Medical professionals from Cayman’s three hospitals, the wider healthcare community and overseas medical institutions as well as Government officials will speak at the upcoming Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference on a variety of topics related to finding and embracing optimal health in the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference takes place from Thursday, 7 October to Saturday, 9 October as a virtual event, and the public is invited to view the three-day programme live via CIGTV cable channels, the CIGTV YouTube channel and the Cayman Compass Facebook page.

The theme for this year’s Conference is “Breathe Easier”. Topics such as “Building Climate Resiliency in the Cayman Islands”; “Chronic Respiratory Diseases”; “Coping with Anxiety in the New Normal”; “Optimising and Protecting Child Health in the Post-Closure Era”; and “Using Complementary & Alternative Medicine to Breathe Easier” will be presented and discussed. In addition, a panel of doctors will host a session on the subject of “COVID & Vaccines: Past, Present and the Way Forward”. Doctors John Lee, Colin Charles, Courtney Cummings, Mahantesh Patil and Oliver Kayes will look at how prepared Cayman and the world at large was for a pandemic, what could be done better, modern science’s vaccine success and the lasting impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.  

Dr. Sara Watkin, Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at Integra Healthcare, will be speaking on the topic of optimising and protecting child health in the post-closure era. The goal of the session is to help attendees better understand COVID and long COVID and their impact in children, child health issues arising from the re-opening of Cayman and define optimal child health and the actions and measures that both protect and enhance child health.  

“Given we tend to agree that ‘children are our future’ it is ironic that they are currently at the centre of some of our most controversial debates about decisions for today that could have profound effects on their health, wellbeing, education and life-chances of tomorrow,” said Dr. Watkin. “It is vital that we re-focus on ensuring that our children thrive. By understanding what preserves, optimises and enhances the health of our children, both during and beyond our current circumstances, we can take the very best decisions and actions on their behalf. That is our responsibility, and in fact our obligation, and this session will contribute to ensuring those decisions and actions are driven by evidence, not fears, myths and misunderstanding.”

COVID-19 has irrevocably changed healthcare and around the world governments, healthcare institutions and patients alike are grappling with how to handle the disruption. Dr. Edward Fitzgerald, Head of Healthcare at KPMG Bermuda will address this topic in his presentation, “COVID-19: Sharing global lessons for recovery and resilience in healthcare”. His key message is that healthcare will not go back to how it was, nor should it. 

“Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest test for healthcare in generations. The pandemic has shone a bright light on healthcare and exposed the weaknesses in health systems around the world. Although it’s been the greatest global health emergency we have witnessed in a century, both for patients and staff, there are some opportunities to build a better future,” said Dr. Fitzgerald.  “The overdue digital transformation of healthcare is one of those as well as rethinking staffing models and deployment and increasing the use of virtual care and remote consultations and monitoring outside the hospital setting.”

The 12^th annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference is sponsored by Health City Cayman Islands, Doctors Hospital, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Cayman Islands Health Services Authority, Kelly Holding Events & Communications, Integra Healthcare, Aster Cayman MedCity, Dart, Compass Media, The Wellness Centre, Infinite Mindcare, CINICO, Marsh, Progressive Distributors Ltd., and Baptist Health International. 

To view the agenda for the 2021 Healthcare Conference visit www.healthcareconference.ky.