In the Western hemisphere, chronic diseases have severely impacted the Caribbean region and according to a report from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) stated that “the Caribbean has the highest death rates from heart disease and among the countries in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), heart disease ranks as the leading cause of death. Other conditions such as cancer, stroke, diabetes, … [Read more...]

With a population of only 179,625 one would think that the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia would have a healthcare system that the government would have a relatively easy time to manage. Instead, quite the opposite is true as accusations have been made against the ruling United Workers' Party (UWP) for allowing primary care services and clinics to decline from lack of funding to refurbish and to … [Read more...]

The chronic shortage of nurses in the Caribbean continues to be acute and particularly in specialty areas. Nurses have been grossly underpaid and under-resourced in government health facilities throughout the region and although they fair a little better in private facilities they are easily recruited to go overseas to work in North America and other countries. Unfortunately, those who remain do … [Read more...]