Beneficiaries of Cayman’s finance sector help out with health supplies

Monday,  October 31, 2005

Two new emergency and disaster response vehicles have been donated for health care service in the Cayman Islands, thanks to a group of businesses incorporated in and doing business in Cayman. 

The delivery in early October of a two-ton box truck to pick up and distribute medical supplies to Grand Cayman’s hospital branches and a fully equipped Disaster van follows the earlier purchase of a new ambulance for the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (CIHSA) by the group. 

All three vehicles replace those damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

“The Cayman Islands were struck a tremendous blow by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Thankfully, Wilma was far kinder,” said Jack McCarthy, President of Risk Management Foundation, the medical insurance program for Harvard University’s teaching hospitals in Boston, whose captive (CRICO) has been located in Cayman since 1976.

“Those of us who have benefited from locating in the Cayman Islands want to help the Islands’ people secure their health care delivery, as a way of saying thank you. ” 

The group has raised over $230,000 and plans to raise more. Donors in the first round were led by Bon Secours Health System, Inc, CRICO, and other captives as well as AVRECO, Jardine Lloyd Thompson, and Tillinghast.

CRICO and the Insurance Managers Association of the Cayman Islands are initiating a second round of donations. 

The goal this time is to be able to put a new roof on the Medical Management Building which holds the bulk of the Island’s medical supplies.

The roof “looked okay at first,” said Cayman Islands Health Services Authority CEO Shirline Henriques. 

Closer inspection revealed structural problems that threaten $12 million of stock and will cost nearly a quarter million to repair. Meanwhile, Ms Henriques said they protected some materials by using plastic wrap, keeping supplies high off the floor, “and a lot of praying.” 

Because the building holds supplies for the Islands’ two hospitals and all district clinics, further damage to the roof could shut down health care.

   Back...