EDITOR’S NOTE: Mid-March, #InfrastruCaribe featured healthcare infrastructure in the Caribbean in our edition 2021-03-23. This newsletter is the first of a two-part series on healthcare infrastructure, as we continue our series on social infrastructure in the Caribbean. Five countries are covered, namely: Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica.
Our headline, taken from Dominican Today, reads: “Dominican Republic Opens A Leading Edge Medical Center”. President Luis Abinader officially opened the Diabetes, Obesity and Specialties Medical Center, located in the Dominican Republic. Its main purpose is to prevent amputations and second to promote, prevent, diagnose and treat kidney diseases.
The Roxborough Health Facility in Trinidad and Tobago is planned to be handed over to their Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development this month. Works to the Rand Memorial Hospital in The Bahamas was scheduled to be completed and commissioned in April.
As the spread of COVID-19 intensified over the past weeks, the Cuban government has decided to increase the number of healthcare facilities used to accommodate and treat new and suspected cases. Finally, Jamaica’s only producer of medical oxygen — IGL Ltd. — has expanded bulk medical oxygen storage facilities and increased cylinder stocks at most hospitals.