“It is my pleasure to lead the Ministry’s hosting of the 13th annual Cayman Islands Healthcare Conference. As I’ve previously said, my aim as Minister for Health and Wellness is to promote and facilitate healthy behaviours that will result in better physical and mental health outcomes, not only on an individual level but collectively as a country. It is this Government’s vision to see our citizens not just surviving but thriving. This can only be done in partnership with likeminded persons who are willing to advocate for their personal health by asking themselves and their medical practitioners the important or worrying health-related questions, then taking the positive steps that lead them to better health once they have been empowered with the answers. This conference will help them do just that.
I am particularly heartened to see that a couple of the sessions will focus on mental health. Early in October we observed World Mental Health Day 2022 under the theme Making Mental Health & Well-Being for All a Global Priority. Locally, this administration has already begun taking steps toward further prioritising mental health. Included in the Strategic Policy Statement are specific objectives aimed at providing more holistic and available mental health services for the people of the Cayman Islands. Some of these are a specialised youth mental health facility; better mental health and special needs insurance coverage; and programmes that offer greater work/life balance and which support family systems. We also look forward to the opening of the long-awaited and much-needed mental health facility later this year, further evidence of our commitment to ensuring that persons living with mental health conditions have access to quality community-based mental health services and that their rights and best interests are protected.” – Hon. Sabrina Turner, Minister for Health & Wellness
