Hyperbaric Medicine in Algarve

As a fellow instructor and member of the world’s largest dive club, I lived in the Cayman Islands and worked at the hyperbaric chamber there, where we treated both divers and patients undergoing medical treatments for wounds, diabetic injuries etc.
We had several cases of DCS (decompression sickness) where the patients had all dived conservatively, and two of whom had been no deeper than 15m. The fact is that there are many factors influencing the onset of DCS, some of which cannot be predicted.
Having no access to a hyperbaric chamber locally is a big deterrent to booking a diving holiday for many divers, especially those from Northern Europe, so one would think that the provision for one is essential if the Algarve is to be promoted as a desirable diving destination, as seems to be the intention of the Tourism Authority.
Quite frankly, the development of diving in the Algarve is very backward, even compared to some of the ‘third world’ islands of the Caribbean, so I greatly welcome the developments at Alvor.
Sue Kenyon