( L - R ) VAZ, NELSON

The Government is coming to the defence of local doctors who are facing allegations that they misdiagnosed National Security Minister Dwight Nelson, leading to an expensive and unnecessary trip to a hospital in the United States.

Nelson had been flown out of the island on an air ambulance after doctors at the University Hospital of the West Indies reportedly said he had an unusual intestinal problem that could not be treated here.

But after six days at a medical facility in Florida, Nelson was discharged and told journalists that the American doctors had determined that all he had was gallstones.

This set off a firestorm with most of the criticisms directed at the local doctors.

Sound recommendation

Daryl Vaz, minister with responsibility for information, yesterday admitted that the local doctors had recommended that Nelson travel to the American facility for treatment but he argued that the recommendation was sound.

"The advice of the doctors was based on the CT scans that were done in Jamaica that indicated that there might be a problem with both an artery or a blood vessel to his intestines, and also an inflamed gall bladder," Vaz told journalists at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing.

According to Vaz, the local doctors gave their advice based on the fact that if the diagnosis of a blockage in the artery or a blood vessel was correct, it would involve an operation that has not been done in Jamaica in many, many years, if ever at all.

In addition, Vaz said the post-operational care would be very critical and the facilities and the equipment would not be available in Jamaica.

Nelson, who is back on the job, is to return to visit the American facility in six weeks for a follow-up.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com