Burgin – Don’t waste medical supplies

Staff members of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital have been asked not to waste medical supplies that were recently donated to the hospital.{{more}}

The call came from Minister of Health Clayton Burgin following a donation of surgical supplies, medication for high blood pressure and diabetes, gloves and supplies for bone diseases and other medical items which were handed over to the hospital on Tuesday by a visiting medical team comprising seven medical practitioners from the United States, most of whom are from the Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

The team’s visit and donation were all made possible through the Patsy Douglas Youth Empowerment Foundation, the brainchild of Vincentian native Ann Marie Lee Wilkins, a registered nurse employed at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGTH following the short handing over ceremony, Burgin said Tuesday’s event was a very important initiative by the donors who have committed to assisting the hospital.

The minister said medication is an expensive commodity and when persons make donations to the hospital, “we have to be very appreciative.”

“These are donations of medical supplies that we tend to use very frequently. So when organizations or persons donate to us these types of materials and equipment, they will go a long way in assisting us.

“We are hoping that the users of these materials and equipment will use them with due care and not waste them,” the Minister added.

On their fourth trip to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the medical team arrived in the country last weekend.

Over the past four years, the team has visited the country on medical missions, during which they went to clinics and interacted with the locals concerning their medical conditions, and this year was no different.

As in previous years, the team this week made visits to several clinics, including Georgetown, Mesopotamia, Layou and Bequia, during which they performed screenings for neuropathy, general examinations, and tests for high blood pressure and diabetes.

The specialists also did some specific examinations for persons with amputations.

There was also Nutrition and basic Diabetes education offered during the week at the named clinics.(AA)