Article By Barbados Today
The quality of paediatric care in Barbados is improving, thanks to the generosity of the Shaw Centre for Paediatric Excellence (SCPE).
SPCE recently made a generous donation of 24 pieces of equipment valued at BBD $170, 000 to the Paediatrics Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The presentation was made on Thursday, February 15 by SCPE Barbados Director, Dr Clyde Cave to Dr Angela Jennings, the head of the QEH Paediatrics Department.
The donation included infant scales, digital health-o-meters, measuring mats, medical carts, patient monitors and examination tables.
This support from the Shaw Centre will assist efforts to improve the level of care provided at the QEH for young patients and is another step in the partnership where the hospital is the recipient of medical support on several levels.
“The journey is one to its excellence and the actual physical equipment is only one station along the way,” remarked Dr Cave, who is a top paediatrician and the Barbados Director of SPCE.
SPCE has sought to raise the standard of paediatric care across the island, Dr Cave revealed that the Centre has collaborated with the University of West Indies to launch a post graduate diploma in paediatric nursing. As of September 2024, 40 nurses in the healthcare system would have been trained, 20 of which are employed at the QEH.
He acknowledged that there was a lot of room for improvement at the state hospital, however, the new equipment will contribution to “a better patient experience” not only in terms of the quality of care but also the social, physical, and spiritual wellbeing of patients.
The consultant also mentioned there will be a similar or larger donation of equipment to child clinics and polyclinics islandwide.
Giving her take on the donation, Dr Angela Jennings explains the new equipment is a significant advancement and improvement and will go along way to improving the level of care offered to children on the Pediatric ward.
She is also appealing to corporate Barbados to initiate more public-private sector partnerships help address some of the hospital’s other critical needs.
“We need to improve the beds, the comfort of the patients, the entire ward itself is in need of a refurbishment and that is definitely something we are looking forward to doing.”
“Every donation helps no matter how small it is as we continue on this journey. I put a plea out there for all of the private sector to partner with us so we can continue to enhance the work that we are doing,” Dr Jennings stated.