Rotarians Donate Neo-Natal Equipment and Supplies to St. Ann Bay Hospital

The St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital has benefitted from a $7.5 million donation of neo-natal critical care equipment and supplies, which will enhance care for mothers and newborns at the facility.

The items include an incubator; state-of-the-art maternal foetal monitor; Bilisoft LED photo therapy system; temperature probe; three neonatal flow centres; and heart rate and oxygen monitors.

They were donated by the Rotary Clubs of Ocho Rios and Pinehurst in North Carolina, United States, in collaboration with the Grand Bahia Principe Hotel, the Sandals Group, and Food for the Poor.

Director of International Projects, Pinehurst Club, Douglas Moore, who handed over the equipment, explained that the funds raised by his club were matched by grants from the Rotary District as well as Rotary International.

He thanked the Rotary Club of Ocho Rios, through the leadership of counterpart director, Livingston Green, for collaborating on the project, which raised funds from the raffling of two two-week vacations from the Grand Bahia Principe and the Sandals Resorts hotels. He also thanked Food for the Poor for underwriting the cost of shipment of the equipment and supplies from the United States to Jamaica.

North-East Regional Health Authority (NERHA), board chairman Leon Gordon, who accepted the items on behalf of the hospital, commended the Rotarians’ commitment to the hospital, noting Mr. Moore’s involvement for more than eight years.

Paediatric Consultant at the hospital, Dr. Anna Marie Woodham-Auden said that the state-of-the-art equipment and supplies will greatly improve the delivery of care and treatment to mothers and babies.

“With the equipment being donated today, we will be able to do so much more. We will have a state-of-the-art foetal monitor to monitor the mothers and babies during labour and delivery. After the babies are born, we will have heart rate and oxygen monitors to monitor their stability,” Dr. Woodham-Auden said.

She also cited that other equipment, specific to the treatment of premature babies with respiratory difficulties, jaundice and heart ailments.

Plaques of appreciation were presented by Mr. Moore to General Manager of Grand Bahia Principe, Ricardo Esteban; and Lindsay Isaacs of the Sandals Group.

St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital provides services to a population of approximately 365,000 persons and is the regional referral hospital for the north eastern parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland.

The medical equipment donated will go towards the setting up of a High Dependency Unit at the institution for paediatric and obstetric care.