Hartford Healthcare Center partners with UWI for US$1m robotics training centre

NEW YORK:

Jamaica’s consul general to New York, Alsion Wilson, says plans for the construction of a US$1 million robotics training centre at The University of the West Indies’ (UWI) Faculty of Medical Sciences by the Hartford Healthcare Center for Education, Simulation and Innovation (CESI) are now well advanced.

A team from The UWI recently visited the Hartford CESI, and a reciprocal team from Hartford is expected in Jamaica next month for further discussions on the proposed centre where healthcare professionals will be trained in the use of robots to perform surgery.

Wilson said that, if the space for the centre is not available, Hartford will build it out, underwrite the cost of the centre, and provide robotic equipment and mannequins to train staff.

“I am looking forward to this centre, as it will be transformative and will be the only centre of its kind in the Caribbean,” she told The Gleaner.

Jamaica’s diplomatic representative outlined that the memorandum of understanding between Hartford CESI and The UWI had been brokered following discussions she had with representatives of the Hartford facility during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Jamaica sought information early on dealing with the virus.

“These discussions were taking place before the vaccine was developed and countries were seeking how to combat the virus,” she said.

During his visit to New York last week, Prime Minister Andrew Holness also visited the CESI and held discussions with its executives.

CESI is a world-class leader in the training of medical professionals in an advanced simulation facility. It is known for driving healthcare performance and improving patient safety. The UWI centre will be modelled on the Hartford CESI.

Hartford Healthcare proposed sponsoring the UWI facility and has already taken steps to advance the proposed centre through funding and technological assistance.

The objectives of the partnership are to improve the health outcomes for elective surgery patients; increase the number of elective surgeries undertaken in public health facilities; increase the availability of medical and nursing professionals to assist with conducting elective surgeries, and decrease the surgical backlog, as well as to facilitate academic and professional exchanges between the parties to enable skill and knowledge transfer.

Like its Hartford counterpart, the UWI centre will allow for hands-on medical training and research and development in a cutting-edge facility, optimal for experimental in-person off-site or hybrid learning. It is understood that the training sessions at the UWI centre will include professionals from Hartford Healthcare who will oversee the exercises.