By Cayman News

Copyright caymannewsservice

(CNS): While the estimated cost for a new high school on Cayman Brac is currently $53 million, plans for a medical centre on the Brac to treat devastating illness depends on whether a fraction of that can be found to build and equip it. The hoped-for HOPE Oncology and Dialysis Centre, a 2,000 square-foot facility, designed to meet urgent healthcare needs, is still a vision that may never get off the ground.

The previous UPM administration, with Brac MP Juliana O’Connor-Connolly as premier, spent more than CI$8.5 million on a building on the Bluff to house workers on major projects on the island, which will mainly help developers, and budgeted $59 million for the new school, which most people believe is an underestimate and that actual costs may well balloon.

Meanwhile, the HOPE initiative, which would give residents of both Sister Islands access to critical, life-saving treatment close to home, is struggling to attract funds.

According to a release about the project, the plan is for the facility to be built on the grounds of Faith Hospital at Stake Bay. If it is achieved, it will provide a dedicated treatment space with chemotherapy chairs, dialysis stations, mammography room, and consultation suites to connect with specialists in-person and virtually. The centre will have a welcoming, fully accessible environment built with patient dignity and comfort in mind.

However, Brac resident Kathy Kirkconnell, the volunteer project coordinator, said it will take a collaborative effort to achieve the fundraising goal of CI $1.4 million. Planning, design and fundraising efforts for the initiative were started in 2024.

“This project is truly a labour of love and a timely and transformative solution,” Kirkconnell, the wife of former MP and tourism minister Moses Kirkconnell, said. “As a breast cancer survivor, I have a particular desire for ensuring every aspect of the centre has been designed with patients and their families in mind.

“By bringing these services home to the Brac, we are removing one of the most painful parts of treatment, the need to leave loved ones behind during such vulnerable times. Every dollar raised will go directly to ensuring our loved ones can heal with dignity,” she added.

The release said the project is being championed by both public and private stakeholders. Various organisations have already pledged support for land preparation, architectural design, legal advice, construction and furnishings, highlighting the shared belief that healthcare is everyone’s business and should be compassionate and accessible to all.

Land to accommodate the centre was provided by the HSA, who will assume management and staffing of the facility upon its completion.

“For many Brac residents, managing chronic illness has meant enduring frequent travel to Grand Cayman, often twice a month, to receive chemotherapy,” the release noted. “These journeys not only impose logistical and financial burdens, but also expose vulnerable, immunocompromised patients to the added risk of infection. Upon returning home, patients are often physically and emotionally exhausted, at a time when they most need rest and support.”

Dialysis services on the Brac have steadily expanded to meet growing demand, but with no dedicated space, treatment continues within the inpatient unit, limiting capacity and long-term sustainability.

“We are not just building infrastructure, we are building trust, continuity of care, and peace of mind,” said Dr Srirangan Velusamy, Director of Sister Islands Health Services. “This centre reflects the community’s long-standing commitment to dignity in care and equity in access.”

Without promising or even hinting at any financial assistance for the project from a cash-strapped government, Health Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks said, “The HOPE Centre demonstrates how powerful and meaningful our healthcare system can become when the community comes together with a shared vision. This public-private partnership will not only deliver vital treatment close to home, it will stand as a symbol of innovation, resilience, and compassion for generations to come.”

HSA Board Chair Joy Vernon said, “This facility speaks to the heart of what healthcare should be; accessible, compassionate, and resilient. The HOPE Centre will uplift not only patients in the Sister Islands, but our national healthcare system as a whole. It is a milestone we can all be proud of.”

According to the release, the vision for the HOPE centre goes beyond the Sister Islands, and aims to strengthen all three Cayman Islands’ emergency capacity while offering national resilience in times of crisis. Following Hurricane Ivan, Faith Hospital stepped up as a national backup, caring for dialysis patients from Grand Cayman when services were disrupted.

For more information or to support the HOPE Oncology & Dialysis Centre initiative, email Kathy Kirkconnell at hopeprojectinfo@gmail.com or call (345) 925-2225.