The Ministry of Health and Wellness has another “weapon” in its arsenal to fight COVID-19.
Sagicor Life Inc. officially handed over a medical bus to the Ministry’s Immunisation Unit to assist in the National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19. The bus will be used to reach the vulnerable in communities who have difficulty getting to satellite sites to be vaccinated.
Before the handing over ceremony, the bus was utilised to vaccinate over 600 persons in the comfort of their homes.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, in thanking Sagicor for the donation, said the Ministry would continue to put the bus to good use. He further noted that it would allow the Immunisation Unit to reach more people.
Minister Bostic also praised the stellar work of the Unit, which is led by Co-coordinators, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand and Major David Clarke.
Executive Vice President and General Manager at Sagicor, Paul Inniss, said the financial institution saw the donation as part of its corporate responsibility.
“The fact that we are here today is proof of our commitment to the Government of Barbados. Our commitment is to the communities as a whole as we continue to explore ways to provide support to our clients and the public, especially the most vulnerable and disadvantaged among us….
“The common theme running through all of our efforts is the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on those individuals and groups….
“This is why the vaccination programme is so important because a higher vaccination rate will help us as a country manage and reduce the impact of the virus on our lives and facilitate the return of some normalcy to how we live and work, and hopefully, result in an increase in economic activity,” he stated.