BHTA donates $40, 000 worth of supplies to QEH and Harrison’s Point Loop Barbados

Black Immigrant Daily News

The Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA) has made an additional donation to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility as part of its Charitable Assistance Programme.

Over the past two years, the BHTA has made similar presentations to the two institutions as well as the Paragon Facility to assist with the fight against COVID-19, and also provided support to Government’s Adopt Our Families Fund, other charitable agencies and tourism industry employees, among others.

Chairman Ren?e Coppin explained that this recent presentation, valued at over $40 000, included items such as bed sheets, blankets and bath and face towels.

“This presentation today is a continuation not only of the Association’s programme, but also that of our members who have donated similar items, as well as care packages, food supplies, cleaning products, furniture, serving utensils, table cloths and catering supplies, among other items, to these institutions,” she stated.

The BHTA chair noted that it has been a challenging two years for frontline workers, especially medical practitioners and expressed her immense gratitude for their valuable contribution.

“This has been a really challenging period for all of us, not least of all the medical professionals who have had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic on the front lines. It was a period which caused severe distress to our industry as well and we at the BHTA take this opportunity to express our gratitude for the hard work as well as the support we received from the medical fraternity during the past two years.

“It is certainly our pleasure to make this donation as many of our guests, our staff and family members also utilised the facilities at Harrison’s Point during the pandemic and we are very grateful for all of your dedication and efforts in keeping us all safe during that time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Accepting the donation, QEH Executive Director of Clinical, Quality and Diagnostic Services and Head of the Isolation Facilities, Dr Corey Forde thanked the BHTA and stated, “This donation is testimony to the sort of cooperation that this country has continued to have during this pandemic, where many entities external to the health sector contributed towards the health, protection and medical care of patients of these facilities.

“I am thankful to accept this donation on behalf of the QEH Board and management. It is not only what we see here today but a continuation of the relationship that has been fostered previously and continues forward and is the sort of cooperation that is required, where different sectors can stand together and work together towards the betterment of every single Barbadian.”

QEH Board of Management Director and Chairman of the Finance Sub-Committee, Dave Hinds, also thanked the BHTA for the donation, noting “It is phenomenal in a time like this that the BHTA would step up and make a very meaningful contribution from many points of view. There are so many things we need in the hospital but we always need laundry, we always need linen as these always need to be refreshed.

“It is also remarkable that in an environment where the tourism industry was perhaps hardest hit by COVID-19 that the BHTA would step up to the plate. It shows a level of commitment and what is needed to build a community – everybody working together and giving either from their plenty or their little.”

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