GPF donates US$57,917 to WPP

The World Paediatric Programme (WPP) has received a donation of US$57,917 to assist with the purchase of a GE Vivid I ultra-hi-performance cardiovascular ultrasound system.

The cardiovascular ultrasound system will be used to identify congenital heart disease in children, along with rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.{{more}}

The donation was made by the Grenadines Partnership Fund (GPF), whose director, Richard Moulton, handed the cheque over to Governor General Sir Frederick Ballantyne yesterday at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH).

In brief remarks at the hand-over, the GPF director stated that his organization has recognized the WPP as one of the better charities in St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).{{more}}

“It serves an enormous amount of children; a very vulnerable part of the population. We [are] glad to be of help in this way and hope to continue to be of help.”

Moulton declared that the donation was made in honour of the Governor General, who played an integral role in establishing the WPP.

Sir Frederick thanked the members of the GPF and stated that they have, since their inception, been making donations to worthy causes in SVG.

Simon Carey, chief development officer of the WPP Caribbean Region noted that the MCMH has been recognized as the Centre of Excellence for Paediatric Care in the OECS. This honour, he said, all came because of the work done under the WPP.

“This time around we actually have a neurosurgery team here, so on Sunday we saw approximately a total of 60 kids. Thirty of those kids are from St Vincent and the Grenadines, the other 30 of the kids were … from the Eastern Caribbean,” Carey stated.

He added that during this visit a smaller than usual batch of children will be seen, because of the specialized treatment that is being offered.

“So, this is more of a kind of specialized surgery team. It’s not like cardiology or scoliosis or orthopaedics where you have a much more abundance of kids…. So, this one was smaller because it’s a more specialized surgery….”

Since its inception, the WPP has performed surgeries on over 1,000 children from SVG and the Eastern Caribbean. (CM)