Clergy donates to polyclinics

Two rural polyclinics have benefited from donations of supplies as part of the 200th anniversary of the Anglican Diocese of Barbados.

Senator Reverend Canon Dr John Rogers said giving back to the Frederick Miller Polyclinic in St George and the David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex in St John was a way for the church to minister to people differently.

“We decided that whatever we did will go towards the polyclinics that service our people, because the idea was that if we really want to minister to our people, it has to be more than word, it has to be in every facet of their lives,” he said as the presentations were made to the polyclinics on Friday.

“We recognise that what you do here at the polyclinics is also a ministry. As the writer of the letter to the Book of Sirach says, ‘honour the physicians because their gift comes from God, honour the pharmacists, honour those who care for people’. So we thought it important to make our contribution in this area because these are the institutions that touch the lives of our people when they’re ill.”

The Frederick Miller Polyclinic received a fridge and an induction stovetop for its Nutrition Centre. Over the years, the centre had not been used to its full potential and had become a waiting area for patients seeing the nutritionist at the clinic. Acting nutrition officer Glencill Taylor said that with the new equipment, cooking demonstrations would be done for the hundreds of patients who visit the clinic for non-communicable diseases-related issues.

Dr Carl Ward and senior health sister Shermane Welch also expressed gratitude for the donations.

The David Thompson Health and Social Services Complex received four privacy screens. Acting Medical Officer of Health Kahlilah Michael said they would greatly contribute to patient dignity and comfort, two critical areas on which polyclinic staff place tremendous value.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George visited both polyclinics for the presentations and encouraged staff to keep up the good work they do in the community.