Under the watchful gaze of an armed police convoy, hundreds of pounds of urgently needed medical supplies from Cayman were trucked through the lush countryside of Honduras.
The lifesaving gift, destined for a makeshift hospital atop Monte Placentero (Mount Pleasant) in Roatan, was donated by the Ministry of Health in partnership with Health City Cayman Islands in response to a devastating fire.
A delegation of Cayman Islands ministers and senior government officials delivered supplies, sent aboard a Cayman Airways flight chartered by the Ministry of Tourism, on Wednesday. They were greeted with a hero’s welcome by Roatan’s mayor, the chief of police, and the medical director.
“This will go towards helping hundreds of people, at this makeshift hospital,” said Mayor Ronnie McNab, as he gave the Cayman envoys a guided tour of the temporary hospital. “This is a big help because we lost everything in the fire.”
Nearly a month ago, on 19 April, an electrical fire erupted late at night in the Roatan Public Hospital’s paediatric ward and swiftly spread through the mostly wooden structure.
The building was comparable to the size of Cayman Brac’s Faith Hospital and was lost within minutes. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
The modest medical facility was the main source of public healthcare for Roatan and the Bay Islands.
“When we heard about the fire, we immediately sprang into action,” said West Bay West MP McKeeva Bush, who heads the Roatan and Bay Islands Relief Committee, formed in 2021 after a Category 5 hurricane left widespread devastation in its wake.
According to Bush, as soon as the committee’s request for donations went out, they were met with supplies from the Ministry of Health and Health City Cayman Islands, among other organisations and donors.
“After Ivan, Jerry [Hynds, Roatan’s former mayor] was the first person to pack a boat and set sail to us,” Bush said, “I will never forget that aboard that vessel was 10,000 gallons of drinking water and it came at a time when we needed it most.”
Hynds, who spoke during a short reception, told a crowd of three dozen people about the long history of neighbourly generosity between Roatan and Cayman.
“It is Cayman who actually came first. About 25 years ago, another hurricane had struck and I didn’t even know where the help would come from,” Hynds said. “But here came Cayman Airways at the time and I thought, thank God for these kind, good people.”
The total amount of equipment and medicine sent over, as well as their cost, remains unknown. However, the Cayman Compass understands seven industrial luggage trolleys were needed to offload the supplies.
“We are fortunate to be a blessed jurisdiction, and we were able to give to our neighbours in their time of need, without hurting or putting any strains on ourselves,” said Health Minister Sabrina Turner.
She added, “When you give, it always has a way of coming back, and sometimes when you least expect it, but need it most.”
According to McNab, his administration was in talks with Honduras’ central government to build a new hospital with funding from the International Monetary Fund, which resulted in the start of a US$47 million project.
However, he anticipates it will take another 18 months before it is completed. Until then, Turner says Cayman will continue to assist to the best of its ability when called upon.
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