HEART SURGEON: CAYMAN ISLANDS POISED TO BE WESTERN MEDICAL TOURISM CAPITAL

Health City Cayman Islands Draws Medical Tourists from Central America and the Caribbean

CAYMAN ISLANDS, July 13, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dr. Devi Shetty, founder of the Caribbean's preeminent medical care facility Health City Cayman Islands, believes the Cayman Islands will become the "capital of medical tourism for the western hemisphere" within the next seven years.

Speaking with journalist James Whittaker of the Cayman Compass newspaper, Shetty reported that 40 percent of Health City Cayman Islands' patients already come from overseas, and the hospital aims to increase that number to 90 percent.

Dr. Shetty was in the Cayman Islands as a guest speaker on regional health care at the UK Government & Overseas Territories International Trade Summit 2019, which took place at the Kimpton Seafire Resort on June 27 and 28.

Read the full article at: https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/07/04/shetty-cayman-can-be-capital-of-medical-tourism

He says that Cayman's potential is not limited to American medical tourists, which can sometimes be assumed. Rather, he indicates the Cayman Islands should set its sights on the larger region as a whole, drawing in medical tourists from the Caribbean and across the Americas.

Described as "The Henry Ford of Heart Surgery," Dr. Shetty, the founder and chairman of India's successful Narayana Health chain of hospitals, said: "What we have noticed is that the response from the Caribbean and Latin American countries has been extremely positive, not only in terms of patient flow, but in terms of acceptance of our doctors. Our doctors go there [to other islands] and examine their patients and help them with their health care needs. Essentially, we are becoming a pan-Caribbean operator rather than a Caymanian entity. We did not think this was going to be a big activity but it has been."

The respected cardiac surgeon said: "Every two years we look at our strategy. We realize right now we should be concentrating predominantly on the Caribbean and Central America and not spending major resources in the U.S."

Dr. Shetty says the primary medical tourism needs for many Caribbean and Central American travelers are heart operations and cancer treatment, wherein treatment lasts for months.

"It is not just the treatment costs, it is family staying in the U.S. for months. Loss of wages, separation from family. [There] is a huge psychological trauma involved in the process. We believe Cayman will emerge as the medical tourism destination for Central America and the Caribbean region," he said.

Dr. Shetty also spoke about Health City's plans for a multi-million dollar cancer center, construction for which will take place over the next year.

"That will make a big difference for the Caribbean, as well as the U.S. population because oncology services in the U.S. are very expensive," he said.

Grand Cayman, he emphasizes, is a perfect alternate destination for medical tourists, with its security, first-world infrastructure and extremely supportive government.

On the local front, the surgeon said Healthy City's impact on the local population has been positive: "The kindness and goodwill from the local population is really rewarding."

About Health City Cayman Islands
Health City Cayman Islands, the vision of renowned heart surgeon and humanitarian Dr. Devi Shetty, is supported by Narayana Health, one of India's largest private health care systems. Health City, only the second hospital in the Caribbean to receive the Joint Commission International's "hospital accreditation", provides compassionate, high-quality, affordable healthcare services in a world-class, comfortable, patient-centered environment. Offering health care to local, regional and international patients, Health City Cayman Islands delivers excellence in adult and pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac electrophysiology, medical oncology, orthopedics, sports medicine, pediatric endocrinology, gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery, neurology, interventional neurology and neuro-
diagnostics, neurosurgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, gynecology, urology, pediatric allergies, colorectal surgery, dental, sleep lab and pulmonology services.

For further information, visit www.healthcitycaymanislands.com².

ENDS

Christina Trumbach, Marketing & Communication Manager
Health City Cayman Islands
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¹ https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/07/04/shetty-cayman-can-be-capital-of-medical-tourism
² http://www.healthcitycaymanislands.com