Health
TCI Hospitals Building Business Cases for ICU, Ophthalmology & Vascular; early estimates is over $10 Million needed
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, June 30, 2022 – An Intensive Care Unit is under active consideration for the Turks and Caicos however it will be a long and expensive process with an at least $10 million dollar price tag attached; the good news is the space is available and the Health Minister wants to cut the cheque.
“In our 2021-2024 strategic plan and with the group that we have through our contract management unit and our collaborations with NHIP; these are some of the services that we are looking at over the next three years to build a business case based on our data and their data to present to government with a proposal. Now we recognize that we have to take our time in presenting all of these proposals to Government because they are the ones funding it.”
Dr. Denise Braithwaite Tennant, CEO of InterHealth Canada explained the extreme complexity of planning and building an ICU in this British overseas territory.
“There are different levels to the ICU, there are ICUs that focus on medical, trauma, and high complexities such as open-heart surgeries and ecmo. So we recognize we have to have a starting point and we are building the business case for that and it’s the most complex one we’ve ever had to build… our aim is to start with a medical ICU so that we can reduce the number of persons going abroad for surgeries that we do here.”
The medical ICU is especially important because what has happened in the past and continues today is that residents with certain comorbidities are sent overseas for surgeries offered on the island. While the surgery expertise exists in-country, post-surgery ICU care is not.
“Because of their patient complexity we’ve decided that it’s not safe to do it in the absence of an ICU,” Braithwaite-Tennant explained
Building a business case for an ICU is intricate and demands that planners identify the requisite staff, consider the infrastructural needs and introduce the proper operations program and many other factors. These boxes must be
checked even before the Government then weighs in on the proposal which they must agree to fund from the public purse.
Jamell Robinson, the TCI Minister of Health in that Tuesday press conference offered a simple, “Long time” when asked if he would be willing to support putting the money behind the development of an ICU and other areas itemized as priorities by the hospitals CEO.
Dr. Braithwaite-Tennant says there are two other high volume procedures putting a strain on taxpayers and Turks and Caicos should begin immediate work on addressing the deficiency in these clinical services.
“As a unit they may not be very expensive but because of the critical volumes that they generate they still end up causing NHIP a lot of money.”
These high volume services were named as surgical and medical Ophthalmology or eye care, which she describes as a “key driver in terms of volume” and vascular which is climbing in demand as the number of dialysis patients in the TCI is on the rise.
Despite the difficulties in crafting these plans, TCI Hospitals’ executives are assertively pushing for the in country services in ophthalmology, vascular and an ICU and have confirmed that by year end, the businesses cases will be handed over to Government for review.
“Thereafter it’s going to be a back and forth communication about it, group meetings explaining so they can fully understand and then comes the part of funding it.”
One good thing is that the physical building space already exists as the government had built the hospitals with expansion capacity.
“The ICU buildup is complex — thankfully the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands had the foresight to build expansion spaces. All it is now is a shell and we currently use it for storage but it has the fixtures in the walls to come forward.” she said.
Dr. Braithwaite-Tenant explained they were moving on these medical services proposals aggressively because they recognized that the current system is not sustainable.
“The project agreement did not necessarily envision it being used with an ICU component– but COVID forced that because there were times in the very beginning that no one wanted patients who had Covid-19. No one.”
Which meant TCI islanders who tested positive for the virus prior to being medially evacuated, were denied medical care. It placed Islanders in life threatening situations.
The idea that in five months, Turks and Caicos Islands Government could be holding the plan to build an Intensive Care Unit and to add specialists in eye and vascular care is heartening. Residents have long been calling for the extension and the country is in a fantastic place, fiscally, to action and approve these significant upgrades.
The 40,000 residents and two million visitors will be able to rest easier with the assurance that specialized care is only minutes away; giving patients more precious life saving time which could mean the difference between life and death.
Health
Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital Celebrates Successful Completion of 2026 Summer READY Programme
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – August 18, 2026 – Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital is pleased to announce the successful completion of its Summer READY Programme, a two-week internship initiative designed to provide high school students in Forms 3-5 with hands-on exposure to the healthcare environment and an opportunity to explore careers within the sector.
The programme, organised and hosted by the Training and Education Department, welcomed students into various clinical departments,
where they gained first-hand insight into the day-to-day operations of a healthcare facility and learned directly from healthcare professionals.
Throughout the two-week internship, students were exposed to different aspects of patient care and clinical operations while developing important workplace competencies, including communication, teamwork, professionalism, punctuality and responsibility. The experience was designed to complement classroom learning while helping students make more informed decisions about their future education and career pathways.
Vernessa Forbes, Training and Education Manager, said the Summer READY Programme reflects the hospital’s commitment to developing young people and creating meaningful opportunities for them to explore the healthcare profession.
“Summer READY is about giving our young people an opportunity to experience healthcare beyond what they may have seen or learned in the classroom. Over the two weeks, our students were able to interact with healthcare professionals, observe different clinical environments and gain a better understanding of the dedication and teamwork required to care for our patients. We were impressed by their enthusiasm, curiosity and willingness to learn, and we hope this experience has inspired them to consider the many rewarding careers available in healthcare.”
By rotating through and gaining exposure to various clinical departments, students were also able to see that healthcare extends beyond the roles most commonly associated with a hospital. The programme introduced them to the range of skills, disciplines and professionals that work together to deliver safe, compassionate and high-quality patient care.
Dr. Denise Braithwaite-Tennant, Chief Executive Officer, said the hospital has an important role to play in building the human capacity needed to support the future development and sustainability of healthcare in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“As a hospital, our responsibility extends beyond providing healthcare services today; we also have an important role in helping to develop the people who will deliver and lead healthcare tomorrow. Human capacity building is essential to the long-term sustainability of our health system, and programmes such as Summer READY allow us to introduce young people to healthcare careers early, nurture their interests and help them understand the educational and professional pathways available to them.
By opening our clinical environment to students and providing mentorship and practical exposure, we are helping to build a pipeline of
future nurses, physicians, allied health professionals and other healthcare workers. We want our young people to see that there is a place for their talents within the health sector and, importantly, that they can build rewarding careers while contributing to the health and development of the Turks and Caicos Islands. We are proud to play our part in investing in the next generation and strengthening our country’s future healthcare workforce.”
The programme concluded with the presentation of certificates of completion to the students, recognizing their successful participation and commitment throughout the two-week internship.
Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital congratulates all of the students who successfully completed the Summer Ready Programme and extends its appreciation to the clinical teams, supervisors and staff members who provided mentorship, guidance and practical learning opportunities throughout the programme.
Through the Summer READY Programme and its wider education, training, internship and professional development initiatives, Turks and Caicos Islands Hospital remains committed to supporting national human capacity development. By partnering with educational institutions, government agencies and other stakeholders, and by providing mentorship and practical learning opportunities within the healthcare environment, the Hospital aims to strengthen the pipeline of skilled healthcare professionals needed to meet the evolving health needs of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
NASSAU, Bahamas — More Bahamians are accessing HIV and sexually transmitted infection-related healthcare through National Health Insurance, a trend the NHI Authority says should be viewed positively.
NHIA stressed in an August 6 statement that its 2025 figures measure healthcare utilisation, not newly diagnosed infections. They include beneficiaries screened, treated, monitored or receiving follow-up care, including people diagnosed previously.
“Increased utilisation of these services should be viewed as a positive development,” NHIA said.
The Authority pointed to “greater enrolment and use of NHI, improved access to screening and testing, continued treatment and monitoring of existing conditions, and increased willingness to seek medical care.”
The development comes amid a mixed three-year HIV picture. New diagnoses rose from 130 in 2023 to 156 in 2024, before declining to 142 in 2025.
NHIA said increased utilisation demonstrates that more beneficiaries are accessing needed healthcare and actively managing their health, reinforcing the importance of screening, early diagnosis and continued treatment.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Americas has recorded 47,459 confirmed measles cases and 44 deaths in 2026, the region’s highest case count in 22 years, prompting the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to urge stronger vaccination, surveillance and rapid outbreak response.
As of July 18, cases were already more than triple the 15,011 recorded during all of 2025. Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Peru
account for 95% of confirmed cases. Guatemala leads with 30,371 cases and 26 deaths, followed by Mexico with 12,255 cases and 17 deaths.
PAHO classifies the regional public health risk as very high, citing active outbreaks, immunity gaps, international travel and populations with inadequate vaccination coverage.
The organization says prevention starts with vaccination. Countries are being urged to achieve and maintain at least 95% coverage with two doses of measles-containing vaccine, particularly protecting children and under-vaccinated communities.
Measles spreads through the air when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. Symptoms can include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a rash.
PAHO is urging health authorities to detect suspected cases early and respond rapidly to stop transmission. Unvaccinated and under-vaccinated people, young children and communities with limited healthcare access face increased risk of severe illness and death.
