By Raymond Hainey

Copyright caymancompass

Cayman’s small size gives it an edge when heart attacks and strokes strike, a prominent cardiologist has said.

Dr. Krzysztof Kukula said the ability to transmit electrocardiograms to the treatment centre was also vital.

He explained the alert would mean cardiac catheterisation labs, specialised areas where medical teams carry out non-surgical, invasive diagnostic and treatment procedures on the heart and blood vessels, could be ready and waiting.

“It’s not all about heart attacks. Speed is vital in conditions like strokes as well,” he said.

Kukula added that a good, direct transport system to the most appropriate treatment, in line with international guidelines, depended on the ability to diagnose a patient right after an ambulance arrived at patient’s home.

He said the best system would mean patients would bypass other health care facilities, including accident and emergency departments, and go straight to treatment.

Kukula added, “Direct transport to a specialised trauma centre also saves lives, compared with treatment in less specialised centres.”

He said, “Grand Cayman is a small island with significant financial resources and I can think of only one country where this is easier to realise and that’s the Vatican.”

Kukula added Cayman had private catheterisation laboratories, but some insurance-related administrative problems would have to be dealt with.

He explained there were several types of insurance, a variety of insurers, private and public, as well as “quite a few” patients who were unisured.

Kukula said a full-time cardiac catheterisation laboratory at the government health care centre could also be established.

He explained there were a limited number of people qualified to perform these types of procedures, so it would be difficult to get round-the-clock in-house staffing.

Kukula said a standard “on-call” solution would have to be accepted because of the small population in Cayman.

But he added that the ability to send electrocardiograms from ambulances would be useful.

Kukula, of Doctors Hospital, said that better public education on the symptoms of heart attack and stroke and the need to call 911 immediately was also needed.

He was speaking at the Doctors Hospital and Integra Healthcare conference “Frontiers of Healthcare 2025: Building Resilient Healthcare Systems”, the second of its type, on 26 Sept. at Hotel Indigo, Grand Cayman.

Kukula said that Doctors Hospital was working to expand its cardiac catheterisation laboratory to provide a better service with the most modern equipment.