Barbados Today

The United States Embassy has donated 34 chairs to the Accident & Emergency Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

On hand to make the donation were Holly Peirce and Nurse Mary Thompson of the embassy, while head of A&E, Dr. Chaynie Williams accepted the donation.

Williams expressed thanks to the embassy, saying: “I would like to thank the US Embassy for the timely donation. Donations like these increase the morale of the staff and create a customer friendly environment for visitors to the department. It will also help to increase the level of patient satisfaction at the QEH. The chairs will be put into immediate use!”

Peirce, speaking on behalf of the embassy, said she was pleased to be able to continue the US support for the hospital.

In October 2012, dozens of American sailors from the US Navy’s newest warship, the USS Michael Murphy, accompanied Ambassador Larry Palmer, visited the Paediatric Ward C7 at the hospital to meet with the children and their parents.

While there, the sailors gave the children “Hugs” — stuffed animals that were donated by American citizens.

Starting in August 2012, medical students and doctors from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital have participated in a series of Embassy-organised distance seminars on medical issues. Through interactive virtual lectures, QEH’s medical professionals have been able to interact with world renowned American doctors.

Seminars have included neurological emergencies, conducted by Dr. S. Ausim Azizi, chair of neurology at Temple University Hospital, and paediatric congenital diaphragmatic hernia by Dr. Douglas Katz from Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.

This week there was a third virtual lecture on sleep apnea with experts from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital Sleep Disorders Centre.