Residents who attended the Health Estate Planning Lecture are said to have gained a new perspective of death and dying and the provisions that are to be made in advance of these eventualities.

 The lecture was facilitated by BVI Health Services Authority, Baptist Health International, and the Ministry of Health and Social Development. It sought to bring to the forefront issues and management techniques that can be used when dealing with terminal illnesses.

Chief of Medical Staff and Director of Medical Services, Dr. June Samuel stated that the lecture was timely and necessary based on local current experiences.  She said that in the BVI, cancer has been among the top five causes of death over the past few years, and more and more families have to deal with relatives who are at some stage of fighting this particular illness.

Dr. Samuel added, “Given our high burden of chronic disease and given that cardiovascular disease is our number one cause of death, we see a significant number of persons to whom palliative care can benefit.  Therefore the conversations around palliative care and hospice care are necessary both in public and medical circles.” 

An estimated 50 persons attended the workshop, which according to Dr. Samuel, was a good indication of the thirst for knowledge in this area.  She said the session was interactive and the questions asked and level of engagement by the participants further illustrated the fact that people are interested in this topic.

The Director of Medical Services further stated that the BVIHSA has begun the internal strengthening of processes to ensure patients and families receive the necessary supports during these challenging times.

She said. “We are in the process of developing an end of life documentation. We are working on the development of a chaplaincy program and sensitisation of health care workers to support families through these very difficult experiences,”

Dr. Samuel further added that the BVI Health Services Authority will develop ways to continue the conversation including engaging with the community and stake holders to ensure people with vested interest on the matter have an opportunity to share their concerns.

The End of Life and Health Estate Planning Lecture was facilitated by  Reverend Guillermo Escalona who addressed the subjects of death, dying and grieving; Dr. Zulmarie Ortiz Rivera presented on palliative care and its benefits; and Attorney at Law,  Ms. Mishka Jacobs spoke about estate planning.

The Ministry of Health and Social Development is committed to improving the health of the people of the Virgin Islands.