Barbados Today

The Bayview Hospital brought joy and gifts to more than 50 children from the St Paul’s Primary and Bay Primary School at its annual Christmas Party.

The annual Christmas celebration also included underprivileged children in the surrounding Beckles Road, St Michael district.

The children could be seen on the hospital’s ground lining up for the jumping tent or getting their faces painted in characters such as spider man. After the children met with jolly white-bearded Saint Nick, they watched Christmas movies.

Sharlene Alleyne of the hospital’s Communications Committee, told Barbados TODAY that the hospital sought to make sure that some children in the community enjoyed their Christmas despite financial constraints.

“In this economic season that we are going through the reality is that some children aren’t going to get gifts. Some parents can’t afford a lot this year [and] everyone is trying to scale back so we tried to get some well-deserving children the opportunity to get something,” Alleyne said.

Alleyne also said it was an opportunity for the students who were in Classes one and two to relax and unwind before they deal with the pressures of the 11 Plus Examination.

She said throughout the year, the Bayview Hospital reached out to the community either educating them on healthy living or offering non-communicable disease testing such as diabetes checks or high blood pressure checks to the public.

“We can’t be here and have the community suffering. Our motto is home away from home, we can’t have home suffering,” Alleyne added.