SBH hospital

[Tropicalone]

The hospital although very good is a small hospital and does not have a cardiac unit or operating room. So bear that in mind, if you have a history or may need further help. In the event of a medical issue the hospital will try to stabilize you but maybe medivac to St Martine or Guadalupe. If you are from the states make sure that your insurance company covers you. I can say the small hospital has great and English speaking professional doctors / staff but only so much they can do. It would be nice if they can eventually expand their hospital.

 

[cec1]

Interesting post, & valuable info.

With great appreciation, however, I‘d like to note that I was admitted for a number of nights to the “Hopital de Bruyn” several years ago with a recurrence of a serious heart issue. The medical staff did an exceptional job in caring for me. The French physicians, being familiar with the issue, were able to appropriately & frequently perform important tests, the results of which were electronically transmitted to experts in Paris & my specialists in the US. Conferring by phone & email, the “team” agreed on treatment & checked-in with one another each day to discuss the situation. Fortunately, recovery ensued . . . and when I returned to the US, my cardiologist — imminent with respect to the issue —pronounced that the care received was excellent.

It’s also important to understand that services & treatments permitted at the hospital are, to some degree, subject to limitations imposed by the French government. Expansion of the hospital, thus, is not entirely a localmatter.

 

[KevinS]

It’s also important to understand that services & treatments permitted at the hospital are, to some degree, subject to limitations imposed by the French government. Expansion of the hospital, thus, is not entirely a localmatter.

First, Dennis, everyone who knows you is grateful for the care that you received and for your recovery.

Reading the local newspapers and talking to people, I agree with what you said, and note that there is "friction" between what the island would like to accomplish at the hospital, what is being done, and what is permitted.

I also note that over the years there have been donations of expensive equipment to the hospital, funded by groups such as FEMUR (a US/French organization created for that purpose), SBIPOA (St Barth International Property Owners Association), and wealthy individuals such as the founder of Whatsapp.

The SBH hospital is never going to be Mass General or Mount Sinai, but it has improved over the years. Over 40 years ago we had a friend who broke an arm and dislocated a shoulder in the surf at Gouverneur (he recovered nicely). At the time, we described the X-Ray machine as being "so old that it probably has a single-digit serial number". Over time, in part due to the efforts of local government, in part due to the donations such as those noted above, and in part due to the French government, things have improved. There is lots of room to improve more. (And where I live too.)

 

[gabmat]

it all boils down to rules and money.... every st barth would love the hospital to expand ... Women would love to be able to deliver their baby on the island but cannot.... Most would love not to have to be flown to Guadeloupe or Martinique or St Martin or France....

 

[KevinS]

Yes, the inability of women to deliver their baby on St Barth has been a huge issue for many years.