The original article can be found in: The Barbados Advocate By Kerri Gooding
The Ministry of Health is steadfast in its efforts to ensure safety in health care.
Addressing the representatives at the opening of a three-day training session entitled Application of the Health Safety Index Training for Evaluators, held at the Pan American Health Organisation, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joy St. John said, “The Government of Barbados will remain committed to investing resources to the health and well-beings of all Barbadians and, no doubt, disaster management is a key component in ensuring that Barbadians are protected.”
She told the gathering, “Coping with loss after a disaster is never easy and managing or caring for those who are ill or injured as a result of the hazard can be made more difficult in light of poor facilities and medical.” And so, she asserted, it is with such in mind, that “we are seeking to mitigate the resulting trauma and outfall in the event that there is a disaster or hazard by covering all our bases so to speak”.
Attesting to the fact that the effort is unswerving, she stated further, “The Ministry of Health has the mandate to ensure that its operational units are as best prepared as possible for any emergency that may involve casualties or may impact on the health of individuals and the nation.”
St. John added, “Our tertiary institution, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, plays a critical role in the event of any disaster and so must be prepared to function effectively and efficiently. The hospital must be prepared to deal with the influx of casualties as a result of any disaster.”
