There has been a critical   report  of medical facilities in Bimini  after  the shooting death of American Businessman Alain Perez on that island this past Sunday. 

A news report, aired on Monday, on WPLG local 10, in Southwest Miami Dade Florida, begins: “loved ones say they not only want to see justice served, they want to find the person who shot and killed Alain Perez”. 

“But they also want to send out a warning to you, to any travelers who might be thinking of going to Bimini, they say that medical care there is inadequate.” 

According to the reporter, the mother of the deceased said “her son did not deserve to die the way he did”.

Perez, 47, was shot multiple times about the body after responding to a knock on the door of his home. 

The reporter  interviewed  the  friend and lawyer of Perez, Juan Carrera, “who happened to be in Bimini as well over the weekend”. 

Carrera  gave this  account to what transpired: “He had just gotten off from work,  at about 1 o’clock in the morning; within a few minutes of his arrival, somebody started knocking very desperately at the door, so he attended the door and they shot him”.

Carrera then alleges that Bimini’s clinic was “ill-equipped”.

“I’ve seen veterinarian clinics here that have more adequate equipment and supplies and trained staff. 

“The clinics there do not have the capacity to deal with traumatic injuries,” Carrera said.

Health Minister, Dr. Duane Sands, yesterday  responded to allegations, on other social media platforms, where friends of the deceased alleged  that Perez may still be alive had the healthcare facility been properly equipped. 

“This is an awful tragedy, and anytime anybody is injured, shot, killed in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,  I think we should all take pause. 

“I think as the investigation unfolds, we will learn a little bit more about what happened to this gentleman;  the nature of his injuries, which will be fully revealed with his autopsy. 

“I am advised that the patient was greeted at the clinic by a consultant physician, Dr. Keisha Smith. She was there well before he arrived at the clinic. 

“She is trained and performed advance trauma, life support care to him. The patient was shot multiple times to the torso, and it is conceivable that he did indeed have life threatening injuries, and he succumbed from these injuries. 

“This is very unfortunate, but whether or not any change in equipment would have made a difference in this gentleman’s outcome, I don’t think we have enough information to answer that,” Dr. Sands said. 

As the report  stated  that the clinic does not have the capacity to deal with traumatic incidents,  Perez died before he could be airlifted. 

Dr. Sands says contact was made with both Nassau and the US air-ambulance services.

“There is a protocol that is followed for air-ambulances coming from the United States. They require admission, acceptance at a hospital. 

“In the hour and fifteen minutes or so that she [Dr. Smith] was caring for him, no acceptance for admissions to hospital in the United States was obtained. And as such the air-ambulance service was scrambled from New Providence to bring him to Doctors’ Hospital.

“Unfortunately the patient  succumbed before the air-ambulance arrived,” Dr. Sands said. 

 As for optimizing clinics or health care facilities throughout the country, Dr. Sands says this is something that is being worked on not just for tourist, but also for Bahamians.

 “Bear in mind that in an archipelago,  we have 98 clinics around  the Commonwealth of The Bahamas; and in  those 98 clinics we try to standardize the care that’s provided. 

“We have a hubl, so that there is different capacity at the major facilities in Grand Bahama and in New Providence and we’re trying to strengthen the capacity in other hubs so that we can respond to the majority of issues that arise,” Dr. Sands said. 

At last report, Royal Bahamas Police Force said they are investigating the matter.