$5m cancer hospice planned for terminally ill

f all goes according to plan, the construction of a multi-million-pound state-of-the-art facility to treat terminally ill cancer patients will begin by the end of 2025, campaigners said Friday.  

 

Representatives of the Barbados Association for Cancer Advocacy (BACA) told reporters that there was a dire need for a hospice, as many terminally ill Barbadians over the years had lacked access to prime palliative care because there was no national standalone facility dedicated to ensuring these patients had the best quality of life before they died.

 

After lobbying for several years for the erection of a hospice, BACA trustee Jessica Odle-Baril said plans were finally advancing for the creation of one.

 

Speaking during a press conference held at the Sands Hotel in Worthing, Christ Church, Odle-Baril said the government had committed to a 25-year lease agreement for Coverley Great House to be transformed into a national hospice that would accommodate 14 beds.

 

It is estimated that the project will cost $5 million.

 

The BACA is in the process of raising funds through various activities and partnering with corporate Barbados and non-governmental organisations. Thus far, about $150 000 in cash has been raised. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted some of the organisation’s fundraising schemes, Odle-Baril noted.

 

The association is awaiting the necessary paperwork – a parliamentary resolution document – to confirm the lease agreement. Building plans are already before town and country planning.

 

“There is no name for the hospice as yet; we want to get it off the ground,” she said, giving details about the construction plans. “We have decided to take it into three construction phases, starting with six beds, so we don’t have to wait until we get all of the money [to start].”

 

She welcomed businesses, private individuals and charities to donate cash, equipment or in kind, pointing out that arrangements could be made to dedicate parts of the facility in an organisation’s, group’s or individual’s name.

 

She underscored the importance of a hospice, pointing out that terminally ill cancer patients usually had days or months left to live and, due to the nature of their illness, were often in severe pain.

 

This facility, she said, would be a holistic care centre, where patients could be visited by their family at any time and would be exposed to premium pain management programmes and lush, serene surroundings to create the ultimate transitionary experience.

 

She added that Barbados was one of the few Caribbean islands without such facilities.

 

Deiann Sobers, the president of the Barbados Association of Palliative Care (BAPC), told reporters that treating terminally ill people was expensive and emotionally taxing on the family.

 

A number of people opted to take care of their loved ones at home, which was not ideal because of emotional attachment but she said it was best to have them cared for in a facility with trained personnel.

 

She explained that the cost of palliative care at nursing homes ranged from $6 000 to $10 000 monthly for services, which include medical care from doctors and specialist nurses, special equipment use and prescribed medication. For care at the nursing home itself, the cost varies from $2 000 to $4 000 per month.

 

To offset the expense, Sobers said her organisation has established a programme to subsidise the cost for families. After a case-by-case vetting procedure is completed, funds are donated towards the treatment and care of the sick individual. The programme, called Community Homecare, is open to any terminally ill cancer patient at any care facility across the island.

 

Sobers encouraged families to reach out to the palliative care association for assistance, pointing out that because of pride some people refused to indicate they needed help. The charity currently assists 39 people aged 59 to 98.

 

The BACA also took the opportunity to present BAPC with a $2 500 donation for its Community Homecare programme.