There is a strong possibility that cancer and kidney patients in Anguilla can get a whole lot of help under an arrangement being looked into, at the initiative of Dr. Roy Schneider, a noted physician and former Governor of the US Virgin Islands.

Chief Minister Osbourne Fleming

At his weekly press conference on Wednesday, May 13, Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, told reporters that Dr. Schneider, who was in Anguilla last week, had telephoned him about an initiative he was undertaking to assist Anguilla with cancer and kidney-related diseases. “He called me and expressed how happy he was to come to Anguilla,” Mr. Fleming stated. “He spent four days here and examined some 25 patients at the hospital. He has identified a number of cancer cases which the [affected] people did not know about, and he is planning to be here next month when he will be performing about eight operations. This is good news for us from Dr. Schneider who has been around for a long time and has good experience.”

The Chief Minister continued: “Many years ago, Dr. Schneider was involved with Howard University in kidney transplants and performed 18 operations in the Virgin Islands. He visited our dialysis centre here and discovered that there were quite a number of people on the island suffering from kidney problems.

“He told me that he had contacted Howard University and explained to them that he was in Anguilla; that there were a number of kidney patients on the island and he thinks that something should be done to ease the burden on families, the Government and patients, in the area of kidney diseases. He told me that the university had agreed that it would be willing to accept Anguillian patients who would get a kidney (for transplant) from someone else (and we have cases in Anguilla where people have volunteered to help). The reason this has not been done is due to the cost of replacement.

Dr. Roy Schneider

“Dr. Schneider said he had secured a service from Howard University whereby patients from Anguilla would travel there, have the kidney transplant done, and return to Anguilla to live a normal life. As I have said before, dialysis is not a cure for kidney problems. The only cure is a transplant.

“In addition to that, Dr. Schneider has expressed his willingness to work along with the Government of Anguilla on cancer and kidney treatment and is looking forward to the future when a transplant centre could be located in Anguilla to take care of the region. This is very good news.”

Mr. Fleming said he had raised the matter at the last CARICOM meeting and would bring it up again. He stated that the regional leaders, among them being Bruce Golding of Jamaica, thought “it was a good and glorious idea that we should have a centre in the region.”

The Chief Minister, who made his own arrangements for, and had a kidney transplant, a few years ago, added that Dr. Schneider was very eager to work with the Government of Anguilla “and to go beyond just providing service by erecting a centre in Anguilla to take care of cancer and kidney diseases.”

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