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Another 'preemie' crisis averted
Published on Friday, November 9, 2007 Email To Friend Print Version
Lizzette Yearwood
Acting CEO of the Health Services Authority
The Health Services Authority (HSA) has confirmed the birth of premature twins to a Jamaican national during the early hours of Wednesday, 7 November after efforts to transfer the mother by air ambulance to Jamaica failed.
These births come at a time of much public interest in the treatment of Jamaican nationals by the HSA, one month after Shellesha Woodstock gave birth prematurely on Cayman Airways flight 600 to Jamaica.
According to Caswell Walford, the HSA’s Public Relations Officer, “A lady gave birth to premature babies of 24 weeks after midnight (of Tuesday 6 November).” He added that because the hospital did not have the capacity to deal with the births it was considered “best to transfer the mother overseas, but the babies were born before transportation could be arranged.”
Lizzette Yearwood, Acting CEO of the HSA confirmed that two hospitals in Jamaica, the University Hospital in Kingston and the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, were unable to accept the babies because they did not have any ventilators available. Mrs Yearwood added, “We are doing the best we can to provide the highest level of care and are working with the Jamaican Consulate to get them to a tertiary hospital.” She explained that the level of expertise needed for the babies’ care is not locally available as “they will require medical investigations that we cannot perform.”
Chairman of the Board of Directors for the HSA, Pastor Al Ebanks said, “The fact that we don’t have specialised equipment or staff to deal with these cases is not uncommon (for a small hospital). Such facilities are usually found in larger hospitals, so people in Cayman shouldn’t be too hard on us.”
When asked whether the issue of insurance cover had any bearing on decisions surrounding the care of the babies, Mrs Yearwood said, “Yes and no”. She elaborated by stressing that “the standard level of cover is not enough to cover specialised care that may be required overseas.” The ceiling for one episode of care under the standard cover is $25,000. Mrs Yearwood explained that this was not enough to cover the cost of travel plus medical care abroad. She further said that hospitals refuse patients if there were inadequate funds and that “people should bear this in mind when taking out insurance”.
Mrs Yearwood emphasised, however, that insurance cover was not a factor in determining whether the babies were cared for by the HSA, as all is done to provide the highest level of care for all patients under their care.
The Jamaican Consulate, who were contacted for comment, confirmed that they were assisting the HSA with locating alternative hospitals with the equipment required to care for the babies.
[email protected]
Published on Friday, November 9, 2007 Email To Friend Print Version
Lizzette Yearwood
Acting CEO of the Health Services Authority
The Health Services Authority (HSA) has confirmed the birth of premature twins to a Jamaican national during the early hours of Wednesday, 7 November after efforts to transfer the mother by air ambulance to Jamaica failed.
These births come at a time of much public interest in the treatment of Jamaican nationals by the HSA, one month after Shellesha Woodstock gave birth prematurely on Cayman Airways flight 600 to Jamaica.
According to Caswell Walford, the HSA’s Public Relations Officer, “A lady gave birth to premature babies of 24 weeks after midnight (of Tuesday 6 November).” He added that because the hospital did not have the capacity to deal with the births it was considered “best to transfer the mother overseas, but the babies were born before transportation could be arranged.”
Lizzette Yearwood, Acting CEO of the HSA confirmed that two hospitals in Jamaica, the University Hospital in Kingston and the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, were unable to accept the babies because they did not have any ventilators available. Mrs Yearwood added, “We are doing the best we can to provide the highest level of care and are working with the Jamaican Consulate to get them to a tertiary hospital.” She explained that the level of expertise needed for the babies’ care is not locally available as “they will require medical investigations that we cannot perform.”
Chairman of the Board of Directors for the HSA, Pastor Al Ebanks said, “The fact that we don’t have specialised equipment or staff to deal with these cases is not uncommon (for a small hospital). Such facilities are usually found in larger hospitals, so people in Cayman shouldn’t be too hard on us.”
When asked whether the issue of insurance cover had any bearing on decisions surrounding the care of the babies, Mrs Yearwood said, “Yes and no”. She elaborated by stressing that “the standard level of cover is not enough to cover specialised care that may be required overseas.” The ceiling for one episode of care under the standard cover is $25,000. Mrs Yearwood explained that this was not enough to cover the cost of travel plus medical care abroad. She further said that hospitals refuse patients if there were inadequate funds and that “people should bear this in mind when taking out insurance”.
Mrs Yearwood emphasised, however, that insurance cover was not a factor in determining whether the babies were cared for by the HSA, as all is done to provide the highest level of care for all patients under their care.
The Jamaican Consulate, who were contacted for comment, confirmed that they were assisting the HSA with locating alternative hospitals with the equipment required to care for the babies.
[email protected]
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