A two-year-old toddler from the Turks and Caicos Islands has a new lease on life after receiving critical diabetic treatment at a Caribbean hospital.
Bahamian Lakeisha Wilson, who works as a nutritionist in a Turks and Caicos Islands hospital, traveled to Health City Cayman Islands, a Joint Commission International-accredited facility, to meet with a pediatric endocrinologist who could treat her daughter Ala’a, who was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (Insulin-Dependent Diabetes).
Health City Cayman Islands is home to the only pediatric endocrinologist permanently based in the Caribbean.
Two-year-old Ala’a had been experiencing abnormal blood sugar levels (high and low) and with no diabetic specialists for children in Turks and Caicos, urgent care was sought at the regional tertiary care hospital just an hour away from Miami.
Arriving in the Cayman Islands for the first time, Wilson was apprehensive. However, she said her fears subsided immediately as she was impressed with the ambiance of the hospital as well as the warmth of the staff.
Health City’s Consultant Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Deepa Subramonian said controlling the potentially life-threatening condition was really challenging. When the toddler came to the hospital her blood sugar levels were out of control with frequent lows and highs, she observed.
Dr. Deepa, as she is referred to, adjusted Ala’a’s insulin regimen according to her specific needs and she subsequently responded well to the treatment. The doctor also recommended the use of an insulin pump (small doses of insulin are programmed to be released continuously at specific intervals) with continuous glucose monitoring rather than the pin prick and glucometer method used to adjust the doses of insulin administered.
Periodic clinic follow up of Ala’a’s diabetic condition at Health City was also arranged.
Wilson spoke highly of the holistic, value-added care and work ethic at Health City. She included not only the medical team but also the healthcare administrators, counsellor and on-site chaplain in her praise. “I see people that really have a heart for what they do and I find that rare,” she said.
She also expressed her gratitude to the staff and encouraged them to continue the excellent care they provide, saying: “From the driver who picks you up at the airport to the international team members….who really go out of their way to make you feel important and make you feel comfortable. I would just like to salute them and publicly say thank you and acknowledge that they are rare gems in healthcare and I admire what they do.”
Dr. Deepa remains in contact with Wilson in Turks and Caicos to monitor Ala’a’s condition and progress.
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