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| Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joy St. John. (FP)?? |
Partnerships forged with polyclinics continue to be appreciated by officials in the Health Ministry.
This was underscored by Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Joy St. John, yesterday as she thanked the Barbados International Business Association (BIBA) charity for its "generous donation" of over $90,000 in medical equipment to the island’s eight polyclinics.
Noting that the nine oxygen concentrators and eight feotal heart monitors would assist in strengthening the broad range of services that catered to maternal and child health, Dr. St. John said: "Barbados has long been aware of the correlation between good maternal and child health and contingent healthy and productive citizens. Through the proactive planning and hard work of previous generations we can be justifiably proud of the gains we have made in health.
"Priority has always been given to maternal and child health since it has long been recognised that a country’s well-being is determined by the health and development of its most vulnerable groups."??
She explained that partnerships such as the one established between BIBA and the Ministry were greatly encouraged as "we recognise the health of our citizens is not the exclusive right of any select group of decision makers".
And, she added: "A healthy lifestyle for all Barbadians is the responsibility of all sectors in our society – government, the private sector, communities, NGOs and individuals. We, therefore, continue to encourage your participation and support in assisting us in achieving the goal of promoting a healthy society."