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Bermuda Hospitals Board welcomes two Christmas babies

Thursday 25 December 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) is happy to welcome an addition to the BHB family as Alshauntae Harvey-Hollis, one of our CAT scan technologists, gave birth to the first Christmas baby of the year – Ravi. Ravi arrived at 1:55am weighing 8lbs and 12oz. He is the first son of Alshauntae and Roderick Butler III. The couple also have a 9-year-old daughter, Novi, who is very excited and attentive to her newborn brother.

The family said the baby was due on the 18th but having him on Christmas, while unexpected, was the best ever Christmas gift.

Exactly 7 hours later, at 8:55am, another couple were excited when their daughter arrived. She weighed 6lbs 13oz.

 

BHB adheres to Bermuda’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and only discloses information on the express consent of our patients and clients.

 

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25 December 2025 Home Page, News

Hyperbaric chamber temporary closure

Thursday 11 December 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board has temporarily closed the hyperbaric chamber to elective and emergency activity until at least 1 February 2026. This is due to the unavailability of qualified patient diving attendants.

We are taking active steps to resolve the situation. We are currently training staff members to become certified chamber attendants and have initiated a recruitment process. In the mean time, we advise the diving community that the hyperbaric service will not be available in the event of a diving accident.

 

11 December 2025 Home Page, News

BHB calls for community voices in its Vision 2030 strategic plan

Friday 5 December 2025: If you want to have your say in the future direction of your hospital services, you should pop by the City Hall foyer in Hamilton between 11am and 3pm on Monday 8 December.

BHB is developing its 2026 to 2030 strategic plan, called Vision 2030 in partnership with the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

The team will be on hand to present their findings to date, and also shared will be BHB data and over 700 responses from people in Bermuda from community surveys.

CEO & President Scott Pearman wants the community to know how important their voices are in developing a strategic plan.

“The people in Bermuda who rely on and use our services have a unique perspective that will help us understand what matters most to our community,” he says.

“This event is for our patients, families and anyone with an interest in healthcare. Come and review what BHB data and survey responses are suggesting about improving and developing our services, and tell us if you agree. Where do you see opportunities? What in your experience needs to be addressed most urgently?

“It won’t require too much of your time. There aren’t long presentations – you can just pop any time between 11am to 3pm, see the gathered information and chat to the team.”

Mr Pearman adds: “I would like to thank the University of Toronto team, who will attend to present their pro bono work, which has formed part of their Master of Health Informatics field experience. I would also like to extend my appreciation to BermudaAir, whose assistance has made the team’s travel to Bermuda affordable, enabling this presentation of information to the community take place.”

 

5 December 2025 Home Page, News

Bermuda Blood Donor Centre calls for O negative blood donations

Tuesday 25 November 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) is asking people with O negative blood to donate as stocks of this blood type are running low. Donors and potential donors are asked to call 236-5067 to make an appointment.

If you are unsure about your blood type but are willing to donate, please contact the Bermuda Blood Donor Centre at (441) 236-5067 or blood.donor@bhb.bm, or by WhatsApp at (441) 533-9553.

Appointments are preferred, although walk-ins are accepted.

The Bermuda Blood Donor Centre is located at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 2:30pm, and on Friday from 8:30am to 1pm. It is closed on weekends and public holidays.

The Bermuda Blood Donor Centre team thanks the community for their kind assistance in ensuring they can continue to save lives.

More information about blood donation is available online at bermudahospitals.bm/be-a-donor/.

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25 November 2025 Home Page, News

BHB Public Advisory: BHB telephone system upgrade on Saturday 22 November

Thursday 20 November 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) will be undergoing a telephone system upgrade this weekend. The work is not expected to significantly impact calls to and from the hospitals. In the first few hours of the upgrade people calling the hospital may experience minor delays.

The upgrade will start at 5am on Saturday 22 November and is expected to end at 9pm Saturday night.

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20 November 2025 Home Page, News

Bermuda Hospitals Board donates medical supplies to Jamaica

Tuesday 4 November 2025: This week, Bermuda Hospitals Board was pleased to donate medical supplies to help equip Black River Hospital in St Elisabeth, Jamaica, which was devastated by Hurricane Melissa. BHB sent some of the items the hospital needed most, including sterile single-use needles, gloves, masks, surgical gowns and coveralls.

At least 200 BHB staff have direct links to Jamaica so this hurricane, while further afield, impacted our hospital family. After losing the Continuing Care Unit during Hurricane Gonzalo in 2014, BHB can sympathize with the Black River Hospital staff who are working hard to deliver care to their community despite the hardships they are facing.

BHB CEO & President Scott Pearman, Chief of Nursing & Allied Health Judy Richardson, Chief of Staff Dr Anna Neilson-Williams and Chief Operating Officer Preston Swan are pictured with the nine pallets of supplies, alongside Jamaican BHB staff members Dr Shari Plummer and Clinical Manager Christine Bogle-Mienzer, and Jamaican Association members Shurnette Caines and Joan Richardson.

4 November 2025 Home Page, News

BHB Media Release: Free transport for the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute Expo

Wednesday 22 October 2025: Attending the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) Expo on Saturday 25 October will now be easier than ever as a free round-trip bus ride from the Hamilton bus terminal will be laid on.

The bus will leave the Hamilton terminal at 9am. It will be clearly marked as going to the MWI Expo. Attendees can also seek direction to the vehicle from the dispatcher at the terminal. The bus will take passengers directly to the Expo which will be located in the MWI Social Centre.

Attendees can also board the bus at the MWI Social Centre at 12:30 for a ride back to the Hamilton bus station.

Join the fun and learn about all the services MWI offers at the MWI Expo from 10am-noon on Saturday 25 October.

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22 October 2025 Home Page, News

BHB Joint Media Release: World Stroke Day – Free public health checks and stroke information

Monday 13 October 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board, Evolution Healing Centre (Evolution) and the Bermuda Diabetes Association will give free health information in two events on World Stroke Day, Wednesday 29 October. In the morning, free health screenings for the public will be offered in the main lobby at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) from 10am-2pm. Please join us to learn your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, stroke-risk score and falls-risk score.

Health Minister Kim Wilson will open the day’s activities with a World Stroke Day message in the KEMH lobby at 9:30am.

Join us in the evening for a free public talk- a Stroke of Genius: featuring a panel event including healthcare professionals addressing stroke and rehabilitation questions, along with survivor stories. This event will be held at The Waterfront at Pitts Bay from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on World Stroke Day. Come support those on their journey, with light refreshments available.

The registration link is: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/WorldStrokeDayBermuda2025

If you can’t make either of the events on World Stroke Day, BHB and Evolution will be teaming up with Bermuda is Love, Function Junction and Island Nutrition on Friday 31 October for an informal Stroke Awareness Pop-Up event in Queen Elisabeth II Park (formerly Par la Ville Park). The Stroke awareness volunteers will include a registered dietitian, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and lay people. You can speak one-on-one with them for advice on stroke and how to recognize the symptoms.

“We also encourage stroke survivors to take part in our Stroke Survey where we are gathering data to help improve on-island stroke services,” says Dr Kimberley Watkins of Evolution Healing Centre. “You can get more information at our events or by clicking on the QR code in this article.”

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RJX3ZHZ

“We always stress the importance of knowing stroke symptoms,” says Srinath Meadipudi, director of the BHB Primary Stroke Centre. “BE FAST is the acronym that helps you remember as per the diagram in this article. Join us on World Stroke Day to learn even more.”

Download the flyer: World Stroke Day – Free Health Screenings- FLYEROCT2025

13 October 2025 Home Page, News

Celebrating World Mental Health Day: Prioritising mental health in the workplace

Friday 10 October 2025: Bermuda joins citizens around the globe in marking World Mental Health Day today. Minister of Health Kim Wilson encourages island residents to take full advantage of Government and other community resources to safeguard and build mental health resilience. Although she is not on the island today, Minister Wilson has issued this video message:

 

Bermuda Hospitals Board’s Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute is the lead provider of mental health services locally.

BHB Chief of Psychiatry and Chief of Staff Anna Neilson-Williams commented: “Thanks to a Government grant, our services for both children and adults are provided at no cost to the client.”

BHB’s mental health services include:

  • inpatient psychiatric and psychological care
  • outpatient psychiatric and psychological support
  • community-based psychiatric and psychological support
  • community-based support for those with intellectual disabilities
  • drug treatment programmes
  • public education

“The public is invited to learn more about our services at our free Mental Health Expo on Saturday 25 October,” said Dr Neilson-Williams. “It will take place in the Social Centre at MWI from 10am-12pm.

“The theme for World Mental Health Day this year is ‘It’s time to prioritise mental health in the workplace.’ We provide mental health first aid courses regularly at MWI in Devonshire, and we are happy to provide them elsewhere in the community, including where you work.”

BHB’s interactive mental health first aid course allows participants to learn a little about specific mental health conditions and gives them a better understanding of how to recognise and interact with those who may have these conditions.

“The more people who take the course in a workplace, the more likely that work environment will be supportive of employee mental health and wellbeing,” Dr Neilson-Williams added.

Karen Grant-Simmons, clinical director of mental health services, said: “We at BHB join the Health Minister’s call for employers to provide training for their managers and staff in mental wellness and in identifying the early signs of mental distress.

“Email us today at mhfa@bhb.bm about providing mental health first aid education at your job or community group. Courses take place every month, and the next one is 14-15 October from 9:30am-5pm at MWI. To register, visit our website at bermudahospitals.bm/mhfa.”

Director of Allied Health Services Angela Gilbert said: “We’re also encouraging the public to attend the current MindFrame PhotoVoice Exhibition at Bermuda Society of Arts, with submissions from our clients. The exhibit ends on Monday 13 October, so if you haven’t seen it yet, today is a great day to stop in and celebrate mental health.”

Bermuda Society of Arts is located on the top floor of City Hall. Opening hours are 10am-4pm Monday to Friday and 10am-2pm on Saturdays. Entry is free and much of the artwork is available for purchase.

10 October 2025 Home Page, News

BHB welcomes two babies during hurricane lockdown

Thursday 2 October 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board is happy to announce the birth of baby Gosai Pritmani, baby GP for short, during storm conditions at 7:47pm on Wednesday 1 October.

Baby GP, a boy, is the first born of parents Niraj Pritmani and his wife Sonam Gosai Pritmani.

“We had a visit with our gynaecologist, Dr Reese yesterday morning,” said Ms Gosai Pritmani, “because yesterday was actually the due date.”

“At around 11am we were not sure if Sonam was just having cramps of if they were contractions,” said Mr Pritmani. “But they went from manageable to intense, so we decided to come to the hospital at around 2pm,” he added.

Soon the contractions were coming faster, and the pain was increasing and by 4pm Ms Gosai Pritmani was in labour.

“I was so lucky that it went that quickly,” said Mr Pritmani. “Because she was deemed to be in active labour, I was allowed to stay with her and was here for the birth,” he added. “Had she not been in active labour, I would have had to go home and then request a Police escort to come back to the hospital after 4pm.”

The couple said they had considered leaving the island for the birth as they were always concerned that a hurricane might happen when they needed to go to the hospital.

“It was our number one fear, but many we talked to convinced us that the odds of that happening were extremely low, so we stayed and it turned out to be perfect,” said the new mom.

GP is just a holding name for the 7pound 2-ounce Hindu baby who will be named, in accordance with Hindu tradition, 11 days from his birth. His time of birth and other birth date details have been sent to a Hindu pundit to work out the name he should have.

“It will be based on sound but is unlikely to be Humerto or Imelda,” his dad said.

Bermuda Hospitals Board also welcomed, Franklin Roy Mayor during the storm. Franklin was born at 6:40am on Thursday 2 October to Lucy and Stephen Mayor. He is their first child and weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces.

Franklin was due on 30 September and his parents although given the option to check-in to Maternity for the storm, decided to stay with relatives close by on Laurel Lane. Father Stephen Mayor said when his wife Lucy was having contractions 4 minutes apart, they decided it best “to roll down the road to the Maternity Unit.” It was 2:45am.

“Lucy went straight into delivery when we got here,” he said. “The hospital staff and the Maternity team were absolutely amazing from the time we arrived at the front door. They could not have done more for us,” he added. “Dr Reese and our nurse Lilia, a midwife, were absolutely incredible. We thank the entire Maternity team,” said Lucy.

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2 October 2025 Home Page, News