India donates refrigerated truck to Barbados

The Ministry of Health and Wellness on Monday received a refrigerated truck from Dr. Shankar Balachandran, Ambassador of India to Suriname and High Commissioner of India to Barbados at A ceremony held at the office of the Barbados Drug Service.

This marks the completion of the USD$675,000 Government of India-funded grant project under the India-UN Development Partnership Fund to enhance the health security and service delivery in Barbados.  106 items of medical equipment comprising a total of four servers, one handheld spectrometer, 30 vascular dopplers, 25 vital sign monitors, 35 nebulisers, 12 thermal printers and a mobile X-Ray unit, were handed over earlier on 31 October 2023.  

The refrigerated truck is a first for the Barbados Drug Service and India is happy to partner with Barbados in this pioneering project. The truck will transport temperature controlled drugs to the island’s 15 drug centres. Previously, the drugs were transported in iceboxes.

Marshall thanked India for the generous donation. Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Dr.Balachandran reiterated India’s commitment to South-South cooperation and thanked the UNOPS, the procurement and implementing agency for the commendable work done in implementing the project within the budget of USD 675,000 and also in good time. He also thanked all those involved in the project.

Acting Director of the Barbados Drug Service Delores Mascoll expressed her gratitude for the donation. She noted that the refrigerated truck was a missing link in drug delivery.

The ceremony was attended by several officials including Deputy Permanent Secretary (Health) Donna Parker, Senior Health Information Officer Mark Kellman, Coordinator, Asha Pitt, Senior Foreign Service Officer, UNOPS representative (Barbados), and members of the Indian diaspora Mr.Vasanth Thomas Harris representing Dr.Mohini Harris, former Hon Consul of India  Dr.Manohar Singh.