Business View Caribbean | March 2019

25 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN MARCH 2019 THE BR I T I SH V I RGIN I SLANDS HEALTH SERV I CES AUTHOR I TY based payment, whereas secondary and tertiary care might be on a fee for service budget. That’s the direction the Authority is heading, which would create a lot more flexibility in the organization to develop new services and to increase efficiencies. A wonderful new capital project, Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre in Virgin Gorda, is on the verge of completion; being built to the same outstanding standards as Peebles Hospital. “The quality of our infrastructure is extremely high and this facility will be no exception,” Dr. Georges states. “We were given an “A” rating on the PAHO Hospital safety index – one of only two hospitals in the entire region. The facility was struck with a direct hit from what was possibly the worst storm in recorded history in the Atlantic and, yes, we suffered some damage, but that did not stop the hospital from functioning, and the Territory’s government ran from the facility for about three months afterwards. Our vision is to build similar facilities throughout the Territory to serve the populations in those areas. We have a dedicated staff and we have the potential to be one of the leading facilities in the region, once we get it right.”