The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands was recently invited to the Morehouse School of Medicine to deliver a speech on the successes and challenges in the Bahamian healthcare system before and after Hurricane Dorian.

The minister was personally invited to present a "conversation of significance" by Morehouse president and dean, Valerie Montgomery-Rice.

In a copy of the letter obtained by this newspaper, the institution commended Dr Sands for his "laudable career and many years of public service" that they believe made him an "ideal candidate to share pearls of wisdom on leadership, health and service."

The invitation also noted that Morehouse only invites "esteemed leaders and pioneers in healthcare who can impart invaluable knowledge and wisdom to current and future leaders."

Elaborating on the contents of his speech to The Tribune, Dr Sands explained that his presentation focused on issues of "mutual interest and concern" that highlighted specific challenges in equity and access as it relates to healthcare.

"I talked about the impact of Hurricane Dorian on the health sector in Abaco and Grand Bahama and how we have stabilised the delivery of public health services and the psychological and mental health care requirements," he said.

"But I undergirded my discussion with a very sober discussion of the impact of climate change and the fact that while we were the victims of...monster storms in 2019, that it was just a matter of who was going to be next."

Dr Sands said he also gave a general outline of the country that explained its geographic location and its population size and provided a brief synopsis of the economy which addressed some of the health challenges present in Bahamian society today.

When asked what factors he believed prompted the invitation he added: "The rekindling of interest in The Bahamas was multifactorial."

"One was certainly the role of Dr Shaneeta Johnson," he said referring to the Bahamian bariatric surgeon working at Morehouse School of Medicine.

"The second was that the president of Morehouse actually had visited Abaco multiple times and was personally moved and that piqued an interest in our story."

Dr Sands added that "the diaspora in Atlanta" had been very instrumental in Hurricane Dorian relief efforts and stated that they had contributed immensely through donating equipment, medical supplies and medication.

"It is against that backdrop that this conversation was conceived," he said.

Speaking on other factors that contributed to the personal invitation he added: "What's fascinating is that there are not very many female general surgeons in the United States, there are not many black general surgeons in the United States (and) there are not very many bariatric surgeons in the United States."

"The Bahamas happens to have two black female bariatric surgeons...so we lead the world in a number of ways that many Bahamians have no idea."

On Tuesday, Dr Sands was also presented with Morehouse School of Medicine's Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Health Equity award which is given to an individual who is "distinguished in their field of endeavour and whose service exemplifies the institution's core values."

When asked whether he was surprised by the honour he told The Tribune: "I have been practising in The Bahamas since 1994 and to be recognised was a singular honour--totally unexpected. I do what I do because this is my country and I have no other so to be recognised for it is pretty special, but I'm going to keep doing what I have to do to try to make certainly The Bahamas better; and more specifically, healthcare in The Bahamas better."