Health

(CNS): Cayman’s third annual free National Health Conference has been set for October 18-20 at the Ritz Carlton and will focus on “Patient-Centred Care:  Achieving Quality Outcomes". Officials said that the conference is not just for professionals and experts in the field but for everyone and urged the public to attend and seize the opportunity to participate in defining the health policies that will affect them and generations to come. HSA Director Lizzette Yearwood said a patient-centred approach was integral to the new objectives laid out by the Board of the Health Services Authority.

(CNS): The health minister has vehemently denied any political agenda or any other sinister ulterior motives on the critical health survey currently being undertaken by the HSA officials. Mark Scotland told CNS Monday that the UDP is not attempting to get into people’s homes for political manipulation as some commenters have suggested but it is to get essential data about the health of the nation and to enable his ministry to focus limited resources where they are most needed. Cayman has a paucity of information regarding non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease and needs to know much more about what it is that’s making people sick.

(CNS): In an effort to try and improve the health and well-being of people in the Cayman Islands, the health ministry is using a new radio show to try and promote the Be Fit Cayman ! Campaign. The first programme airs on Radio Cayman on Saturday morning when the minister responsible for health, Mark Scotland introduces the first in the series of educational programmes. Featuring Health Services Authority and Public Health staff subjects will range from specific conditions to eating well. For the Health of It airs on 89.9FM and is scheduled for about 30 minutes during the last two Saturdays in each month beginning at 9: 30am with a repeat on Wednesdays, at 7:00pm. 

(CNS): In an effort to have a quicker response to people suffering sudden heart attacks the government has contracted a Florida based firm to provide a service that will lead to rapid deployment of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) during a cardiac emergency. Atrus, Inc., will be providing its AED Link which gives nearby AED location information to 9-1-1 dispatchers so they can guide a caller to the closest AED in the event someone has a heart attack. The system will also instantly notify volunteer public responders affiliated with those AEDs to bring their defibrillator to the scene. Dr. Sook Yin, Medical Director of the Cayman Heart Fund said that in a cardiac emergency  time is the critical determinant in the victim’s survival.

(CNS): As the Cayman Islands joins the global community in commemorating International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June, the National Drug Council is asking schools to dedicate teaching time or hold events to highlight the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, free from alcohol, drug and substance misuse and abuse. This year’s theme is “Global action for healthy communities without drugs”, which the NDC says poses challenges to the educational system both in terms of health and educational outcomes. Substance abuse has been linked to academic difficulties, absenteeism and school drop-out and the NDC boss said schools play a crucial part in keeping students drug free.

(CNS): The government’s health insurance company is extending its online customer satisfaction survey to attract more people in order to help with future plans for the insurance company. CINICO said Tuesday that the survey window will now be open until Wednesday 27 June 27th.  The survey was launched on 22 May and is available to all civil servants, pensioners and statutory body CINICO members.  Those completing the survey will also have a chance to win an Ipad. “At Cinico we greatly value the opinions of our all our members, so we decided to extend the survey to the 27th to allow members a longer opportunity to complete it,” Lonny Tibbetts, CEO of CINICO, stated.

(CNS): A 67-year-old man has filed a law suit against the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) after his wife died of cancer in 2009. Harold Paramlall claims that as a result of misdiagnosis by the hospital his 61-year-old wife died prematurely. Claiming negligence on the part of hospital staff, Paramlall is suing for medical expenses, loss of earnings and damages from the court. He claims that samples taken from his wife’s test that came back negative in 2004 were the same slides that showed up the cancer in 2006. In his statement of claim the plaintiff says the HSA failed to “provide suitably experienced staff” capable of diagnosing his wife’s cancer.

(CNS): The HSA is celebrating everyone who participates in saving lives as blood donors this week to mark World Blood Donor Day on Thursday. This year blood donors throughout the world are being honoured, with the World Health Organisation theme highlighting the fact that ‘Every blood donor is a hero’. “Celebrating the act of blood donation is important because, put simply, it saves lives,” says H.S.A. CEO Lizzette Yearwood. “Around the world there is a critical need for blood donation…This is certainly true for us in Cayman where our hospitals rely on blood donation to assist in their daily practice of saving lives.”

(CNS): A group of home schooled students were learning about first aid and emergencies when they attended a training course at the Cayman Islands Red Cross (CIRC) last month. First Aid Training Manager, Peter Hughes explained that despite being aged between 11-15 years old no one is too young to learn the basics. Throughout the world parents, teachers and community group leaders introduce children as young as 10 to these courses, though there is usually no need for the course to be certified by a training provider.

(Bloomberg): Walt Disney Co. (DIS), aiming to combat childhood obesity by banning junk-food ads, will require that food and beverage advertising to kids on its TV networks and radio stations meet new nutritional standards by 2015.The guidelines, which follow federal recommendations, are designed to promote fruits and vegetables, limit calories, and curb the intake of saturated fat, salt and sugar, Burbank, California-based Disney said in a statement. By the end of this year, food products will begin bearing the “Mickey Check” logo, signaling that they meet the standards.

(CNS): Forethought, planning and organization are vital in creating healthier environments, according to the ministry of health which is encouraging all government departments, private sector companies, schools and community groups to develop or renew health and wellness policies to collectively facilitate better health for everyone. Marking Caribbean Nutrition Day Friday, Minister of Health, Mark Scotland added that “with changes in lifestyle such as healthy eating and physical activity, we can achieve greater success in improving the health of the nation.” This year’s theme “Healthy Eating and Active Living: Create an Enabling School/Work/Community Environment” is in line, ministry officials said with the Public Health Department’s Be Fit Cayman! wellness campaign which was launched last year.

(CNS): In his message marking World No Tobacco Day on Thursday, Cayman’s health minister said the government was serious about its commitment to protect and promote the health of residents by mandating a smoke free environment. With this year’s theme, "The Tobacco Industry’s Interference", focusing on brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) by the industry, Mark Scotland said officials remain alert to any and all efforts by the tobacco industry to subvert tobacco control.

(CNS): Arthur Agatston, MD, a preventive cardiologist and author of the South Beach Diet has joined Baptist Health Medical Group as medical director of wellness and prevention.  Officials from the hospital group which provides care to Cayman Islands patients said Dr Agatston will provide practicing cardiologists at Baptist Health with new insights into the prevention of heart disease, which will then be offered to local and international patients.  Dr Agatston’s approach to health and well-being initiatives includes the principles of good nutrition, such as eating healthy fats and complex carbohydrates, lots of fibre, vegetables, and lean proteins. 

(CNS): Patients who are being treated for cancer are being encouraged to supply information with the national Cancer Registry which was launched in 2010 by the Health Services Authority in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Cancer Society. Officials say that there is a need for accurate data to inform on trends in cancer incidence along with outcomes and quality of care. Currently, it is not mandatory for those with cancer to submit details to the registry and Cancer Registrar, Milena Conolly said that there is not enough data on the disease. “There is very little information on the number of people living with cancer or the types of cancer that are most prevalent in the Cayman Islands at present,” she said.

(CNS): In one of two reports released by the auditor general on Wednesday Alastair Swarbrick pointed to shocking failures in the management of government’s health insurance company and a plethora of weaknesses that put public money at risk. An audit report into CINICO, “Management of Overseas Medical Services”, revealed that the $30 million of public money spent each year on overseas medical care was not being properly controlled. From managers appointing case management firms without the company or board’s knowledge to a paucity of documents to show how CINICO manages overseas cases, the report reveals a catalogue of poor governance, leaving public money and the government owned company at risk of abuse.