UP CLOSE with … Sheila Vidot, Seychellois medical manager, overseas coordinator at MIOT International Hospitals in Chennai, India |28 February 2017

‘Seychelles needs to consider having international medical liaison officers’

As a nurse at the Seychelles Hospital, Sheila Vidot was privileged to escort Seychellois patients being referred by the Ministry of Health to different hospitals in India such as Apollo, Sankara, Rg Stone and the Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (MIOT) International Hospitals in early 2000 to undergo specialised treatment not available here.

Due to all the exposure and experiences in these hospitals and the advantage of speaking French earned her a permanent job at the MIOT International Hospitals a few years later.

Since December 2009 to date, Ms Vidot has been working full time with the MIOT International Hospitals and living in Chennai not far from where she works.

Meeting up with her last week during one of her working visits back home, Ms Vidot talks about her work, life experiences and bringing  up her two children while working and living in a foreign country.

In spite of being away from home, family and friends, Ms Vidot says she is very happy in her job there and over the years she has learned to adapt to the culture and the people. But she has expressed the desire to work as an international liaison medical officer for Seychelles Hospital.

She says if ever the health ministry considers the possibility it would not be a problem for her to be based in either Seychelles or any other country.

“I would not mind going back to work in Seychelles and bring all the experience I have gained back into our health system especially when it comes to dealing with the different hospitals overseas where we are sending our patients for treatment as well as when there is the need for prompt negotiations in preparation for new contracts and MoUs between Seychelles Hospital and these medical institutions,” she says.

“I sincerely believe there is a need to look more closely, through continuous assessments, monitoring and reviews of the conditions and care being provided to Seychellois patients.

“It is a very healthy approach that government can help patients to travel abroad for more specialised medical and surgical interventions not available here but there is also a need for closer supervision, monitoring and review to always make the care and treatment being received better,” she says, noting that this can only be done by a person with enough experience who can report back in an effective manner.

“With all due respect to all the good work that is being done to ensure our brothers and sisters get the best when they are sent overseas for treatment, I still firmly believe an international medical liaison officer would be of a greater advantage for Seychelles not only with regard to ensuring the different aspects of the treatment and care are delivered as expected but also to ensure we do get the best and value for all the money paid. Seychelles is very small and we will always need outside expertise as it will be difficult for us to bring all those specialised and costly equipment in our small hospital. Recruiting all the required human resource is another big issue and this is why we will continue to rely on outside expertise but this should be better scrutinised,” she says.

Ms Vidot notes that there are lots of issues associated with receiving treatment in a hospital away from your country.

“It is not something to take lightly. It has a great impact on the government and more importantly on the patient and on their family,” she adds, noting that an international medical liaison officer will have the authority to look into medical and insurance payment issues as well as look into and address complaints by patients, be the link between patients and family members and be the eyes and ears of his or her country’s government anywhere that our fellow citizens are sent for treatment.

Her life and work at MIOT International Hospitals

In her line of duty Ms Vidot says she has helped a lot of patients coming from all corners of the world looking for treatment and very often some of them do not speak a single word of English.

At MIOT International Hospitals the medium of communication is English and there are many patients who come from French speaking countries. She has also intervened as interpreter as well as counsellor for those patients especially those who travelled from very far and had come with high hopes and expectations only to be told their situation is hopeless.

“It is not easy at times and a lot of people who have saved a lot of money but have not been properly advised or guided from where they come from ended up in disappointment due to late referral or even having been misled in choosing the right place. It makes me sad as well but I have to help them as best I can,” she says.

A lot of Seychellois especially those travelling alone and for the first time for the treatment have also benefitted greatly from her support.

“Due to my strong faith, God guides me through my work every day so that I always find the strength and have the courage to cope with handling and assisting patients during their treatment, convalescence and for the unlucky ones, the dying process. It is really hard on me when I have to dash the hopes of someone with bad news and I find it really hard to cope too at times especially when I have to help distressed and unconsolable relatives handle the process of repatriating the body. I have to muster enough courage and strength to go through each day and then go home to take care of my children,” Ms Vidot says.

In spite of all the pain and sadness of having to be the bearer of bad news to many patients, Ms Vidot also derives great joy and fulfillment when her patients get better and after completing their treatment and leaving the hospital they let her know of their progress wherever they maybe either through a text message, an email or a phone call.

During the first four years when she was still new in her job, her working hours were from  4.30am until 1.30pm but if there were any urgent cases to deal with she would  continue until much later. But now several more years later, with all the experience gained and training received which have built and strengthened her capacity, and boost her confidence, Ms Vidot has proved that she can be relied on and her working hours are from 8am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. She has Sunday off but she can be called in if ever there is any emergency.

To have reached this juncture in her career, Ms Vidot  expresses heartfelt gratitude to the training, support and mentoring she received from the founder of MIOT Hospitals Internationals Prof. P.V.A Mohandas, the chairperson Mrs Mallika Mohandas, the highly qualified managing director Dr Prithvi Mohandas as well as the head of department and overseas marketing manager Mr Galal Dawood.

“I owe all I have achieved to them and I am really grateful for their support and encouragement which has contributed to me occupying a full fledged senior staff member position,” she says.

Ms Vidot also travels a lot as part of her work accompanying doctors from MIOT International Hospitals on medical camps outside Chennai including Seychelles where she takes part in discussions and negotiations for future more fruitful agreements and collaborations with MIOT International Hospitals.

Family support

Ms Vidot has a teenage daughter Phara who is 18 years and a 10-year-old son Ian to take care of.

“I ensure that my Sundays off are reserved for my kids and I make it a must that we attend mass together,” Ms Vidot says.

She remarks that at the beginning it was not easy for her children especially her daughter to adapt to the different life style but gradually they became accustomed to the culture and new way of life.

“I am so grateful that they have grabbed all the positive aspects of life in the Indian city and I am so proud of them and I thank the Almighty for that,” she says.

Ms Vidot says even though she is far away from her family back home they have been always very supportive – her two brothers and sisters and especially her mother who visits her often and spend time with her grandchildren.

“My family is very supportive and I am really grateful to them for that,” Ms Vidot says.

She adds that when she does come back for holidays she and her children always have a great time.

“My children and I always look forward to these precious family reunions during which we try as much as possible to catch up on all that has happened and is going on with everyone in the family and also meet up with friends,” Ms Vidot says.

By Marie-Anne Lepathy