Health City Cayman Islands, which already features a 110-bed hospital in East End, today broke ground on a project that will see a 70,000 square foot modern, state-of-the art medical facility being built on three acres of land to the south of Camana Bay.

The new hospital, Health City Camana Bay, being built at a cost of US$100 million will include several medical specialities not currently available in the Cayman Islands. A key feature will be a Cancer Care Centre with comprehensive and advanced oncology offerings, a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), an emergency pavilion and critical care unit, and a robust multispecialty program which includes robotic surgery.

Health City Cayman Islands was born from the vision of internationally-renowned heart surgeon and humanitarian Dr. Devi Shetty and is supported by Narayana Health Group of Hospitals.

“We want to set up the most advanced facility for cancer care, heart care, neonatal care, and organ transplant for the entire Caribbean region, setting up a super specialty centre where all these complex procedures are done on a regular basis. This is our gift to the Caribbean so that no Caribbean citizen needs to go elsewhere for any of the advanced care,” said Dr. Shetty. “Our goal is to solidify the Cayman Islands as the best medical destination in the entire Western Hemisphere,” he added.

Health City Camana Bay is scheduled to take 12 to 18 months to complete. However, the hospital’s radiotherapy services will be available within nine months of the ground breaking. Upon completion, it will feature an advanced oncology department which will include medical oncology, hemato-oncology, surgical oncology, and radiation oncology with a medical linear accelerator.

“We will be the first in the region to offer bone marrow transplantation and CAR-T Cell therapy. Our technology and services will mean we can provide effective, precise and less invasive cancer treatments,” said Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil, Clinical Director of Health City Cayman Islands.

The hospital’s specialised neonatal intensive care unit will be the only of its kind in the Caribbean, where NICU specialists will work closely with other Health City specialists who will all be available to consult on-site, as well as with the high-quality unit at the Health Services Authority (HSA) to ensure no patient requiring neonatal care would be forced to go overseas to get this specialist treatment.

“Neonatal care is a team effort and requires all specialties working together and caring for patients. This holistic approach will put us in the fortunate position of being able to deliver the best potential outcomes for the highest-risk new-borns,” Dr Binoy said.

“For Cayman and Caribbean families this often means parents and babies are separated because one is in the US caring for a baby while the other is at home working and looking after the rest of the family. Our specialised NICU will mean babies and families can stay together, at home, and focus on what is most important – positive outcomes for these new-borns.”

Cayman Islands Premier, Hon. Wayne Panton, who was on hand for the ground breaking ceremony, expressed his pleasure that Health City Camana Bay would soon be a reality.

“I am delighted to welcome the expansion of Health City Cayman Islands Hospital to Camana Bay. Once completed the state-of-the-art campus will provide the Islands with another medical facility to benefit our people, our residents and visitors. Once again Health City has shown its confidence in the Cayman Islands and the PACT Government.”

With the construction of the new hospital, Health City has ensured that all existing major medical-care gaps are covered to safeguard the ongoing health and safety of the Cayman Islands population.

“I appreciate the services to the healthcare system that this new hospital will offer. It is envisaged that this new facility will help to further enhance our medical offerings and will be an asset to this and future generations of Caymanians, residents and visitors,” Hon. Sabrina Turner, Minister for Health and Wellness said.

Dart Director Ms. Jackie Doak welcomed the start of the project, which she said would enhance Dart’s overall Camana Bay development.

“Today’s ground breaking for Health City Camana Bay is another chapter in Camana Bay’s story.  We are delighted to welcome Health City, a world leader in patient-focused medical care to our community. Our partnership reflects our shared commitment to planning for the long term and investing in innovation and infrastructure that will improve the lives of current and future generations,” she said.

Health City Cayman Islands Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Shomari Scott, noted that the new hospital is being located closer to where the majority of the population live and work, which means more lives saved and a better quality of life for many who will benefit from the high-quality of care that will be extended from Health City’s original hospital in East End to the new convenient location in Camana Bay.

“Our success to date would not have been possible without the support of the Cayman Islands Government. We extend our gratitude to the past three administrations, and the current PACT government, for working with us to make this a reality. This new facility demonstrates the power of partnerships between the community, government and private sector,” Mr. Scott said.

Health City Camana Bay, which will serve as an anchor establishment for the new airport connector road, is scheduled to be fully operational in 2023.