HOPE help from Canada Vincies

The Milton Cato Memorial Hospital has received a donation of items valued at over $800,000 from a Canadian-based agency.

This donation was a repeat of an earlier initiative spearheaded by Union Island-born, Canadian residents, Byron and Grasita Jones. {{more}}

The 40-foot container rolled into the Kingstown Cemetery last Wednesday 6, April to facilitate the two-day offloading process.

Among the items received by Pam Bonadie, Chief Administrator at the MCMH were 40 hospital beds earmarked for the Mental Hospital, boxes of privacy curtains, wheel chairs, a hoyer lift with straps, emergency and regular stretchers, walkers, blood pressure machines, baby bassinnettes, a hot wax bath, 30 boxes of diapers and incontinent pads, and 120 boxes of miscellaneous medical and surgical supplies, including drapes, catheters, gloves, plasters, bandages, syringes, tensors, needles, scissors, baby formula bottles, tracheostomy tubes, forceps, sponge sticks, various pads, pressure IV monitors, drainage chest kits, CPR monitors, irrigation trays, etc.

This is the third time that “International H.O.P.E.” in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, headed by its president Phyllis Reader has made donation of medical supplies to the hospital.

The transportation was funded by the Minister of Health Dr. Doug Slater under the direction of the Permanent Secretary, Verlene Saunders.

Valuable support also came from “The Jones Brothers and Sisters of Union Island, now living in Canada”, by president Charles Henry and members of the St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Winnipeg, and Lindon Sobers whose determination facilitated the delivery of the container in Kingstown.

Expressing her appreciation on behalf of local authorities, Bonadie said the hospital was in dire need of such supplies that were made possible through the diligence of the Jones. She said many items filled long-standing vacancies, while others such as the hoyer lift were introduced to the island for the first time. This machine moves patients to and from their beds to bath tubs, stretchers, etc., thus easing the strain on the backs of the attendants.

Jones, a three-time graduate of the university of Manitoba, is a former principal of Munroe Junior High School, in the city of Winnipeg and is devoting much of his time to helping the people of SVG. He said that “if those who can, will reach out to those who need, then the world will be a much better place for all of us.”

He returns to Canada later this month, where he promises to continue to work with Phyllis Reader and her dedicated crew of volunteers, led by Roma Conachie.