Caribbean Times 99th Issue - Thursday 16th February 2017

4 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g
Thursday 16th February 2017
MSJMC to get Cardiology Centre
By Everton Barnes
The government is exploring
the possibility of setting
up a Cardiology Centre
at the Mount St John’s Medical
Centre.
To this end, the Chief
Medical Officer, Dr. Rhonda
Sealy-Thomas, the Director
of the Mount St. John Medical
Center (MSJMC), Dr.
Albert Duncan and a visiting
cardiologist, Dr. Gary Stevens
were invited to Cabinet
on Wednesday to address
an expansion in the health
services to be offered at the
MSJMC.
Dr Stevens, who practices
heart surgery in the USA
and who has set-up a cardiology
center in Guyana, was
The Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO)/World
Health Organization (WHO)
Director Dr. Carissa F. Etienne
will make an official
visit to Antigua Barbuda on
February 19, 2017.
During her visit, she will
meet with the Hon. Gaston
Browne, Prime Minister of
Antigua and Barbuda.
She will also have bilateral
discussions with Hon.
Molwyn Joseph, Minister of
Health and the Environment
and pay a courtesy visit to
the Hon. Charles Fernandez,
Minister of Foreign Affairs,
International Trade and Immigration.
On Wednesday February
22, 2017, Dr. Etienne will be
invited to Antigua to explore
the possibilities of replicating
a cost-saving MSJMC
Cardiology Center.
Cabinet spokesman, Lionel
Max Hurst, said the visiting
cardiologist explained
that many people in Antigua
and Barbuda who suffer
from hypertension and
diabetes also suffer from
blood circulation challenges;
the inability of the heart
to send blood to the toes and
feet usually result in amputations.
According to the information
provide, Hurst said,
the failure of the heart to
circulate the blood eventually
results in weakness and
fatigue, and also early death
addressing a meeting of the
cabinet of Ministers where
she will present the PAHO/
WHO vision on Universal
Health Coverage as well as
highlight the all of government
approach necessary for
the prevention of Non-communicable
diseases.
Dr Etienne’s visit coincides
with the convening of
the PAHO Annual Caribbean
Manager’s Meeting which
will be held for the first time
in Antigua and Barbuda.
During this meeting, the
senior officials of PAHO/
WHO in the Caribbean
will be discussing PAHO’s
Programmatic & Inter-programmatic
work within the
region.
in patients.
“By undertaking cardiology
interventions, including
expanding the arteries leading
to and from the heart by
going through the groin, the
cardiologist has been able to
get the heart to pump blood
to the feet; this operation
eliminates the need for amputations.
“The interventions also
strengthen the arteries and
improve the functioning of
the heart by the inclusion of
stents and other non-surgical
implantation,” Hurst reported.
He said babies born with
holes in the heart can also be
corrected without the need
for open heart surgery. The
PAHO Director to visit Antigua
PAHO Director Dr. Carissa F.
Etienne
On Tuesday February
21st, Hon. Molwyn Joseph,
Minister of Health and the
Environment will address
the meeting, where he is expected
to highlight the latest
achievements of the Government
in the quest to improve
the health status of the People
of Antigua and Barbuda.
cardiologist reported that
for every 100,000 people in
certain populations, at least
120 people will have need
for heart surgery. Given the
cost of such surgeries in the
USA, the savings from treating
the disease at a MSJMC
Cardiology Center would
result in significant savings
annually.
According to Hurst the
attraction of such a Center,
in Antigua, to those who
stand in danger of losing
limbs from diabetes and
hypertension, or who may
suffer heart attacks because
of resulting heart disease, is
well worth the cost, the Cabinet
determined.
“The attraction to OECS
countries, where significant
portions of the population
suffer from the same illnesses
as do people in Antigua
and Barbuda, has already
been determined. The OECS
would look to Antigua and
Barbuda for cardiology care,
just as the Cancer Care Center
is intended to serve that
population, also,” he reported.
The cost of establishing
the Center, outfitting it
with the necessary tools and
equipment, and staffing it
with experts is to be determined,
and brought back to
Cabinet for a determination.
The space at the MSJMC has
already been earmarked, and
the Ministers were told that
US$50,000 could result in
the first operation by the end
of March 2017.