Urgent Care Barbados has become the first medical facility in the Caribbean to collaborate with global medical technology company Scopium AI to launch predictive artificial intelligence technology for chest pain diagnosis.
An eight-day pilot program began this week.
The preliminary testing phase, which runs from June 11 to 18 at the Urgent Care Barbados Medical Centre in The Estates, St George, addresses a critical health concern on the island where more than 30 per cent of the population aged 25 to 70 lives with hypertension, the primary risk factor for cardiac diseases.
“This underscores the urgent need for rapid, accurate diagnostic tools like the one Scopium AI provides,” said Dr. Bandele Majeks, managing director of Urgent Care Barbados. “By enhancing diagnostic precision and reducing treatment time, this technology will undeniably save lives and improve patient outcomes.”
The collaboration with Scopium AI follows successful testing of the patented predictive technology in the United States and Canada, achieving what CEO Terry Lall described as “a high rate of predictive accuracy.” Comprehensive clinical testing is scheduled to begin in July.
During the pilot phase, physicians will use the AI technology while the Scopium team collects data to refine the system. All patient data remains anonymous to protect privacy, and the testing will not disrupt ongoing patient care services, according to Majeks.
Lall, a Caribbean native, said the region was chosen for its “exceptional research talent that deserves global recognition.” The Barbados Institutional Review Board has already approved the study protocols.
The initiative has received government support as part of Barbados’ digital health transformation agenda. David Ishmael, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, noted that primary and urgent care facilities “can reduce unnecessary hospital visits and support timely intervention in community settings.”
Senator Jonathan Reid, Minister of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology, emphasized the significance for the region’s development, stating that “small developing spaces have at the same time the same tools that advanced places have to
