I thank you for joining us for the second Hospital Showcase and Information Seminar of Sagicor Life Inc. As a provider of life and health insurance to employees of large and micro organisations across the region, we conceptualised this event to share vital information with stakeholders such as yourselves.

We are also committed to providing excellent products and services to our customers. Our goal is to be the Group Life and Health benefits provider of choice not only in Barbados, but across the region. We have worked to offer competitive rates even under challenging economic conditions and we continue to introduce products to meet the needs of our customers. In 2013 we launched the Global Health Care series – flexible health insurance policies that allow our clients to receive medical treatment in the country of their choice.

Affordable healthcare is in focus at the moment as the United States works to implement Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act. We here in the region have always had affordable, quality, national health care systems. Our neighbours in Central and South America have established themselves as dependable sources of knowledge and expertise and you will meet representatives from some of their facilities here today.

We should therefore be taking full advantage of these resources.

Barbadian medical facilities such as the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and government-run polyclinics have been providing medical care for almost five decades and the government has worked hard to ensure that these facilities are on-par with those in developed countries. However, we understand that cases will arise that require consultation and even treatment from practitioners outside of Barbados.

Based on feedback from the medical community we have invited speakers to address topics such as cancer care, chronic diseases and stress management. I hope you will take full advantage of the information being shared today as we work to strengthen our partnership to the benefit of our clients.