Health and wellness is top of mind, body, and spirit these days, and it’s so important to recognize the phenomenal job being done by the healthcare sector, both public and private, in caring for our people and communities. For this month’s issue of Business View Caribbean, I had the privilege of speaking with medical professionals in a variety of roles and locations, who laid bare the unprecedented challenges faced during the last many months. Their recollections from March 2020 onward paint a unique landscape of compassion, frustration, dedication, innovation, and the ultimate rewards of teamwork.
In Barbados, it’s the exceptional team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital who are going above and beyond by developing first-rate solutions to treat all manner of healthcare needs in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Including the fast-track build of a separate COVID care facility. Barbados has also endured a hurricane and storms and the fallout from a volcano during the pandemic, but as Dr. Clyde Cave, Director of Medical Services, notes, “When you look around and see civil wars and droughts and starvation in other parts of the world, you have to give thanks.”
In Kingston, Jamaica, Nutall Memorial Hospital – a top-rated private facility owned by the Anglican Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands – is celebrating 98 years of service. Operating today as a trusted, full-service general hospital, Nutall also supports wellness through it’s calming surroundings – patient rooms overlooking expansive lawns and gardens, which bring a relaxed country ranch feeling to the healing process.
Biomedical Enterprises of Trinidad and Tobago makes its mark in caregiving as a dedicated provider of world-leading healthcare and biomedical equipment and solutions. The BMETT team offers the Caribbean diaspora a path to cutting-edge technology – to enhance capabilities and quality of healthcare systems, and aid in the prevention and care of prevalent diseases affecting the more vulnerable Caribbean states.
When it comes to best practices, we’re pleased to showcase a pair of Puerto Rico’s finest construction entities.
Family-owned F & R Construction Group is about to achieve a fantastic milestone – a 50-year legacy of shaping the modern Puerto Rico landscape by delivering a wealth of outstanding built heritage. The well-respected general contracting and development firm credits its long legacy of success to “a lot of hard work and a little bit of luck.” Of particular note, the F&R crew has played a vital role in the government’s Relocation, Renovation, and Reconstruction (R3) program for the building and restoring of homes for families after Hurricane Maria.
Danosa Caribbean Inc. takes great pride in being a renowned manufacturing plant of superior quality roofing membranes. The only such plant in the Caribbean and possibly the only woman-owned in North and South America. While operational costs are rising, they’ve stayed competitive by being selective and enthused with technological innovation. Speaking to the overall economic opportunities, Company President, Waleska Rivera, shares, “In spite of everything being said about Puerto Rico, people should know that the private sector community is up and running and profitable, and we are all open for business!”
It’s our pleasure to share these inspiring stories of determination and resilience with all of you. Be well, my friends, and enjoy the read. 😊
Lorie Lee Steiner
Editor in Chief
