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News : Bahamas Information Services Updates Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM


Grand Bahama Positions Itself for Future Healthcare Development
By BIS
Sep 26, 2014 - 6:22:39 PM

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Medical and Dental Association Conference Attendees, including keynote speaker, at left, Minister for Grand Bahama the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

FREEPORT, The Bahamas -- The Grand Bahama Medical & Dental Association’s 14th Annual Medical Conference officially opened September 25, under the theme, “Healthcare in The Bahamas: Overcoming Obstacles and Looking to the Future.” The Hon. Michael Darville, Minister for Grand Bahama, officially opened the conference at Pelican Bay Resort.

The Minister said this year is an important milestone for healthcare providers: “In consultation with our private sector partners in the industry, the government passed two landmark pieces of legislation, namely the Medical Act 2014 and our new Stem Cell legislation. These significant Bills were designed to revise the regulation of medical practice throughout The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and create new medical options and therapies for Bahamians, while at the same time revolutionizing our medical tourism industry.

“Subsequently, colleagues, going forward, recommendations will certainly be made for all licensed physicians registered with The Bahamas Medical Council to participate in continuing medical education as part of the licensing requirements, in order to ensure that we benefit from the transference of knowledge and reap the economic benefits that would ultimately follow. Be not alarmed colleagues, this shift in policy only serves to ensure that we all stay on the cutting edge of science and are better equipped to respond to our patient needs.”

Minister Darville continued, “colleagues, the explosion of non-communicable diseases throughout our country, coupled with escalating healthcare costs calls for all practitioners to remain focused on training and retraining, particularly those practicing at the primary healthcare care level. With the escalating cost of healthcare and the government’s commitment to deliver universal healthcare coverage by January 2016, we must now mount an aggressive preventative healthcare strategy from Sweeting’s Cay to West End and ensure that all residents participate.”

On another note the Minister said: “I am pleased to report that in a matter of weeks we would have completed the renovations of all clinics on Grand Bahama and Sweeting’s Cay, as part of the Public Hospital Authority’s plan to improve service and the working environment of medical staff throughout Grand Bahama. In a matter of weeks we will be extending the clinic hours at the Eight Mile Rock Clinic to better service that community and reduce the current burden at the Accident and Emergency department at the Rand Memorial Hospital.”


GB-Medical-and-Dental-Association---photo-1.jpg
Minister for Grand Bahama the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville addresses the Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association’s 14th Annual Medical Conference, September 25, at Pelican Bay Resort. (BIS Photo/Vandyke Hepburn)

Minister Michael R. Darville

Remarks at The Opening Ceremony of The Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association’s Medical Conference


Thursday, September 24, 2014

Dr. Eric Brown, President of The Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association;

Dr. Monique Pratt, Vice President of The Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association;

Dr. Vincent Burton, Treasurer of The Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association;

Dr. Carmella Bouffard, Secretary of The Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association;

Dr. Winston Forbes, Internal Medicine Consultant and Co-Chair of The Bahama Medical and Dental Association Conference,

Dr. Freeman Lockhart, Co-Chair of The Bahama Medical and Dental Association Conference;

Affiliates and Associates of the organization;

Distinguished clergy;

Ladies and gentleman;

Good evening and welcome to the 14th Annual Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association’s Scientific Continuing Education Conference, here at the beautiful Pelican Bay Resort.

This evening, I bring greetings to you from The Minister of Health, The Honorable Perry Gomez, and the Minister of Tourism, The Honorable Obie Wilchombe; who have both partnered with my ministry to finally bring 20th century legislation and regulations to the forefront, which have helped to establish the right environment necessary to jump start our medical tourism industry, while simultaneously upgrading our primary and tertiary medical services in both the public and private sectors.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is indeed a great honor and unique privilege to be invited once again to bring remarks at this opening ceremony for the 14th Annual Grand Bahama Medical and Dental Association’s medical conference, under the theme “Healthcare in the Bahamas: Overcoming Obstacles and looking to the future.”

As The Minister for Grand Bahama and a family physician, who has practiced in this community for many years, I am delighted to be a part of what this association is doing on Grand Bahama, particularly in the areas of training. I have said it before in other settings and I will say it again, the delivery of cost effective healthcare in a challenged economy requires major policy reforms. Nonetheless, tonight, I am pleased to report that this administration is on the right course and steadily moving in the right direction.

Ladies and gentlemen, this year marks an important milestone for all healthcare providers at the top of the food chain on Grand Bahama. In consultation with our private sector partners in the industry, the government passed two landmark pieces of legislation, namely the Medical Act 2014 and our new Stem Cell legislation. These significant Bills were designed to revise the regulation of medical practice throughout The Commonwealth of The Bahamas and create new medical options and therapies for Bahamians, while at the same time revolutionizing our medical tourism industry.

Subsequently, colleagues, going forward, recommendations will certainly be made for all licensed physicians registered with The Bahamas Medical Council to participate in continuing medical education as part of the licensing requirements, in order to ensure that we benefit from the transference of knowledge and reap the economic benefits that would ultimately follow. Be not alarmed colleagues, this shift in policy only serves to ensure that we all stay on the cutting edge of science and are better equipped to respond to our patient needs.

Colleagues, the explosion of noncommunicable diseases throughout our country, coupled with escalating healthcare costs calls for all practitioners to remain focused on training and retraining, particularly those practicing at the primary healthcare care level. With the escalating cost of healthcare and the government’s commitment to deliver universal healthcare coverage by January, 2016, we must now mount an aggressive preventative healthcare strategy from Sweeting’s Cay to West End and ensure that all residents participate.

We must certainly fight to save the next generation through proven preventative strategies and medical education; and ultimately reduce the incidents of mobility and mortality brought about by diseases associated with lifestyles.

Colleagues, we must all be mindful that the delivery of quality health care services is expensive and therefore, as healthcare professionals we must collectively address inadequacies in the healthcare system and , prevent wastage while providing quality but yet cost effective health care services to all the residents of Grand Bahama irrespective of race, class or socioeconomic background.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is no question that the residents of Grand Bahama have outgrown The Rand Memorial Hospital and if the truth be told, despite the upgrades done by the last administration, the facility is still deficient, and does not meet the necessary requirements to implement the government’s plans for medical tourism. In response, this administration remains committed to constructing a new state of the art hospital on Grand Bahama in this term in office, using Bahamian contractors, via a workable Public Private Partnership model on a new green field site, located off Sunrise Highway. We are now finalizing the business case and the procurement process, and once completed, the request for proposals will go out.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to report that in a matter of weeks we would have completed the renovations of all clinics on Grand Bahama and Sweeting’s Ca, as part of the Public Hospital Authority’s plan to improve service and the working environment of medical staff throughout Grand Bahama. In a matter of weeks we will be extending the clinic hours at the Eight Mile Rock Clinic to better service that community and reduce the current burden at the Accident and Emergency department at the Rand Memorial Hospital.

Ladies and gentlemen, our Charter of Governance verifies this administration’s commitment to the launch of National Health Insurance by January, 2016. We are currently on target, and from all the preliminary data coming in from our consultants, the proposed plan appears to be workable. It is important to reiterate that all professional bodies will have their input before any final decision is made.

Ladies and gentlemen, the health and safety of Grand Bahamians is paramount and therefore, as Minister for Grand Bahama, I am committed to lead the charge in ensuring that the residents of Grand Bahama have access to modern, state of the art medical facilities that are adequately staffed with trained medical professionals. Just this year, as part of this administration’s commitment to doubling the investment in education, some sixty scholarships were awarded to medical students as part of our plan to prepare for the expansion at both the Rand Memorial and the Princess Margaret hospitals. In short order we will launch our program for training of nurses and other allied healthcare professionals, in order to meet the demands of the upgraded medical infrastructure both in New Providence and Grand Bahama.

In closing, as Minister for Grand Bahama, it is my mandate to ensure that medical infrastructure for Grand Bahama is advanced, and I assure you that I am firmly committed to accomplish this important mandate. Plans are already in motion and within this term of office, the people of Grand Bahama will see the actualization of improved health care services and infrastructure on Grand Bahama. So I invite you all to continue to partner with The Ministry of Health and The Ministry for Grand Bahama in the fight to control and alleviate all forms of diseases that are threatening the lives of Grand Bahamians, especially our young people.

Therefore, on behalf of all of us at The Ministry for Grand Bahama, I congratulate the members of The Grand Bahamas Medical and Dental Association for fourteen (14) years of service to the Grand Bahama community, and I wish you a successful conference.

Thank you and God bless!

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