Medical Care alternatives?

[RoyinNC]

We have been visiting Jamaica since the late 80's and have no current plans to stop vacationing there. We have seen many changes over that time, both good and bad (like any other growing vacation destination). But one area that people keep asking me about is the situation regarding medical care, particularly serious injury or illness if you are in Negril. While I would not avoid Sav La Mar for minor things, it would not really suffice in a serious or emergency situation. For a long time I kept the phone number of MoBay Hope Medical (at the Half Moon Shop area in MoBay) because from talking to many I had come to believe it might be the best option. Now, I have been told that it is no longer in operation. With stories of people at resorts facing huge bills for minor things when a doctor is summoned to their resort for treatment I don't know what the best options are anymore. These questions are becoming more important for me, and others among the aging travel population. Negril would do well to meet this need sooner rather than later because I already know many people who don't travel to Jamaica on vacation anymore for fear of the poor options of medical care in the event of an emergency or serious illness.
Does anyone know if MoBay Hope is actually gone? Their reviews were getting really bad anyway.

Does anyone know the status of the private hospital project that seems to have stalled? http://negrilbeachbungalows.com/ For some reason this is the website for the project.

What are the best options available from Negril now, and what is the best way to get to them if you have an emergency?

Thanks for any help on this!

[Papa Georgie]

Hospital? Does Negril have a working ambulance? I thought it wrecked and was not replaced.

[captaind & Linston]

Hospital? Does Negril have a working ambulance? I thought it wrecked and was not replaced.

I saw it with my own eyes up close earlier this month. Some guy broke his ankle pretty good and was being evacuated.

It looked professional and efficient to me.


Cap

[Chris B]

Excellent question... Although we are in good health in our early 60's, this is now becoming a concern for us as well. You can buy all the travel insurance you want, but without ready and viable care facilities, Negril and Jamaica may one day (soon) fall off our travel options menu. I'll be watching this one closely.

[Accompong]

I have some health issues and stay in a rural area of Jamaica for 3 - 6 months at a time so it is always on my mind as to what I would do if I needed emergency assistance like hospitalization.

Two years ago it happened. I was seriously ill and had a neighbor drive me to Black River Hospital. Although the buildings were run down and the facility overcrowded, I received the best quality care. I had 4 doctors. One Nigerian, one Cuban, one Jamaican and one Chinese. Each one seemed highly trained and conscientious in the approach to making me well again. I had to buy cooked food from the street to eat but had several ambulatory patients willing to go for it. Had to bring in my own clothes and sheets and pillows.

After 5 days, I discharged myself when I felt better against the doctor's orders. Within a few days at home in Accompong Town on bed rest, I recovered as completely as I could have in the United States. I am no longer particularly afraid of getting sick because I know I can get good quality care the next time I needed it.

The best thing is that the 5 days in the hospital cost me less than $200 US.

Peace and Guidance

[Chris B]

Accompong... I'm glad you had a good outcome and recovery from your health crisis. I don't think anyone questions quality of care on the island. In fact, I'm very impressed with articles I've read about quality of care in the Caribbean Basin, and indeed around the world, compared with that available here in the States.

Personally, I'm more concerned about access and availability of critical care for maladies such as heart attack, or for serious injuries incurred while using transport services. Response time to obtain that access is also a concern.

Your story reflects your familiarity with people and services in the area, and that's good on you, to be sure! But for the vast majority of us more casual shorter term visitors to the island, and please understand that I'm not trying to be dismissive, the experience you describe may provide small comfort.

As noted previously, some of us have been visiting the island we love for decades. We may be young at heart, but our bodies betray us. Your story does highlight an alternative, to be sure... but what is the regional plan for the Negril area to provide the alternatives many of us would expect? There are plans and projects aplenty for development, but what about health care?

[Accompong]

Accompong... I'm glad you had a good outcome and recovery from your health crisis. I don't think anyone questions quality of care on the island. In fact, I'm very impressed with articles I've read about quality of care in the Caribbean Basin, and indeed around the world, compared with that available here in the States.

Personally, I'm more concerned about access and availability of critical care for maladies such as heart attack, or for serious injuries incurred while using transport services. Response time to obtain that access is also a concern.

Your story reflects your familiarity with people and services in the area, and that's good on you, to be sure! But for the vast majority of us more casual shorter term visitors to the island, and please understand that I'm not trying to be dismissive, the experience you describe may provide small comfort.

As noted previously, some of us have been visiting the island we love for decades. We may be young at heart, but our bodies betray us. Your story does highlight an alternative, to be sure... but what is the regional plan for the Negril area to provide the alternatives many of us would expect? There are plans and projects aplenty for development, but what about health care?

Chris B,
I totally understand your concerns and you have a lot of good reasons to be concerned. I worry more when in Negril than I do in other areas of Jamaica. With Cornwall Regional and Savana La Mar being the two closest hospital alternatives doesn't do much to calm those concerns.

Negril is pretty much a "frontier village". What I mean is that it is not a major area close to a medical hub so a heart attack or a major injury is a little riskier to survive due to it's fringe location resulting in length of time before competent treatment. If I had a truly life-threatening event while in St. Elizabeth, I probably wouldn't make it either. A major heart attack would surely be fatal. My best bet would be Mandeville Hospital if I could last long enough to make it there.

I have been visiting Jamaica for 4 decades as well and I feel a lot more vulnerable as each year goes by but I am a person who lives his life in the moment. I accept the risks for the reward I get from living in Jamaica.

As I get older and perhaps a little more vulnerable, I will consider moving to a house across the street from the Mandeville Hospital.

Jamaica is a lot bigger than just Negril.

The human body has limitations. The human spirit is boundless.
- Dean Karnazes

I hope you find the answer that will calm your concerns.

Peace and Guidance

[JitterBug]

negril being the major tourist hub, one would think it would have more services considering the number of tourists that frequent the "village".
just my two cents worth . . .

[Chris B]

Excellent response... thank you for your insight!

[Rob]

We have been visiting Jamaica since the late 80's and have no current plans to stop vacationing there. We have seen many changes over that time, both good and bad (like any other growing vacation destination). But one area that people keep asking me about is the situation regarding medical care, particularly serious injury or illness if you are in Negril. While I would not avoid Sav La Mar for minor things, it would not really suffice in a serious or emergency situation. For a long time I kept the phone number of MoBay Hope Medical (at the Half Moon Shop area in MoBay) because from talking to many I had come to believe it might be the best option. Now, I have been told that it is no longer in operation. With stories of people at resorts facing huge bills for minor things when a doctor is summoned to their resort for treatment I don't know what the best options are anymore. These questions are becoming more important for me, and others among the aging travel population. Negril would do well to meet this need sooner rather than later because I already know many people who don't travel to Jamaica on vacation anymore for fear of the poor options of medical care in the event of an emergency or serious illness.
Does anyone know if MoBay Hope is actually gone? Their reviews were getting really bad anyway.

Does anyone know the status of the private hospital project that seems to have stalled? http://negrilbeachbungalows.com/ For some reason this is the website for the project.

What are the best options available from Negril now, and what is the best way to get to them if you have an emergency?

Thanks for any help on this!

Roy,

The comments have been interesting. I will try to answer your questions as well as address some of the other comments. Living here daily for over two decades gives a person a different perspective than that of visitors, no matter how long they visit.

First, Hope Medical moved. It is now called the Hospiten Hospital. It is a little further past the old location, but the private hospital is a new facility. Contact numbers are on their website. The link is below.

http://www.hospiten.com/en/hospitals...en-montego-bay

As we get older, which we all are, healthcare begins to become an important item to consider. There is no free healthcare for visitors, which is the same pretty much worldwide. All healthcare from doctor visits, ambulances, emergency room, air evacuation, etc costs money. So one of the best ways to eliminate this money worry is to simply buy travel insurance. All you pay is the deductible. In addition to the medical coverage, there are other benefits such as missed flights that make this a no-brainer for those who worry about this issue. So if medical issues are of a major concern, be sure to get travel insurance!

For minor issues, a visit to any of the local clinics will suffice. Every hotel has the phone number of at least one local doctor that they use for this purpose. Also, several of the local hotels have their defibrillation units on site and someone trained to use it. If you are concerned or have heart issues, be sure to stay at a property that has one.

There is the public ambulance as well as several private ambulances that service Negril. But for most residents, it has become habitual to hail the closest taxi instead of calling and waiting for an ambulance. Chances are a taxi is nearby or already on the scene.

The ambulance or taxi can take you to the nearest hospital in Sav, either the publc hospital or the private Royal Medical. Both of these facilities are not really recommended for long term bed care, but they will be able to get you stabilized and ready for transport to the nearest doctor recommended facility, be it in Montego Bay, Mandeville, Kingston or even medi-evac off the island.

Negril, having a population of about 7000 residents cannot support a full care hospital at this time. During busy season, when more visitors than residents are in Negril, it would be a great thing to have available. But during slow season, a full care hospital in Negril would not be cost effective. This is just a reality when a small village becomes a major tourist destination with little to no planning in the early growth years.

A hospital in Negril will be a reality in the future, and a growth in medical tourism can help to bring that about quicker. Negril is also growing so that may take us out of the "village" status and allow Negril to become a legal municipality. As of today, still being a village, Negril has no mayor or city council, and relies on Savanna La Mar for its governing body. All decisions such as roads, sidewalks and even hospitals all come from Sav and Kingston.