Minister of Health, Donville Inniss

It is important to lend support of any kind to the Barbados National Registry on Chronic Non-communicable Disease (BNR).

This was a key theme of remarks delivered yesterday at the official launch of that entity, on the compound of the Chronic Disease Research Centre (CDRC), at Jemmott’s Lane, St. Michael.

Speaking on behalf of the Registry in his address, Minister of Health, Donville Inniss declared that: “Every Barbadian, the person recovering from a stroke, the cancer survivor or the family that lost its breadwinner to heart disease must feel a sense of ownership of the Barbados National Registry. This ownership will ensure that the Registry will be a successful instrument for the collection and classification of data on what is happening in relation to the Chronic Non-communicable Diseases in our country.”

While making a clarion call for the involvement of the private health sector in the activities of the BNR, he said, “Every effort will be made to work with this sector as a vital partner. A communications plan will be drawn up and implemented to ensure that there is a two way flow of information, so that the output of the registry will be available and beneficial to practitioners in the private sector.” 

Chief Medical Officer (Ag) Dr. Kenneth George, in describing the official opening of BNR as a “stride in the area of developing and understanding the unique makeup of the health profile of this island”, urged non-governmental organisations, tertiary health facilities and civil society to join in the effort “in making tangible strides in the area of research and development”.

Expressing the hope that the Registry would become a model of success for the region, Dr. George said that while the Ministry looked forward to its output; it (the Ministry) would be eager to use the information published for the improvement of both primary and tertiary health care services.

Chairman of the National Commission for CNCDs and member of the BNR Advisory Board, Professor Trevor Hassell also spoke about the significant partnerships that went into establishing the Registry and called for more collaborative arrangements and sustained contributions, financially and otherwise, from all organisations.

He called on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and private health care facilities to “seek ways to effectively partner with the CDRC in the execution of the BNR” and said, they would all “realise opportunities for enhanced levels of care for their patients”.

Members of the general public may participate by calling the Registry at its hotline number 256-4BNR, or by authorising their medical practitioner to give the necessary information to the Barbados National Registry on Chronic Non-communicable Disease.

jgill@barbados.gov.bb 

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