AT a time when St Lucia is celebrating the 36th.anniversary it is opportune to focus on some of the people and institutions that add value to our country.
One of these institutions is undoubtedly Tapion Hospital, which comes highly accredited with standards that are on par with hospitals in the developed world. In fact, Tapion’s mission statement tells it all:
“We will provide our patients with the best possible emergency and follow-up safe care in a professional, courteous, non-judgemental and efficient manner, providing the information that patients require, in a way that they can understand”.
In the 17 years since its establishment, Tapion Hospital has set out every single day to live up to that promise. As the first ever private hospital in St. Lucia, Tapion has raised the bar for medical and health care in St. Lucia as every patient who goes through its doors can attest to.
Although staffed mainly by local professionals, Tapion has been steadily building linkages of local and international affiliations that have not only boosted its expertise, but also provided the foundation for its pursuit of the highest professional practices that are to be expected at any quality hospital.
One of Tapion’s most recent affiliations which many St. Lucians may be unaware of its awards of Gold accreditation in 2010, and in 2013 elevated to PLATINUM level by Accreditation Canada International, the first Eastern Caribbean hospital to be so honoured. Accreditation Canada International was created to provide accreditation to hospitals, clinics, primary care centres and health systems.
The Accreditation awards mean that Medical Associates’ Ltd. Tapion Hospital participates in on-going self evaluation, peer review and education to continuously improve its care, safety and services. The organization also commits to a thorough, on-site survey by the Canadian Qmentum International Accreditation surveyors, who are themselves health care professionals, to ensure that it establishes reviewing, and revising Standards, measuring performance, and providing consultation and education.
Explaining what that meant, a Tapion Hospital official said: “ The possible benefits are enormous, not only for our hospital but also for our tourism product, as this represents a stepping stone for a destination in the eyes of the major international tourism industry players.”
The association with Accreditation Canada International also arose out of Tapion Hospital’s pursuit of excellence. The official said: “We sought out a tool in which we could promote a culture of excellence and measure it. Accreditation Canada provided the template through the development of Required Organizational Practices (ROPs). These are in place to enhance patients’ quality care, safety and to minimize risk.”
Of course, Tapion Hospital has established a number of other affiliations with medical and health institutions locally and overseas, particularly in North America, the overall intention being, that such linkages including our cooperation with Martinique, and our community contributions to the World Paediatrics Foundation annual cardiac mission will redound to the benefit of the hospital and by extension, to its patients.
“Tapion has raised the bar for medical and health care in St. Lucia as every patient who goes through its doors can attest to.”
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Most patients who go through the doors of Tapion either come out dead, broke, or too sick to attest to anything.
These bastards knew from the very beginning that my mom had cancer of the kidneys; they never once told her she had cancer; instead, they removed one of her kidneys at a cost of thousands of dollars; and had her coming back for periodic checkups costing $1,100 each time.
As my mom got sicker, she visited another doctor for a second opinion; only to find out that her other kidney is cancerous; and it is now too late to save her. So she travelled to Martinique only to be told that it is too late; she travelled to Barbados only to be told the same thing.
Now she is penniless; and just waiting for that dreadful day. Why couldn’t the doctors at Tapion tell her the truth from the beginning? Now it is too late.