Barbados receives 107 pieces of medical equipment donated by India Fund

Bridgetown, October 31, 2023-- The Government of Barbados, through the India-UN Fund and UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), has received 107 pieces of medical equipment destined to strengthen the national health system in the transition period of the COVID 19 recovery.

The delivery equipment consists of a total of four servers, one handheld spectrometer, 30 vascular dopplers, 25 vital sign monitors, 35 nebulisers, 12 thermal printers, a refrigerated truck and a mobile X-Ray unit, valued at USD 654.750.

To commemorate the completion of this Project, Dr. Kenneth George Chief Medical Officer Ministry of Health and Wellness, His Excellency, Dr. Shankar Balachandran Ambassador of India to Suriname and High Commissioner of India to Barbados, Mr. Didier Trebucq UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and Mr. Martín Arévalo de León, UNOPS Director and Representative for Barbados attended a handover ceremony where they renewed their commitment to continue working for the health of the people of Barbados.

“I am sure the donation will benefit all Barbadians through the enhanced service delivery to a wide array of our health care institutions including the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, thePolyclinics across the length and breadth of the island, our District Hospitals and the Barbados Drug Service. This donation will accelerate our vision of universal health for all Barbadians.” said Dr. Kenneth George Chief Medical Officer Ministry of Health and Wellness.

Through a procurement process managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the new equipment is reaching the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Barbados Drug Service and 13 medical centres, benefiting the entire population of the country.

“I am happy to hand over the equipment to the Ministry of Health and Wellness of Barbados on behalf of the Government of India and the UNDP. I am also gratified that the project has adhered to its strict time frame and has been completed well within time. I would like to congratulate UNOPS for this and also for effecting a saving of 11% due to its efficient procurement process and passing on the savings to Barbados with a procurement of five additional vital sign monitors and 12 thermal printers within the project’s original budget”, express Dr. Shankar Balachandran High Commissioner of India to Barbados.

The beneficiary medical centres are The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Branford Taitt Polyclinic, David Thompson Health & Social Services Complex, Edgar Cochrane Polyclinic, Eunice Gibson Polyclinic, Glebe Polyclinic, Maurice Byer Polyclinic, Randall Phillips Polyclinic, St. Philip Polyclinic, Winston Scott Polyclinic, St. Lucy District Hospital, St. Michael District Hospital and St. Philip District Hospital.

“This project is managed by UNOPS in a comprehensive manner, safeguarding the procurement and delivery process while strictly adhering to the requirements of the health authorities of Barbados, ensuring the highest quality, transparency and performance of the economic resources provided to leave no one behind, in full alignment with the principles of fair public management”, explained Mr. Martín Arévalo, Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office for the English & Dutch Caribbean and Costa Rica.

The agreement between the Government of Barbados, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for this project was signed earlier in 2023 and after 10 months the procurement and delivery process has been completed. Due to its efficient procurement process, savings of 11% were achieved and UNOPS was able to procure five additional vital sign monitors and 12 thermal printers within the project’s original budget.

“The prevention of nosocomial infections among the neonates, infants, and immune- suppressed will be addressed with the addition of one mobile x-ray unit. The most gracious and urgently needed donation will complement the single mobile unit presently in use through recognised service to the most vulnerable population within the hospital”, declared Dr. Susan Sookoo, Senior Radiographer Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

One of the equipment acquired through this project, a refrigerated truck, will be key to link the drug distribution service between more than 15 pharmacies that are part of the Barbados Drug Service.

“Medicines are temperature sensitive items and to ensure the efficacy of the products it is essential that the products be transported in a temperature controlled manner. This vehicle will therefore fulfill a need that has existed at the BDS for many years and will be utilised every day in the safe delivery of medicines to the pharmacies”, add Ms. Delores Mascoll, Director, Barbados Drug Service.

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The United Nations Office for Project Services is a United Nations agency dedicated to implementing infrastructure and procurement projects for the United Nations System, international financial institutions, governments and other partners around the world.

For more information, please contact:

Sandra Ramirez, Communications Officer, UNOPS Costa Rica: sandrarr@unops.org

Isabela Fraiz, Regional Partnerships Assistant,

UNOPS Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean: isabelaf@unops.org