A groundbreaking hyperbaric treatment took place at the Roxborough Hospital in Tobago. This, according to health officials at the facility.
Barbadian diver, 46 year old David Goddard, did research on hyperbaric chambers in the Caribbean and Tobago was recommended. He sought treatment for the “bends” or decompression sickness which he was experiencing. This illness is caused by the formation of bubbles of gas that occur with changes in water pressure as a scuba diver rises from the depths of the sea. The main treatment is spending time inside a hyperbaric chamber.
Manager of the hyperbaric facility, Ray Hinds, described it as a landmark as he noted there is no documented evidence of a patient or patients being treated after nine weeks of neurological “bends.” Goddard’s treatment comprises four to five hour sessions. The hospital treats up to three patients a day.