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STATEMENT ON MEDICAL TRAVEL ABROAD AMID THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Thursday, March 19, 2020 Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) – The National Health Insurance Board (NHIB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Sports and Human Services (MOH), TCI Hospital and all other stakeholders and partners, is closely following the worldwide developments on the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), recently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

As a result of global concern for public health and safety, particularly in both the Turks and Caicos Islands and our preferred provider facilities/countries across the region, only emergency cases are being considered for medical transfer abroad until further notice. If you are unclear on whether your medical case qualifies as an emergency or if you would like an update on your pending medical travel, you are encouraged to contact your case manager at the National Health Insurance Plan (NHIP).

In addition to taking these travel-related, medical precautions, the NHIB, in an attempt to do our part in preventing the spread of this virus here in the TCI, has asked all of our contracted overseas medical providers to submit their airborne infection control protocols and procedures for both suspected and positive cases of COVID-19.

The NHIB remains committed to providing high quality healthcare options to all NHIP registrants. It encourages the general public to follow the notices, press releases and social media postings from the Ministry of Health, Agriculture, Sports and Human Services for the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, which is aimed at keeping the TCI informed and free of COVID-19. The NHIB would also like to remind the public to utilize good hygiene practices in particular proper and frequent hand washing.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

1) The National Health Insurance Board manages the Treatment Abroad Programme on the behalf of the Ministry Health, Agriculture, Sports and Human Services