Grenada Expat Health Insurance
Grenada is a Commonwealth country, with the Queen of England being the Head of State, located in the Caribbean Sea. It has a total land area of 344 square kilometres and consists of the main island of Grenada and other smaller islands. The other islands which make up Grenada are Frigate Island, Saline Island, Carriacou, Petit Martinique, Ronde Island, Diamond Island, Caille Island and Large Island. Nearby countries include Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The population of Grenada is estimated to be 110,000, the majority of whom live on Grenada Island. The country’s capital city is St George. The official language is English; however, Grenadian Creole and French Patois are also widely spoken by the local populace. Grenada is the world’s largest exporter of the spices nutmeg and mace, and is commonly referred to as the “Island of Spice”. The country also produces cinnamon, cloves, ginger, all spice, orange peels and wild coffee.
Grenada has a colourful history which includes the invasion of Grenada by the United States in 1983. The nation gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1974. The country has been devastated by hurricanes in recent years. Hurricane Ivan struck in 2004 causing 90 percent of the country’s homes to be either destroyed or damaged. Another hurricane, Emily, struck the nation the following year in 2005. Although Emily’s destruction was not as great as Ivan’s, it still caused an estimated US$ 100 million of damage to the northern parts of the country. Grenada recovered quickly from the damage caused by the hurricanes, with assistance from other countries.
Tourism is the country’s main economic force as Grenada is a very picturesque country for travellers to visit. During the cruise ship season up to four cruise ships per day visit St Georges parish (the island of Grenada is divided into six parishes). The terrain is mountainous with Mount St Catherine being the highest mountain at 840 metres. The country has many small rivers and beautiful waterfalls which flow into the sea from the many mountains. It is covered with many rare tropical flowers.
Townships are dotted all over the islands and hold regular Saturday markets. Visitors are spoilt for choice of things to do in Grenada. Travellers can partake in beach and water sports at one of the idyllic beaches in the southwest of Grenada around the St Georges parish. The 3km long Grand Anse beach in St George’s parish is said to be one of the best beaches in the world, and often appears in the list of the world’s top 10 beaches. Grenada has a tropical climate with cooling winds in the dry season and hot and humid temperatures in the rainy season.
Grenada Health Care and Insurance
Grenada has a Ministry of Health (MOH) which is responsible for promoting and providing healthcare services to its citizens. The MOH receives its funding from the Ministry of Finance via the taxation system. Medical care in Grenada is limited and most Doctors and hospitals will require payment in cash for their services, regardless of whether you have travel insurance.
The main hospital in Grenada is the General Hospital in St George City (telephone: 440 2051). This hospital offers a full range of services including inpatient services, outpatient services and emergency care. The General Hospital has 240 beds and a private ward. The private ward offers patients air conditioned rooms, ensuite bathrooms, cable television and telephones at a reasonable price.
The other two smaller public hospitals in Grenada are Princess Alice Hospital in St Andrew’s parish (telephone: 443 7400) and the Princess Royal Hospital (telephone: 443 7400) on the island of Carriacou. These three public hospitals provide support to the country’s health centres and offer a wide ranges of services, including, ambulance, laboratory, maternal, radiology, genecology, eye care and testing, dental and surgery. Grenada also has two psychiatric facilities; the Mt Gay Psychiatric Hospital and the Richmond Home, which each have 100 beds.
Grenada also offers private medical facilities by way of a small private hospital (with 18 beds) in the St Pauls parish called St Augustine’s Medical Services (telephone: 440 6173). This hospital also has an accident and emergency room and can arrange for an air ambulance evacuation if needed.
The MOH have developed a Community Health Service (CHS) which consists of a network of six district health centres and 30 medical stations spread throughout Grenada. This arrangement encourages patients to utilise the services provided by their communities. The CHS provides medical assistance for patients including Doctors clinics, dental, mental health, pharmacy, community nursing and public health. Grenada has a number of pharmacies however not all prescription medications that are available in other countries are available in Grenada. Travellers to Grenada should ensure that they take sufficient prescription medications with them when visiting Grenada.
The Environmental Health Department (EHD) has also been established by the MOH to monitor and ensure that the best environmental health practices are adhered to at all times. EHD has approximately 13 environmental health officers and 45 vector control officers who are responsible for food safety, food safety investigation, water quality, waste management and the control of the spread of infectious diseases and hazardous materials.
Grenada has a good preventative medical care system as the free visits to clinics encourage people to be seen by a Doctor before their medical problem turns into something more serious. Medical treatment is not available free of charge to people visiting Grenada, therefore travellers should ensure that they have health insurance for Grenada.
If you are travelling in Grenada and require medical treatment which the General Hospital is not equipped to handle it, you may be evacuated to nearby Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados or another country with state of the art medical facilities for treatment. The cost of medical evacuation to a nearby country could be substantial so travellers are advised to take out comprehensive global medical insurance for Grenada.
Grenada Travel Insurance Concerns
Grenada is a safe country for travellers to visit. The people are warm and welcoming and the scenery is spectacular. The water in Grenada is treated with chorine and is relatively safe. However, there is still a chance that travellers may develop diarrhoea from drinking the water, bottled water is available. Milk products are pasteurised in Grenada and the local meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally safe to eat.
Before travelling to Grenada, it is recommended that travellers be vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid (if planning on eating outside of major tourist areas and restaurants) and tetanus. Rabies is also prevalent in Grenada and travellers who intend on spending time a lot of time outdoors or with animals should consider having the series of rabies vaccinations before they depart. Grenada also has a high rate of HIV/Aids and therefore travellers should take the appropriate precautions to ensure that they do not contract the disease.
Grenada had a small outbreak of dengue fever in September 2010 with 36 cases being reported. Dengue fever is a flu-like illness coupled with hemorrhagic fever or shock. The disease is contracted from mosquitoes which bite during the daytime and frequent densely populated areas. Travellers should protect themselves with adequate clothing and use an insect repellent containing DEET to deter mosquitoes.
If you are in need of an ambulance when travelling in Grenada, dial 434 if you are in St. George's, 724 in St. Andrew's and 774 if you are on the island of Carriacou. Travellers should be aware that Grenada does not have a decompression chamber for divers. If such a facility is required, travellers will need to be transported by air ambulance for approximately 30 minutes to nearby Trinidad and Tobago or Barbados. The cost of emergency air ambulance will be significant and therefore medical insurance for Grenada should be taken out to cover the cost if it’s required.
Grenada Expat Health Insurance
Grenada is a magical place to visit with picturesque scenery and friendly locals. If you choose to travel or relocate to Grenada we recommend that you take out expat health insurance for Grenada with emergency evacuation to ensure that you and your family are covered in the event of an emergency. Grenada has adequate medical facilities for minor medical problems but not for major problems, travelers will have to pay for any medical services rendered in Grenada. Expat health insurance can provide cover for treatment you may need in Grenada, as well as covering you for serious cases which necessitate an emergency evacuation. At Global Health Insurance we are specialised in providing quotations for expat health insurance and can provide you with quotations from the world’s top health insurers. Please contact us today and one of our highly trained team members will provide you with a variety of free quotations that meet your needs.
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