That is frightening.

I went to an all inclusive in Jamaica in the early eighties. The hotel had armed guards at each end of the beach set out on little concrete piers for our protection. I was an idiot young thing and so was my spouse. We tried to go for a walk to what looked like a little market just down from our hotel. A local cop happened to be passing. He pulled in and made us go back into the hotel saying we didn't want to be out there as it wasn't safe. He stood out there and made certain we stayed.

On our flight home we sat next to a kid who had developed appendicitis while visiting. He was originally taken to the island hospital. He described what he saw as a large room with a wooden bench built on the wall around the room with patients sat round it. He said most were all knifed up and there with friends who'd brought them in. In the middle of the room were several tables where they were sewing people up and whatever else was necessary. He said everything there was crawling with those giant cockroaches. He was so terrified that he insisted on being taken back to his hotel.

Eventually his friends found someone there who put them in touch with the American embassy. A doctor there did the surgery in much cleaner surroundings and sent him back to the hotel as soon as he was out of recovery. His friends had to go back without him and he was returning a week late on our flight.

I understand Jamaica is much nicer these days which is great to hear. The locals I met were mostly quite kind and I wish them well.