Looking for medical contact

[Jo-AnneP]

Does anyone know of a doctor in Tobago I could ask a few questions to via email? I have a heart condition that hasn't acted up in quite sometime and it probably won't while I'm on my trip, but I'd like to find out if the treatment that is followed here in Vancouver is available in the Tobago hospital, just in case.

Thanks.

Jo-Anne

ps. yup, pre-trip nervousness is starting to kick in!

[Glyn Kirpalani]

Hi there

Hospital care here is poor, and the only private clinic is permanently under refurbishment, plus wouldn't have your needs covered anyway I imagine.

The public hopsital tries hard, but anyone who needs decent emergency care flies across to Trinidad where it is readily available in the private and, to a lessor extent, public sector. I doubt that your medicl insurance will cover you for a medivac situation stemming from a pre-existing condition however (as it would most tourists without history), but even if paying privately for a flight over/ambulance at Piarco to a good private hospital in POS is affordable here - about a fifth the cost of UK BUPA I reckon.

Scarborough general is due to close when the new hospital opens in 2005 and tries hard - eg it saved my mother's life twice in the past 6 weeks with different urgent illnesses (she frail/uninsurable, fed up with the cold UK so took a chance) and did a triple heart bypass on a UK tourist who had a cardiac arrest on the beach a couple of years ago without problem. However, it lacks equipment, the ICU is very dated/few beds, and there are chickens, cats and even a pregnant bitch which wander around the A&E (and, so a recent media scandal alleged, were eating body parts around the back....)

My advice is to line up some care in Trinidad for emergencies - so long as you can sit (and look half alive) in a seat Tobago Express will carry you across, to be met at Piarco by private amulance or taxi.

Finally, a Brit tourist I recently met is awaiting a heart transplant at Harefield, and expects to die due to kidney trouble precluding an op - he came and had a great trip, took the "you only live once" attitude and wanted to enjoy Tobago, despite knowing that he would be doomed if his heart gave out (completely) here.

Hope you try anyway
Glyn
PS - the St Clair Medical Centre in POS is excellent and affordable