Bridgetown, December 4, 2020 - The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization’s (PAHO/WHO’s) commitment to assisting Barbados during the COVID-19 pandemic was again demonstrated during an official handover of a motor vehicle, medical and information technology equipment, and supplies.
These items, a humanitarian donation from the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, are intended to support Barbados in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic as the country has developed new structures to augment the health system based on the continued cluster of cases from arriving international travelers.
PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, Dr Yitades Gebre, presented Minister of Health and Wellness, Lt. Col. The Hon. Jeffery Bostic with a new 2020 Nissan Urvan 2.5DA GX Minibus to support services at the Isolation Facility at Harrison’s Point and transport testing supplies and specimens from SARS-Cov-2 sample collection sites to the national laboratory. Additionally, the following were donated:
- Five (5) Oxygen Concentrators
- Two (2) Portable Oxygen Generators
- Three (3) boxes containing 20 packs each of head covers
- Two (2) boxes containing a total of 18 packs of shoe covers
- Fifteen thousand (15,000) fever strips to self-monitor body temperature and Biohazard bags for disposal
In his remarks, Dr Jean Marie Rwangabwoba, PAHO Advisor, Health Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control, reminded “at the end of this month the pandemic would have been with us for over a year, even though it has been a year in the fight we still have a long way to go.” He said that the pandemic would be remembered in history as one of the most challenging years because of the triple burden, human, social and economic.
Dr Gebre said that Barbados and other PAHO Member States and Territories in the Eastern Caribbean have taken action to control transmission and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 since the emergence of the pandemic in early 2020. Countries also remained committed to regional and global goals to control and eliminate vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs).
“As directed by PAHO’s 58th Directing Council in September 2020, the PAHO Secretariat has been working closely with the GAVI Secretariat to support participation of PAHO Member States in the COVAX Facility. I am very pleased to report that Barbados is one of the first countries to take action and deposit funds for the procurement of a covid-19 vaccines,” Dr Gebre reported.
Lt. Col. the Honourable Jeffrey Bostic, Minister of Health and Wellness, reminisced on the almost one-year anniversary of the pandemic when he assembled a team at the Ministry of Health and Wellness to discuss the then outbreak and possibility of it becoming a pandemic, its impact on Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
Minister Bostic expressed gratitude, on behalf of the Government of Barbados, for the donations that would assist in management of the positive cases and contain the spread of the coronavirus in Barbados. Specific to the vehicle, he noted it will tremendously assist in the management of transporting swabs throughout the island.
“Through the length and breadth of COVID-19, Barbados was not fighting the battle alone,” the Minister said, acknowledging appreciation to PAHO for their continued assistance. This invaluable assistance came in the form of technical guidance, human and material resources.
The Minister of Health spoke of the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, noting it will be a massive undertaking. He lauded Barbados’ proud history of executing a very efficient and effective immunization program and said he wished to continue in that manner with the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine.
