Thanks To Health Authority of Authority

The Editor,
The Anguillian

Thanks To Health Authority of Anguilla

I need to thank the Health Authority of Anguilla and its employees for the superb job they are doing in providing medical care.

Before I tell you how I discovered this fact, I need to provides some perspective.

My wife and I are both retired and live in Anguilla full time. In her previous life, my wife was a medical professional and worked in operating rooms for over thirty five years. In her last hospital, which was located in Maryland just to the east of Washington, D.C., when she didn’t have duties in the OR, she rushed to help patients in other parts of the hospital whose hearts had stopped beating. In addition, the hospital had a trauma unit, and she often responded to get patients out of ambulances or medical evacuation helicopters and get them started in the Emergency Room. In those duties, she learned what Emergence Medical Technicians (EMTs) did and learned to respect their capabilities and dedication to their jobs.

Many of my wife’s friends were also in the medical field, and at least a little of their knowledge rubbed off on me.

My story starts with having to call 911 to get an ambulance. The EMTs arrived, started their prep and got me into the ambulance and to the emergency room at the hospital. My wife said she watched them for a few minutes, and became very comfortable because they obviously knew what they were doing and were very professional.

The good treatment continued in the Emergency Room. A nurse took my vital signs and the Doctor on duty did his initial assessment, and gave orders to the Nurses. They soon had me hooked up to oxygen and took blood samples. A radiology technician arrived and took X-Rays. With some preliminary results from the blood tests, they discovered that my body was way out of whack, and the Doctor had them give me an IV drip and various drugs to get me a little better stabilized. My wife again told me that she was very comfortable with the Doctor and the Nurses who were calm and professional and obviously knew their jobs.

I was then moved to a ward for the night, and turned over to the Nurses there. The next morning I learned that there were three shifts of nurses working through the day. I also met my (new) Doctor. After talking to the Doctor and some of the Nurses, my wife informed me that I was in very good hands.

I spent a total of three nights in the hospital before they released me, and I can attest to the high level of care I received from all three shifts of Nurses and the Doctors. So thank you Nurses, Doctors and all of the employees behind them!

Early the following week, my wife got me into the Hughes Medical Center to do tests to see if they could find a reason for my stay in the hospital. I was asleep during the actual procedures, but the work-up by the Nurses and Doctor was as good as I had in the US. And of course, being fairly new, the facility is excellent. My wife was impressed. So I have to say: Anguilla should be very proud of its health care!!

In relating my experience to friends and acquaintances, I was asked if I thought there was room for improvement. I answered “of course, there’s always room for improvement. However, I think it will be gradual, and that a major improvement in capability is going to require a large amount of money.” (For example, an anesthesia machine costs US$250,000.) After being on Anguilla, we know that Anguillans are not hesitant in providing funds to support worthy causes, and we are confident that they will make the money available when the need arises. And we will help!

Very truly yours,

Daniel K. Uyemura