Private hospital owner accuses ‘mercenaries’ of diverting patients from Bougainvillea Clinic
Owner of the Bougainvillea Clinic, Dr Heskith Vanterpool, is claiming that his one-year-old cardiac catheterization lab is under attack by persons who are diverting potential clients from his facility.
Vanterpool made the remarks on Saturday while speaking at a celebratory dinner to recognise the anniversary of the lab’s establishment.
“There is a group of mercenaries walking up and down through the Peebles (Dr D Orlando Smith) Hospital and picking up cardiac patients, discouraging them from coming to Bougainvillea cath lab or Bougainvillea services, and sending them to the United States,” Dr Vanterpool said.
“The leader of this group is not even a medical practitioner but walks up and down in Peebles Hospital where I pay my taxes to maintain. For a single phone call, they are charging exorbitant prices,” he further claimed.
It is wrong
The veteran businessman and private medical practitioner said since its inception, his cath lab has done more than 60 coronary angiograms, which is a diagnostic test that uses x-rays to take pictures of blood vessels. Of that number, roughly 25 patients required angioplasty — a surgical procedure done to restore blood flow through an artery.
“We have one cath lab that is functional in the British Virgin Islands right now, and it is doing an excellent job. I believe that the governments, politicians and various parties of this country should support what we are trying to do here rather than breaking it down,” Dr Vanterpool argued..
He added: “It is not an NDP thing, it is not a VIP thing. I have seen it over the years where people have been an obstruction to the local people developing your services and wanting to bring people from outside. I call upon the politicians — current and past. I call upon the people in the Ministry of Health to try and recognize [and] allow the local people [and] allow cooperation with our Caribbean brothers and sisters to offer these services in the BVI.”
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I pay also taxes and NHI. We need accurate diagnosis. NHI needs to check providers, local or overseas, whether the diagnosis is correct or not. Paying twice for the same diagnosis drains too much the NHI funds. Wrong diagnosis leads to wrong treatment.
What about the ridiculous prices these local private clinics charging the NHI. Most of them are millionaires ten times over. Sorry but I am not sympathetic in this regard
OMG they have rape the system as the last government failed to put legislation in place to regulate. I AM SO WITH YOU ON THIS. All he wants is more money to buy up everything!!! GREEDY
Doc we love and respect you but let’s be honest, your fees are ridiculous. We can go to your mini hospital for one thing and catch a heart attack on our way out after hearing the amount on the bill.
the site won’t let me like your comment a million times. Fact
Facts tooooo expensive
A good man does not save lives.
Knowledgeable person does saves lives.
Not nice that’s,why people,running to the states .o my god
Are you serious ? The bvi medical department is the PITTs ! They doctors and nurse
The PITTS? Stop talking bout yuh mudda privates.
Keep your sick a**es in the BVI and take whatever ancient medical care you have. You and your sicknesses are not welcome in the US. You come for health care and you leave without paying your bills. Typical of the black man. You expect the world to take care of you. Take care of yourselves. Oh and by the way have your babies in your own country as well. People from outside the BVI cannot become citizens without residing for twenty years. You however can take a ferry to St Thomas and drop the kid and instant citizenship. You all are a useless people
B***h fool, I’m sure most of our children over here are born and bred US citizen…I am and so are my 3 children and grands… We can go anywhere we choose to go the doctor.. PLUS WE GOT THAT CHEDDAR , we can go ANYWHERE.. with your bull s**t.. Sound so damn dumb.. When you ready come, just let me know , I’ll wait !!
YOU SOUND DUMB TELLING A PERSON, WHOM YOU DO NOT KNOW, TO COME, YOU WAITING!! ARE YOU THAT OFFENDED??. YAWN. ANDDDD YOU HAVE GRAND KIDS?? WOW OLD AND STILL IMMATURE. MUST BE NICE TO HAVE SO MUCH CHEDDAR…
you is a total ass h**e, you don’t even know your foot from your a$$.. imagine that …
You are so completly off base that your comment makes no SENSE. Hey,SPREAD THE RACK/CHEDDAR WELL IF YOU GOT IT LIKE THAT WANNA BE POSER.
I bet you and your worthless family that dropped your babies in the US have never paid a cent of US taxes. Let me give you a bit of education dumbass negro. You and your offspring that are US citizens are required to file and pay US income tax regardless of where you earn your money. You hide in the BVI earning high pay and never file or pay taxes. In other words, you are breaking federal law which is punishable by both fine and imprisonment. The US is working to catch all of you right now. One day your ferry ride to St Thomas will be a one way ride. Think about that each time you set foot on a ferry to use all the benefits of the US without contributing your fair share. YOU ALL WILL BE CAUGHT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!
They were warned. One day when you step off the boat in ST.Thomas or getting ready to board a plane, they are going to hold you for tax évasion. You people in the BVI that come to the US for medical services and skip out on paying your hospital bills you are on the radar. Don’t think for a minute that you can hide out in the BVI. Only a matter of time. We want the monies that is owed for hospital bills that you skipped out on and taxes.
So that means you collect over 1,000 a month in food stamps and come down to shop and go back to Tortola. You were dumb to open your mouth.One day you will get stop for tax evasion.
I want to love this comment!!! I am a local by the way but the ignorance of these people are horrendous! How can you not accept outsiders but you want to drop your babies in another man country and just leave without contributing. OMG this is the most annoying concept of these people. They need to ban them!! Then want to send their kids to school away and expect them to be treated with respect and fairness. WOW. JUST WOW.
I agree with you. The people in the BVI have no respect for America. They don’t like us but when they have to see a good specialist, have surgery or anything medical where do they run to,the same America they can’t stand. I work at a hospital where a lot of people from the BVI not all, recieve care and they skip out on the bill. They come to the USA to give birth so their kids can become American citizens and recieve benefits. They don’t like or have respect for America or it’s people.
Not a US citizen, but a smallminded person from another caribbean island without the relationship the BVI shares with the USVI. Bitter Much?!?
Another US citizen blogging. But look at the way they treat the expats who migrate to their Country. Plain and simple, they don’t like Americans but they are quick to run to America when they need good medical attention and to have an American child. Plently of them skip out on the hospital bill and our Health Care System picks up the tab VIA THE TAX PAYERS.
Y’all always playing victims. How the BVI treat expats? Very good if you ask me. So good that none really want to leave and more coming.
The issue is how y’all treat the BVI and each other.
I agree, I live in the USA and people especially from Caribbean Countries/West Indians come to the USA in their last trimester to have American born babies and lie to get on public assistance, I wish Trump would do something about this.
The airlines should ban them from flying so late in their pregnancy. Immigration should put them back on the plane.
I support you Doc, Alwayshave
I am also in agreement with the Doc. When John Doe finishes with the hospital they would know what time it is. Nothing but a con artist.
his prices are ridiculously high. do he really think people want to come to him to pay these high … I personally have been there and done that with them and I would not encourage anyone to stay in the BVI for better health care. leave if you have to and save yourself and extra bill and headache …
These practices are ripping NHI off with their exorbitant prices they send in for claims. Instead of trying to limit the amount of time a patient goes to the doctor monthly check the cost for a doctors visit.
Vultures are milking the NHI dry. Too much high fees and could not exactly tell what is wrong with you. Go to US mainland.
The USA is not The BVI mainland.. Please understand that.
Branson is a billionaire but isn’t seen to be greedy by continuing to grow his businesses, but Dr. Vanterpool who has invested millions into healthcare should somehow be ashamed of being a successful local businessman? Every time a local trying to do something there’s always some negativity.
Ummm he is trying to dry your pockets and looking help from the gov. to do so. To implement and law that tells us we HAVE TO stay here. That is the difference between him and BRANSON. BRANSON does his own thing and down demand from the poor.
Maybe he can explain why the cost of a doctors visit went up from $60 to $160 Overnight when NHI came into force. My driving licence used to cost me $60 for the medical and $15 for a year licence. Now it only costs me $16 for the medical and NHI forks out $144 to the medicos. Crazy!
Whining after you and your NDP friends Orchestrated the NHI get rich quick schemes the expense of the country…
He is the main beneficiary of NHI , lucky doc!
People seem to be missing the point.
Doc Vanterpool provides an excellent service at a price that is less than what the NHI will pay to a US clinic for the same service. Instead of supporting our own, the NHI will give money more money to an outside group.
Not cost effective and not convenient for locals. Don’t hate on the doc because he is successful. He has invested millions in Tortola, brought the standard of care way up and I would rather go to Bougainvillea than Peebles any day. People don’t know how much it costs to provide medical care – why do you think NHI is broke?
Dr. Vanterpool provides well paying jobs for a lot of people ( and continued paying them during Irma when there was no work).
Don’t think people are not scamming money from NHI to refer to US.
it is okey to pay that expensive because quality healthcare is truly expensive BUT to pay high fees and getting wrong diagnosis and treatment,it is definitely milking the bigh cow which is NHI… what can you say about that?
Doc we hear you and support you but what I would say is that we would like to hear about your businesses giving back to the community. I believe in supporting your own but I also believe in giving back to the community that has been good to you. I believe the blessings will surely follow.
If Doc was truly competitive he would not need to be making those statements. He’s almost like that ex-pastor in VG who wanted Government stop competition from Tortola based water companies.
Do not expect better from the indigenous Government. Brace yourself Mr Anguilla.