Cardiac facility with 10-year contract with BVIHSA to fully open next month
By Kamal Haynes, BVI News Staff
Medical Services (MS) BVI is just a few weeks away from fully opening its doors to treat cardiac patients in the territory.
Executive Director and majority owner John Nash told BVI News full operations of the cardiac facility, which is located on the fifth floor of the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital, is expected to start in October.
“We’re waiting on the hospital to get a chiller (A/C unit). They have it but they have to put it on the roof. So it will basically be 99 percent complete. They were supposed to have the chiller in this week because the crane to put it on top is on the way. But, with the storm coming it might be two weeks,” Nash stated.
MS BVI signed a 10-year contract with the BVI Health Service Authority back in 2017 to be the preferential provider for cardiology services in the British Virgin Islands. Due to hurricanes Irma and Maria, plans to open were pushed back to June 1, 2019, and the facility has since assessed an estimated 80 patients.
Services Offered
MS BVI offers a number of services, which according to Cardiologist Dr Prachak Siriprakorn, can be separated into three different phases. Phase one includes patient consultations, echocardiogram, choreatic ultrasounds, stress tests and 24-hour heart monitoring, which is all part of the non-evasive phase.
“The echocardiogram is a spirogram of the heart. You look at the heart functions, you look at the valves and a lot of times you need to know the basic functions of the heart so that it guides us about the medication that we give to patients,” said Dr Siriprakorn who has more than three decades of experience in treating acute heart-attack patients.
If the patient requires additional testing, then they undergo phase two. This involves either a nuclear cardiac imaging camera for the nuclear stress test, which gives more detail about the blockage of the arteries that affect the heart or a chemical test is conducted.
The last phase involves doing an invasive test which is for persons whose condition may be more serious.
“Almost all of our doctors are interventional, which means that we can clean up the arteries … So we’ll have the kind of catheterization laboratory with qualified cardiovascular techs because they need to know what they’re doing to help us and most of the doctors here are more certified to do this,” added Dr Siriprakorn, who goes by Dr Siri for short.
More time spent on patients
Executive Director Nash, also noted that unlike most physicians who spend only 10 to 15 minutes with their patients, Dr Siriprakorn spends a minimum 45 minutes per patient, as part of their service to ensure a patient is properly diagnosed and treated.
Nash stated: “Dr Siri is spending between 45 minutes to an hour with almost every patient because we have no data file, we have no information on what drugs they’re taking, we have no clinical information on them so we have to recreate all of that data and that takes time.”
Plans to expand services
Nash further said there are plans to further expand the services being offered by MS BVI in the future.
“We’re also a speciality service, so the four partners have a background in imaging, orthopaedics, cardiology, radiation oncology. We’re not just looking at this as a cardiology practise, we’re starting out with cardiology but we’re going to blossom into other areas,” he said.
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Asking. A signing took place and is “sole provider” for ten years . Rental fees collecting by HSA per month / year ?
Who paying electricity bill?
Like ALL business deals ; what % Commissions is being paid to Government / Treasury OR is this another of the “ Dun Deals “ fhat the Public does not need to know
“exclusive provider for cardiology services in the British Virgin Islands”. I the only person who find a problem with this?
Where does it say this?
WELCOME AND WE NEED A KIDNEY CENTER TOO BECAUSE THIS KIDNEY THING IS FAST BECOMING A PROBLEM IN THE BVI
Oh its welcome now huh. Send them back, since foreigners don’t contribute nothing.
there is a stupidity that thrives here that is beyond belief! I just can’t understand it. It boggles the mind.
So its not stupid when you say foreigner does not to the BVI and they shouldn’t be here?? Don’t pick and choose what it stupid. Stop being bias.
The need a cancer treatment facility too.
We already have these services provided by a local doctor at Eureka and a state of the art cardiac cath lab at Bougainvillea. Why does Peebles need to copy and waste more money?
It would appear the Govt is being overcharged by the private medical facilities
Signed in 2017. NDP the gift that keeps on giving
Great. Thanks VIP. This is long over due…Keep the cost down. Vessel cleaning. Stenting. Mmm excellent..It is cheaper to travel to get this kind of care and still save money than to get it done here….Thank God that will soon be no more…Keep the cost down. NHI and the patients will save.
People of the BVI don’t be fooled by what this director says. He is simply seeking public sympathy/support through the news medium.
This is an independent company operating in the BVI and renting a space within the D.O Smith Hospital. Yes, they should start from scratch in obtaining patient information and build their own database. No sponging from the hospital should be allowed.
I’m not sure that this company will really keep cost down though, as USD 500 is not standard for a less than 10 minute “phone conversation/consultation.”
Hopefully the current government will not be blinded by this company and allow another 10 year contract to be signed or further expansion, when they are clearly will encroach on current local businesses.
Lots more to be said of this company but hopefully the ulterior motives will come to light. Just another example of an outsider trying to come and take advantage of NHI.
Don’t believe everything you read.
Dr siri and the staff at MS BVI are awesome, I was better able to understand my heart condition and a detail explanation of causes and treatment, Dr Siri is a god send in my life, since my previous doctor was only interested in getting a specific surgery done.I would highly recommend him and MS BVI.
Dr siri you are the best.