Edward Seaga/ColumnistThe wonderful news last week is that the eyesight of two Jamaicans was restored after the use of high technology surgery in Cuba and 23 more are being examined for possible surgical procedures. This tells us more about these successes than the emotional happiness of the two fortunate persons. We can easily imagine the joy they felt in the return of their sight. Of all the five senses, I have often said, if I have to lose one, do not let it be my sight.
The exceptional success of the Cuban programme, is making an international statement that the genius of medical achievements is not restricted any longer to the industrial countries with high technology. Apart from Cuba, Thailand has been building a reputation in health services that is drawing 1,000 patients per day from the United States. A good part of this phenomenon is a result of the considerable increase in the cost of medical attention and care in the United States forcing Americans to look elsewhere. I have no doubt that if there were no travel restrictions for Americans to Cuba, there would be as large or even greater flow of U.S. citizens to Cuba to seek the benefits of its well-reputed system of health care. India provides hip replacements for US$3,000 compared to $39,000 in the United States. Heart valve replacements are US$10,000 including airfare not US$200,000. Malaysia offers Lasix eye
surgery and Barbados infertility treatment.
This leads to the query: What is happening in Jamaica in this respect? The answer is very revealing.
MoBay Hope has already established a state-of-the-art diagnostic centre with private fund-ing from share-holders of the Half Moon Hotel, which makes it necessary to travel abroad for many diagnostic tests previously unavailable here.
eye-opener
But an even greater eye-opener occurred in early August this year when, on returning from a visit overseas, we encountered what seemed to be a medical crisis, a relative with signs of the onset of a heart attack. This occurrence was at night when the usual recourse to doctors would not be available. It was at this point that a medical revelation occurred. On the advice of a family physician, we visited the Heart Institute of the Caribbean, which, believe it or not, is open 24 hours daily to enable it to respond to emergencies. Entering the institute was like being in a First World organisation. It turned out that this was a free-standing cardiac centre, a growing concept in major cities in the U.S.A. and the only such facility in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Listing the high technology equipment in this centre is hardly necessary and, indeed, would technologically cloud the subject with a lot of scientific terms. Suffice it to say that a good deal of diagnostic work not previously done in Jamaica is now available here.
The same is true of other private medical centres and hospitals which concentrate on specific medical conditions requiring high tech diagnostic work. State-of-the-art or scientifically advanced equipment now makes it possible to do spinal CT scans, MRI scans, bone density scans, and the costly haemo dialysis here in Jamaica.
Up to a decade ago, I usually went abroad for periodic executive medical check-ups, until I could afford it no longer. With the level of high technology now available in Jamaica and the deeper specialisations of doctors, far less medical conditions now require overseas testing or attention.
This leads to the big question: Can Jamaica ready itself to participate in the explosive growth of global health tourism? In discussion with a very senior official of the Medical Association of Jamaica, I understand that both the interest and intent exist. But obstacles also exist, in particular, the availability of extra wide band width for tele-medicine. Massa-chusetts General Hospital has MRIs interpreted overseas by foreign radiologists. This requires greater bandwidth for tele-communication. These kinds of obstacles seem to dog the path to success.
enthusiasm
Talking to Government officials, there is much enthusiasm to establish health tourism on a grand scale, bearing in mind the extraordinary number of 1,000 visitors daily to Thailand for medical diagnosis and treatment, most of whom are for comprehensive medical check-ups, organ transplants and dialysis at a fraction of the cost in the U.S.A. But I am not as optimis-tic as the enthusiasts because Jamaicans revel in talk.
My experience tells me that the only way to bring together the many pieces of any important project is for the leadership at the top to grab the individual pieces and pull them, willingly or unwillingly, together. Without this, the radioactive isotopes imported from abroad for nuclear testing will continue to lose half their radioactive life, as they now do, by waiting on clearance at customs.
The best approach of course, would be a consolidation, as
a private merger, high-tech diagnostic and treatment facilities in Jamaica into a state-of-the-art medical centre which would be certified at the appropriate ISO level to provide full international accreditation. A link with a major medical centre like the South Baptist Hospital in Miami would also enhance acceptance.
It will not be long from now that the surgeon will direct operations from the U.S. or Germany by video-conferencing directions given to the operating room in
a Third World country using advanced equipment. This is already happening between scientifically-advanced countries in the industrial world.
The fear is that by the time Jamaican interests and authorities are through talking and are ready to act, global developments would have reached higher levels leaving the Jamaican effort on a lower plateau still trying to catch up.
It would be a great pity if this opportunity passes by.
Edward Seaga is a former prime minister. He is now a distinguished fellow at the University of the West Indies. Email odf@uwimona.edu.jm.
