Community
CIMDS Issues aStatement on Registration
Following recent public debate on the registrationof medical practitioners in the Cayman Islands, the followingstatement was issued on behalf of the society by its president,Dr. George Meggs:
"The Cayman Islands Medical and DentalSociety (CIMDS) has noted the debate in the media in relationto the registration of doctors practicing in the Cayman Islands.
The CIMDS has reviewed the situation andwe are of the firm view that all doctors and dentists in the CaymanIslands are duly registered, fulfilling the requirements of theHealth Practitioners' Law (the Law).
The CIMDS would like the public to havethe facts:
The Health Practitioners Board (HPB) hasthe responsibility to register any health practitioner whose qualificationsare from institutions approved by the Board, as per Section 7(2) of the Law. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO), who is the Chairmanof the HPB, has the authority to employ doctors in the Governmentsector and register them as per Section 7 (7) of the Law.
The CMO is authorised as per Section 6 ofthe Law to maintain a Health Practitioner's Register of all practitionersboth in the government and private sectors and to publish theRegister in the Gazette, periodically. The CMO last publishedthe list of all restored practitioners in Gazette No. 7 datedApril 1, 1996. The licensed practitioners who came later are inthe Register with the CMO, although not gazetted.
There have been nine Chairmen of the HPBsince 1975 when the present Law came into effect, during whosetenures all current practitioners were registered.
The CIMDS is aware that the Hon. Ministerhas undertaken the responsibility of the Ministry only four monthsago and also been has been away for some time. Hence we are writinghim separately in detail advising him of the facts, to assisthim in understanding that all doctors presently working in theCayman Islands are duly registered. We fully support the Hon.Linford Pierson, Minister of Health and Information Technologyin his endeavour in providing the best health care to the residentsof and visitors to the Cayman Islands.
The CIMDS would like to assure the publicthe health care in the Cayman Islands is one of the best in theCaribbean and that of the CIMDS will work with the authoritiesto do what is within it's power to see that this continues."