By C. John/API
The St. Matthias Charities Inc. has once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the development of the health services in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) with a presentation to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment.
Last Thursday, a substantial donation of medical equipment and other supplies was handed over to ministry officials during a ceremony at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
The charitable organisation, which is now in its seventh year of existence, has this year provided medical supplies including canes, crutches, and wheelchairs in addition to major medical equipment including an automated dental chair, an EKG machine and two crash carts.
President of the St. Matthias Charities Inc., Pastor Robert McBarnett, said that his organisation has, to date, imported nine containers, including two 40-foot containers of medical supplies into the country.
While outlining several of the organisation’s objectives, McBarnett said that a major goal of the organisation is to provide EKG machines to every health centre in SVG.
“At St. Matthias Charities Inc. our goal is to have an EKG machine in every hospital in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, in every polyclinic, in every clinic and if possible every ward area in the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.”
The president further noted that although the organisation is particularly focused on providing supplemental provisions to health centres across SVG, it will later this year embark on new initiatives targeting youth development, particularly in sports and nutrition.
“We believe we can bring the community together, and that’s our goal, we’ve got to bring the youths together get them occupied and engaged, and we believe through sports we can accomplish that.”
He also spoke of plans to begin a pilot nutrition programme in the schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, particularly for athletes.
Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Sen. Luke Browne expressed his gratitude on behalf of the ministry and by extension the government and people of SVG, to the St. Matthias Charities Inc. for their dedication in providing yet another substantial contribution to the nation’s health care services.
“We should thank this charity for its work and its commitment, this is not a fly-by-night association now, this is a relationship that has entered a stage of maturity and we appreciate how it has matured. From 2012, when St. Matthias started to come here, we might have thought this is a one-off gesture but they came again in subsequent years and again and again, but we want them to keep coming even as they expand the scope of their reach to other countries.”:
Minister Browne commended the organisation for their continued support and encouraged other organisations to come on board with such a profound initiative as this one.
The St. Matthias Charities Inc. will be furthering its scope of assistance to include upcoming missions to Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique next year.