Hospitals and Clinics

Health Comes First In Barbados

Boasting two major hospitals, and a variety of health clinics and experienced medical laboratories, for such a small island, Barbados has a very well-established healthcare sector.

The two major hospitals in Barbados are:
— the government-owned Queen Elizabeth Hospital (also known as the QEH)
— and the privately-owned BayView Hospital.

The QEH is located in Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. Opened in 1964, this now 600 bed hospital is said to be the country’s primary acute medical facility, offering medical, surgical, clinical and treatment services to the Caribbean region.

In line with its motto ‘getting better together‘, the QEH is also an accredited teaching hospital affiliated with the University of the West Indies, offering internships to both local and international medical students, seeking to broaden their educational experience and practice.

For more information about QEH, please see the hospital’s website at www.qehconnect.com or contact the main switchboard on (246) 436-6450.

BayView Hospital is not far away from QEH, located just on the outskirts of Bridgetown, in the parish of St. Michael. This privately-owned and operated facility was established in 1989, and has been recognized as one of the leading private hospitals in the Caribbean region.

In comparison to the QEH, BayView is small, but prides itself on being intimate with high quality personalized care in a ‘home away from home‘ type of atmosphere. The hospital offers both private and shared room accommodation, and despite their small size, BayView offers medical care in a number of fields including (but not limited to) ENT Surgery, Reconstructive Surgery, Urologic Surgery, Neurology and Orthopaedic Surgery.

For more information, please read our BayView Hospital page.

Island Clinics and Medical Support

The island’s hospitals are additionally supported by government-run Polyclinics, generally offering treatments and services for routine health ailments.

There are also private medical clinics, including the Sandy Crest Medical Centre (www.sandycrest.net) on the west coast, and the FMH Emergency Medical Clinic, just outside Bridgetown in the parish of St. Michael.

With the growing interest in non-traditional treatment methods, there are also many alternative health practitioners all over the island offering services such as herbal medicine, life coaching and Reiki practice.

In support of the island’s health system, Barbados additionally has a variety of medical laboratories providing a range of essential testing services and facilities. These labs include:

– Barbados Reference Laboratory Ltd.
– BCPS Cytology and Pathology Services Inc.
– Chemscreen Laboratory Services Inc.
– Spectrol Medical Laboratories Ltd.

Specialist services island-wide include chiropractic, acupuncture and reflexology treatments, amongst others.

Dentistry in Barbados is also an important health sector. The Barbados Dental Association is the governing body on the island, with close to 40 members. Specialized dental care is also available in Barbados, such as Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics and Cosmetic dentistry.

Need to know more? Contact the Barbados Dental Association on either (246) 228-6488 or email [email protected].

Barbados can also lay claim to a state of the art fertility clinic – the Barbados Fertility Centre. The Centre opened in 2002 and works holistically with patients who come from all over the world to undergo IVF treatment in Barbados.

For more information on the Barbados Fertility Centre, refer to their website at www.barbadosivf.com.

Note: There are numerous pharmacies island-wide to fill prescriptions and general advice. Check out our Hospitals and Health Clinics Local Listings page or alternatively the Barbados Yellow Pages (http://barbadosyp.com/) for island pharmacy listings.

Author: Brett Callaghan