Dear Editor,
Recently, a friend of mine who was here on vacation suffered a massive heart attack caused by plaque that had become dislodged from an artery. His heart stopped beating, but he was successfully revived by a Sint Maarten doctor, an act for which he and his wife will be eternally grateful.
Fortunately for my friend, a plane that had been previously organized to evacuate another critically ill patient suddenly became available. Even with this lucky break, and the determination of the Sint Maarten medical team, it took 10 hours to reach Miami from the time the flight was planned.
Upon arrival in Miami my friend was immediately taken to a cardiac catheterization laboratory for treatment. He was told if Sint Maarten had had a similar facility, and with no delay in time, he could have made a full recovery from the 15-minute procedure. The end result of the delay in transit was the patient lost 50 per cent of his heart muscle and faces a long, slow recovery. His life will not be the same.
St. Maarten residents and the thousands of tourists who visit our island are at risk, most people in this same situation would probably die. My question is, could a cardiac catheterization lab be built into the new hospital? Could we raise the funds and hire the appropriate staff? It would be money well spent, as our population is growing and we also have to be responsible for the many tourists who visit this island.
Gary Howkins
