VI Medical Tourism unfeasible now - Dr Vanterpool
The medical doctor echoed those sentiments on April 15, 2019, at a press conference held by the management of the Clinic to highlight the 100% success rate of their Cat Lab, after just six months in operation.
Building Credibility
‘I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it [medical tourism] as it relates to the BVI, nearly everywhere that I see medical tourism being successful, the service has to be built from the ground up, for the population of the territory and then, once that is a successful service, people from around feel more comfortable coming to participate,” Dr Vanterpool told the press.
He said while his belief is personal, and over the years, politicians have been touting its possibility on local shores, however, implementing the initiative is not as simple as it seems.
“I think it would be very difficult for people from the United States—which is the market that we are always looking at—nobody from the United States is going to get up from a there and come down to the British Virgin Islands for cardiac care just like that,” he said in noting that the territory may lack credibility in the area.
Back in August 2018, Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) reported that the Bougainvillea Clinic had performed five Radiation Seed Implant surgeries, to treat prostate cancer.
Four of the men treated by the Clinic were residents of the VI, while the other came as a medical tourist from overseas. The success of the surgeries was highly celebrated as ‘cutting edge’ and marked the first medical tourist for the institution.
Yet, Dr Vanterpool seems to have a difference in opinion regarding the ability of the territory to service medical tourism, giving his own success.
Specific Procedures
According to the Doctor, “There may be some specific procedures that they [medical tourists] may be willing to do that for. I think it is important that we build our services in all fields as much as we can for the local people first of all,” he said.
Further, Dr Vanterpool implores that only when the local industry is solidly and successfully built, then, the territory can reach out to people from around the other islands and from around the region to partake of those services.
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14 Responses to “VI Medical Tourism unfeasible now - Dr Vanterpool”
"Doctors bring their equipment and do their procedures. They also bring their own staff."
SO WHAT THE HELL ARE WE OFFERING OR DOING FOR THEM?
NDP took some of all you minds..
Moreover, to be competing in the health tourism arena, the BVI must position itself to provide residents with high quality, accessible and low cost care. The BVI is not currently at/in this position. It is no secret that local healthcare is expensive (dear) and many services must be sought overseas. Some medical practitioners in the VI has a reputation for high cost (dear). Medical practitioners must cover their cost, make a living and turn a reasonable profit but the dear prices......geez sum bred mon! Providing medical care should be a labour of love; but profit making should not be the primary driving force. This label clearly does not apply to every practitioner. If the BVI cannot yet provide residents with high quality, low cost care, how will it provide it to visitors seeking high quality, low cost care? If the BVI wants to be a serious player in the competitive health tourism business, it must have the facilities, the doctors, support staff, capacity/capability........etc. Further, providing medical tourism should not deprive residents of access, availability.......etc high quality health care.
People need to get the best healthcare for themselves. THE BEST IS SADLY NOT YET AVAILABLE IN BVI.
When choosing healthcare provider, we prefer a medical center where international standards are followed and REGULATED and not only for profit. How many politicians and respectable islanders avail complicated and urgent service from local centers aside from cough and colds? Zero. How sure are we there are 100% success rate? There are NO existing government and private agencies which monitor their success and failure rate. Even doctors are not monitored and regulated in this island.