By JADE RUSSELL
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday that officials are working actively to build and renovate health facilities in the Family Islands.
“We have pretty much completed all of the architectural renderings for the new clinics that we plan to construct. And we have a very robust renovation plan for the existing clinics. The whole thing is to improve the quality of health care services throughout our Family Islands.
“By expanding services at the clinics, repairing those clinics that are in disrepair. Bring in the proper high-speed internet access for fibre optic connectivity for telemedicine, and also to be able to deploy additional physicians and healthcare professionals throughout the Family Islands,” Dr Darville said.
Dr Darville told reporters that the ministry is using Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loans to facilitate the infrastructural upgrades throughout the Family Island clinics.
He explained that renovations are currently ongoing on the islands, adding that residents in due time will be able to benefit as far as health care is concerned.
Dr Darville said: “Renovations are ongoing as we speak on many of the Family Islands, there’s a few more that I intend to execute very shortly. And after those remedial renovations are completed a lot of the renovations that are tied in with the new IDB loan will kick in. And once they kick in, the residents throughout the Family Islands could rest assured that we at the Ministry of Health, particularly with the delivery of primary health care services, intend to improve what exists.”
Dr Darville added that as officials begin to finalise purchasing ambulances for the islands people are being trained to be deployed to the Family Islands.
“PHA academy now is training new ambulance specialists that we intend to deploy throughout the Family Islands. And the residents of the Family Islands could expect similar services for ground transportation that exist in New Providence and Grand Bahama, all a part of integrating it properly.
“And to be able to ensure that we get better medical outcomes when we integrate ground and air transport to bring those who do not have tertiary facilities to the capital or Grand Bahama to ensure that they are taken care of,” Dr Darville said.
On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper said there is a need for more health facilities on Exuma. Mr Cooper’s comments came after a boating accident occurred in the Exuma Cays on Monday that left eight people injured. He said the passengers were a group of employees who were on their way back to work. Five of the passengers were taken to New Providence for treatment and were currently doing well, he said.
Mr Cooper, the Exuma and Ragged Island MP, said the boating accident pointed out the need for the expansion of healthcare on the island, adding that he has been in discussions with the Minister of Health.
“Just like there are sometimes traffic accidents on the street, we sometimes have these most unfortunate accidents on the seas. We’re going to look to see what we can do to provide more lighting in some of these potentially dangerous areas. But I think it also highlights the need for more healthcare,” Mr Cooper said.
“And I’m already speaking, for quite some time now, with the Minister of Health about the development of new clinics in Black Point and Staniel Cay — those are actively on the drawing board. But the time has come where we need a doctor resident in the Exuma Cays,” Mr Cooper said.