Jamaican authorities have allowed a Swiss tourist who suffered a mental breakdown during his stay to end his trip at the Rastafari Herbal Garden in Westmoreland. The man, who came to Jamaica to heal from a traumatic experience, will receive weekly treatment at a nearby clinic. The decision highlights the potential of wellness tourism, a growing sector focused on holistic practices that owner Thomas Huber believes Jamaica is underestimating.
Local authorities reverse policy and allow man to stay at Rastafari Herb Garden
Jamaica Gleaner/June 12, 2024/Rochelle Clayton/Reporter
Jamaican authorities have decided not to repatriate a Swiss national who recently suffered a mental breakdown while on holiday on the island.
Instead, the man will spend the rest of his trip at the Rastafari Herbal Garden in Retrieve, Westmoreland, but is required to travel weekly to a nearby clinic for treatment, said Thomas Huber, owner of the country cottage.
The case was first covered in The Sunday Gleaner on June 2nd, with Mr Hoover acting as counsel for the foreign nationals.
Huber said the man had traveled to the island to heal from a number of traumatic experiences in his home country.
Huber also argued that the authorities’ decision to deport the man to Switzerland would be an affront to the local wellness tourism market.
Speaking to The Gleaner on Monday evening, Huber excitedly said the Swiss man was released from Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, St James, last Friday.
The Gleaner reports that the man was handed over to Swiss-Jamaican Mr Huber after his mother, Suzanne, identified him and sent a handover letter to the hospital, who said the move was made at the recommendation of Dr Delroy Frey, clinical coordinator at Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH).
“Dr. Frey told me he would be released as soon as a warrant for the suspect’s arrest was received. He told me this the Monday after the story was in the paper. The social worker also told me he needed to speak to the legal department, which apparently he did.”
Wellness Tourism
Meanwhile, Huber said the Swiss national is back enjoying his time at the resort and is also focusing on harnessing the wellness tourism aspects of his recovery process.
Wellness tourism is a type of travel that embraces and promotes holistic practices among travelers around the world.
“So far, it’s going well,” Hoover said.
According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism has grown 12% annually since 2020.
But Huber argues that Jamaica has not valued the sector.
“I don’t believe there’s a conscious effort being made to really push this forward. This is a long-term vision and I think it’s something that the government should be working on. I don’t have enough money to push this forward the way it should be pushed,” Huber said.
Contacted on Tuesday, Frey told The Gleaner he was not aware that Switzer had been discharged from the hospital, and his clinical coordinator said he intended to contact the head of psychiatry at CRH before making any official comment.
But speaking to The Sunday Gleaner two weeks ago, Frey explained that Jamaica has strict protocols in place for dealing with any foreign national who contracts any kind of illness while in the island.
“Once a patient’s condition has stabilized, they are given the option to return home or continue their leave. It is up to them. However, if we feel they cannot cope on their own and need family support, we will advise them to return to their home country,” he explained at the time. “This is not just treatment for mentally ill patients, but also general treatment for foreigners.”
“They have no choice, they have to take him home. We can’t keep him. Once he goes home and his condition stabilizes, he can always come back,” he said of the Swiss national at the time.
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