“Partnerships are key in the fight against COVID-19”.
So says Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Anton Best, as he accepted a donation of personal protective equipment (PPE) on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MHW) from the British High Commission, during a handing over ceremony this morning at the British High Commission’s (BHC) office at Lower Collymore Rock, St. Michael.
He said: “In the third year of COVID [-19] it’s been a long haul for us not only in Barbados but across the globe. And unfortunately, there’s almost no end in sight to this. So, one of the key lessons that we have learned in terms of responding to COVID [-19] is the value of partnerships.
“So with a partnership, like the one we’ve had with the British Government, where it’s been mutually beneficial over the last two-plus years, this is something that we hope to continue and we are extremely appreciative of the donation,” Dr. Best stated, as he thanked the British Government and the team located at the Commission in Barbados for the donation.
Deputy High Commissioner at the BHC, Craig Fulton, who made the presentation to Dr. Best noted that Barbados has been at the vanguard of handling COVID-19 and declared that the United Kingdom will continue to assist Barbados in its efforts at managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Fulton said: “Barbados has been at the forefront of the efforts to promote COVID [-19] safety and protect its population from COVID [-19], and so we’re very pleased to be able to offer this near one million pieces of personal protective equipment that’s so urgently needed by all countries and in Barbados as well, to help continue to tackle those effects and protect both health workers and the population from the effects of COVID [-19]. And this support comes as well as part of the UK’s continuing support towards helping to end the pandemic [and] I’m very happy to be able to pass on this PPE to you today.”
The donation of PPE includes: EasiGowns Comfort Aprons with Thumb Loops, Aprons HDPE, Type IIR Masks, Face Shields and Transo-Glove Latex Examination Gloves.
Barbados has also received assistance in its fight against COVID-19 from the Commission through its contributions to the COVAX Vaccine Programme, the Adopt Our Families Programme and technical and human resource support.
Also present during the handover ceremony were MHW, Permanent Secretary (ag) Reeshemah Cheltenham Niles; MHW, Project Officer, Mark Kellman; Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Foreign Service Officer, Darren Carter; BHC, Vice Consul/Consular Services Manager, Ann Lewis; BHC Political Officers, Tom Hines and Gilly Metzgen.
Barbados and the United Kingdom established diplomatic ties in 1966.