises…that can only be fulffilled if the right foreign investor comes along and takes care of the politician to the detriment of us Caymanians.
Time to pack your bags Mark, the ride is over!!!
Mark Scotland is for Mark Scotland just like Tony Eden was for Tony Eden…You can put a red or green t-shirt on either one, it will make no difference..
Keep an eye on the Shetty group. This government tells us they can't do anything that is why they have to bring in foreign investors, give them permanent residency or sometime even status, plus duty concessions while the Caymanian who wants to start his business is held back by red tape, beaucracy and given to concessions whatsover should he be able to charge ahead with his project.
I just hope that Mark understands that we the people of Bodden Town voted him in and we will be voting him out come election time. We want Caymanians that will stand for Caymanians(and yes Bodden Towners) and give the the same rights and priviliedges that they give to the Shetty's, the Hon's, the Ryans and the like.
It is a shame that every successive government gets in, even from Gilbert's time and promises a reliable air ambulance service based in Cayman but we all know that is what a politicians career is based on..promises..promises…that can only be fulffilled if the right foreign investor comes along and takes care of the politician to the detriment of us Caymanians.
Time to pack your bags Mark, the ride is over!!!
Remember the saying different day, same …….. He hasn't done anything to help the people of the cayman islands. Just look at the premiums alone for health insurance here in the cayman islands….Like everything else priced way out there. For a family of 4, the good coverage is over 1500 per month. Who on earth can afford that????? Yes you can get cheaper coverage but what does it cover. Just like CUC, gas, the list is endless.
It makes one wonder what he has done or Cayman other than throw some money at sports..What he doesn't realize is that we are feeling the pinch and not all of us can live the way he does or has the that guaranteed government paycheck.
His days of fooling this Bodden Towner are over. He was always around when he was running for election looking for votes. He got mine but that is for the last time. Bodden Town deserves better and so does the rest of the Cayman Islands.
There must be something wrong if he can't see that his own people don't support him anymore. Maybe the in the cases of the air ambulance. the exhorbitant insurance rates and all of the non-supporting Caymanian things he has done he can see why that support has been lost.
Mark, you need to take care of your own before looking out there to give away what we have worked so hard and long for to some foreign investor who's only objective is to make more money. You have lost your way and it is going to take a lot for you to find people to support you again.
Such a shame to see such a promising young Caymanian sucked into the politics as usual. Makes you wonder if it is worth sending more young people in to do battle for us.
If you are serious about health issues, tackle smoking and bad diet. That is the ticket to long term health care savings.
Here's an idea, Mr. Health Minister: Change the law to allow local doctors to do their residencies locally and give them a path-to-practise.
If we do encounter a health crisis, we won't have enough doctors to assist in handling it due to the lack of a training programme by which MDs can become licensed. Allow the highly-educated graduates from St. Matthew's and other medical schools and give them an incentive to stay and train in the Cayman Islands instead of going overseas to other countries to do their residencies.
Another benefit to this is that when medical doctors are training and doing their residencies, you get the benefit of highly-skilled labour for a steep discount in wages, thus lowering the cost of health care. The Cayman Islands have an opportunity to implement a world-class traning programme and distinguish itself by finally not having to import doctors from overseas.
That would be too simplea task to accompllish. Our current government does not operate in that manner.
I would love to see Caymanians become qualified doctors.
However, I would also like to see them do their internships in overseas hospitals where they would not be protected by entitlement. That way we could be confident that they are actually qualified and capable of doing the work.
The local entitlement culture is dangerous when it comes to training "profesionals".