Within three years of an earlier donation to the health care system in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the St Matthias Charities Inc is back, this time with five containers and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical supplies.{{more}}

The Bronx, New York based organization, led by Robert McBarnette, last week handed over another batch of supplies to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, with a promise to continue to do more in the future.

Among the items handed over this time around were an x-ray view box, walkers, crutches, canes, commodes, suction machines and more, with the promise of dialysis machines and more items to follow soon.

“Three years ago, we donated a wheelchair to the Georgetown hospital; when we got back to New York, we wanted to do more; one year later we came back and we did some donations,” McBarnette told persons gathered at the Nurses’ Hostel in Kingstown on Friday, for the most recent handover.

“Last year we came to St Vincent and we brought in a 40ft container. We also donated an endoscopic/colonoscopy machine to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.

“We sent two 40-foot containers last year during the trough storm; one was delivered the second week in January.

“On the ground here we came in with two 40-foot containers with lots of medical supplies and we are going through St Vincent, trying to identify the areas where we can best serve the needs of the people of St Vincent and the Grenadines,” McBarnette said.

The organization has also branched out from the donation of health supplies, and has distributed reading materials, a piano, sewing machines and clothing to other organizations and individuals in need.

Minister of Tourism Cecil Mckie, who attended the handover ceremony in the absence of Health Minister Clayton Burgin, thanked McBarnette and his organization for the present donation, as well as those in the past.

Mckie also gave the Government’s commitment that the items would be moved from the United States to St Vincent and the Grenadines with greater ease in the future.

“Your contribution is far-reaching and will touch every life in St Vincent and the Grenadines, not only in the medical field, but also in agriculture, academics, education.…

“Therefore your contribution has great meaning and if it touches lives throughout the length and breadth of St Vincent and the Grenadines, it means that you are contributing in a significant way to our development and the greater comfort for the persons in our country.”

The equipment was received by Sister Grace Walters, hospital administrator, who also thanked St Matthias Charities Inc for their generosity, and promised that the items donated would be put to good use.(JJ)