NEW DELHI, India (October 7, 2015) – Having spent nine years in New Delhi, the Dominican Republic’s Ambassador to India has endorsed the expertise of Indian medical practitioners who are dispensing high quality medical care and saving lives in the Caribbean and around the globe.

Ambassador Frank Hans Dannenberg Castellanos, Dean of Diplomatic Corps in the Indian capital, asserted the Caribbean is well-placed to benefit from the talented nurses, doctors, administrators and medical teams who are sharing their expertise across the region. While most are in private practice or in hospitals and clinics, many are caring for patients at Health City Cayman Islands on Grand Cayman, one of only two Joint Commission International (JCI)-accredited hospitals in the Caribbean.

“JCI is one of the world’s most demanding medical standards, and Health City Cayman Islands earned the prestigious Gold Seal of Approval after being open for just one year. That speaks volumes in terms of the quality and efficiency of the facility, as well as of the skills of the doctors, most of whom were trained in distinguished Indian medical universities,” stated Castellanos.
“Some of the best doctors in the world were trained right here in India,” said the Ambassador, speaking from his New Delhi office and adding, “If you want to see their value in the West, just look at all the Indian names listed in the prestigious practices and top hospitals in London, Paris, Berlin and New York. Even CNN’s award-winning chief medical correspondent is of Indian origin.”

The government official believes the establishment of Health City Cayman Islands by India-born physician and cardiac surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty “will be a tremendous benefit and continuing blessing for people living in the Caribbean – including those in my beautiful country, the Dominican Republic – who are searching for high-quality, affordable tertiary care not available in their home countries.”

The Ambassador pointed to the fact Dr. Shetty was Mother Teresa’s physician: “Mother Teresa did most of her saintly work for the poor and the hungry right here in the slums of India so it’s obvious she persuaded the good doctor to do more good for many more poor people around the world. The Caribbean is a deserving beneficiary of the partnership between Mother Teresa and Dr. Shetty.”

“India represents a great opportunity for Latin America and Caribbean countries,” the envoy opined, adding that he sees stronger economic ties and a “win-win” relationship with India in the years ahead. “The Dominican Republic has proposed and will continue to push for the effective implementation of a strategic partnership that would encompass a positive outcome for our nations and the wider Caribbean,” he stated.