Sun | Dec 10, 2023

King's House staff donate to Bustamante Children's Hospital

Published:Sunday | December 9, 2018 | 12:00 AM
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Governor General Sir Patrick Allen presents a gift to Lafaye Twelwell, whose child is a patient at the Bustamante Hospital for Children. Sharing the moment is senior medical officer at the hospital, Dr Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson.
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Lady Allen (centre) interacts with former patients of the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Jqani Chung (right), who attends Hampton School, and Jahnia Johnson of The Queen’s School, who sat their Grade Six Achievement Test while being hospitalised.
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Governor General Sir Patrick Allen speaks to children in the Learning and Activity Centre at the Bustamante Hospital for Children during a visit to the St Andrew-based facility on December 5. Looking on are the hospital’s chief executive officer, Camille Panton (left); and Senior Medical Officer Dr Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson (second right).
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Governor General Sir Patrick Allen and Lady Allen have donated medical items to the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

The donation, which includes two blood pressure machines, a weighing scale, and a nebuliser, were presented during a visit to the facility on December 5, where Their Excellencies also presented gifts to patients and staff at the hospital.

Sir Patrick explained that the items were obtained through the efforts of the King's House staff.

"We are just the facilitators, but when we see the joy of the parents, patients and the practitioners, we can only thank God for the little effort that we put in," he said.

The governor general, during a stop at the Learning and Activity Centre, told the patients that "It is always a pleasure for us to come and see you little ones," adding that it is even more pleasing to see the children receiving medical treatment while learning continues.

He mentioned two former patients who sat the Grade Six Achievement Test while being hospitalised, with one passing for The Queen's School in St Andrew, and the other for the Hampton School in St Elizabeth.

"We are very proud of their achievement and that they did not allow adversity to interrupt their education," he said.

Senior medical officer at the hospital, Dr Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson, expressed gratitude for the donation, particularly the nebuliser.

She noted that the facility treats several children with asthma and other respiratory conditions "and the more machines we have means that we can provide a more efficient service to our patients.

"We are extremely grateful," she added, while appealing for increased private-sector support.

Dr Richards-Dawson lauded Lady Allen's support for the Learning and Activity Centre, noting that her advocacy "has allowed for the fixing up of this beautiful environment" to ensure that children who are at the hospital for long periods do not fall behind in their studies.

The Bustamante Hospital for Children is the only specialist paediatric facility in the English-speaking Caribbean, catering to the medical needs of children up to 12 years old in Jamaica and the wider region.