From left: Vice-President of Rotary Club of Barbados West, Joseph Steinbok; Consultant Neurosurgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Mr John Gill; Consultant Neurosurgeon at QEH, Dr Sean Smith; and President of Rotary West, Kevin Watson viewing the donation of supplies for QEH's Department of Surgery – Neurosurgery from Rotary West.
A local service organisation wants to see more support thrown behind the state-run Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
While lauding staff on a magnificent job, President of Rotary Club of Barbados West, Kevin Watson, observed that they are expected to give an ever-increasing level of service, both in terms of sophistication and timeliness, with less resources due to the economic situation and other constraints.
“Therefore, it is for us in the service community to provide whatever assistance we can, as the QEH is the lifeline for all of us in Barbados. And there is no other facility on the island that can provide the level of care that they can. So, it is important for us as Barbadians to support them and give as much assistance as we can,” he stressed.
The President’s comments came yesterday as the Rotary Club of Barbados West made a special donation of neurosurgical medical supplies to the tune of $20 000 to the QEH’s Department of Surgery – Neurosurgery.
Joseph Steinbok, Vice President of Rotary West, recalled that over the years, the Club has had an extensive and successful relationship with the QEH, which dates back December 1999 when the renovation of the Paediatric Ward commenced. He said that since then, Rotary West has successfully completed the construction of the Renal Dialysis Unit and, more recently, the completion of the state-of-the-art Medical Intensive Care Unit.
“Rotary West has also nurtured a bond between British Columbia (BC) Children’s Hospital through the assistance of my brother Dr Paul Steinbok, a Barbadian who was until recently the Head of Paediatric Neurosurgery Department, and Consultant Neurosurgeon Mr John Gill of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This relationship resulted in a previous donation of medical supplies.
“Rotary West continues their pledge to assist the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and are presently working with Dr Steinbok and the BC Children’s Hospital to secure a selection of beds and other equipment, which will become available later this year,” he revealed.
Mr Gill took the opportunity to express his appreciation to Rotary West as well as to Dr Steinbok for their continuous generosity.
The Consultant Neurosurgeon also explained that such supplies can actually change the life of a child and in some cases of an adult.
“It can mean the difference between life and death and it can change the quality of life, from being someone who requires attention and who has failed to live up to their full potential, to someone who can function normally,” he said. (TL)