Athaliah Reynolds, Staff Reporter

The Cayman Islands Health Services Authority (HSA) has denied allegations made by a 19-year-old Jamaican woman who claims she was turned away from a hospital in the Cayman Islands where she had gone to have her baby hours after her water broke.

The HSA is claiming the young woman was examined by hospital officials who had determined she was not in active labour and that it was safe for her to travel. The Cayman Islands authorities have further stated that it was on a request made by the woman, Shellesha Woodstock, and her family that she was given written consent to leave the country.

"Fitness to travel was issued after a thorough medical examination confirming that the patient was not in active labour," the HSA said in a statement sent to The Gleaner. "As a point of interest, ruptured membrane in early pregnancy is not a contra-indication for air travel. The risks and options were explained to the family who chose to travel off-island to deliver the baby and requested a medical certificate allowing clearance by the airline as being fit to travel."

According to the HSA, Ms. Woodstock did not travel on the specified date as agreed and detailed on the medical certificate given to her by the physician.

On Friday, Ms. Woodstock told The Gleaner that, after missing the flight to Jamaica last Monday, she returned to the hospital where she spent the night in the emergency ward before departing on a Cayman Airways morning flight the next day.

Protocols followed

The Cayman Islands authorities said it was confident that all protocols were followed and "the staff acted with professionalism and due concern for the welfare of the patient and her unborn child".

The HSA said: "Any attempt to cast blame and smear the integrity of the professional team of the HSA is very unfortunate given that it was the patient's decision to travel, even after all options were explained."

As a government-owned entity, officials at the Cayman Islands Hospital claim that one of its mandates is that no one be denied medical care.

"The Health Services, therefore, has an obligation to provide medical care to all residents of the Cayman Islands regardless of nationality or ability to pay," the statement read.

Attempts by The Gleaner to contact Ms. Woodstock for further comment were unsuccessful. However, she had previously told The Gleaner she had made no prior plans to deliver her baby in Jamaica but had been planning for weeks to have her child in Cayman.

The 19-year-old said she was forced to give birth to her premature baby on the floor of the Cayman Airways flight after she was told by hospital officials that it would be cheaper to give birth to her child in Jamaica.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com