Having access to affordable healthcare services is essential to patients in need of critical and life-saving treatments and procedures. Having a choice in places that offer specialised healthcare options brings peace of mind and offers renewed hope to those patients and their families.
For the last three years, critically ill patients in Anguilla have been afforded access to life-saving medical services at Clinica de Occidente in Cali, Colombia. Earlier this week, Dr. Jose Chavez, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) International Department was on island to promote Clinica de Occidente as a medical centre of choice for Anguillian patients seeking specialised and critical healthcare abroad.
Dr. Chavez sat down for an exclusive interview with The Anguillian newspaper to bring make the public aware of the clinic and options it provides to international patients. He also wanted to encourage patients in Anguilla to utilise those healthcare services. His presentation included a comprehensive overview of the medical programmes available at Clinica de Occidente.
He described the clinic itself as “a modern fit-for-purpose building offering all its specialised medical services under the same roof.
“The clinic’s mission to offer integral health services of high and medium complexity focused in Oncology and Cardiovascular Surgery is actualised through professionals with human and scientific strengths and supported by state-of-the-art technology,” Dr Chavez said.
He described the International Patient Centre as “a full-service clinic providing patients with personalised, integral and bilingual service.” He noted that the international team combines medical needs, individual preferences and cultural, linguistic and religious expectations into “a tailored experience to make Clinica de Occidente patients feel as close to home as possible.”
Dr Chevez noted that the international health services team at Clinica de Occidente prepares patients for their visit to the clinic and guides them through every step of the process – before they visit the clinic, upon arrival at the clinic, and after their final appointment at the clinic.
He said: “The team offers clear guidelines on everything you can expect. We assign you a personal Patient Service Coordinator who will answer any questions you may have, assist you with your appointment and concierge needs, confirm your airline reservations if you require that, provide ground transportation to and from the airport, etc.
“And after your final appointment, the team will arrange for you to meet with a financial counsellor to determine the status of your account, start the scheduling process for any necessary return visits, provide you with copies of all your medical reports and facilitate further communication with your physicians.
“At the Clinica de Occidente, we provide the highest international standards of patient care with unrelenting attention to medical excellence and patient safety. We are committed to building such a compelling healthcare reputation that positions us to be at the heart of international patients’ choice.”
Clinica de Occidente has been receiving patients from around the world. Its current clientele includes patients from the US, Canada, South and Central America – and from the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago, Curacao, Aruba, St. Maarten, and Anguilla.
Dr Chavez noted that the clinic has a strong relationship with the Health Authority and the Government of Anguilla and a strong alliance with the insurance groups on the island – specifically, Nagico, Alliance, National Caribbean Insurance and MASA.
Currently, Clinica de Occidente receives an average of 18 to 25 patients per month from Anguilla alone. Dr. Chavez attributes the high numbers to the quality of care that patients receive as well as the clinic’s affordable prices and the overall customer experience.
He said the cost for medical services at Clinica de Occidente are much lower than those of clinics in the US, Panama, Dominican Republic, or Puerto Rico.
