In an effort to strengthen Saint Lucia’s capacity to deliver advanced healthcare, the Biomedical Engineering Unit within the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs recently handed over a suite of essential biomedical equipment to the Millennium Heights Medical Complex (MHMC). The equipment ranging from diagnostic tools to life-saving machines is expected to significantly improve patient outcomes, bolster clinical efficiency, and reduce downtime in critical departments at the hospital.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Jenny Daniel emphasized the critical role of partnerships and receiving their support through donations to ensure people have equitable access to life-saving care. “We always look forward to the partnerships, that we have with JICA, with the HSSP the World Bank Group that facilitate us in this process. Of course biomedical equipment is not a luxury, it looks very expensive, it costs a lot but in terms of hospitals, it’s not a luxury and it’s really an essential necessary component of the delivery of healthcare and providing service to the public. We really entrust it into your care, we look forward to the sustainability of these pieces of equipment ensuring that they are used in a manner that they are meant to be utilized and it of course ensure that there is equitable access for all of our patients, of all Saint Lucians to the very lifesaving, life giving and of course determining diagnosis etc. for our patients.”

Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Heights Medical Complex, Dr. Damien Greaves highlighted that beyond improving technical capacity at the health facility, the donation bridges the gaps in service delivery. “Today’s donation will significantly enhance our capacity not only in terms of service delivery and technical performance but also in how it strengthens moral and confidence of the staff who use these tools on a daily basis. Whether it’s a diagnostic monitor, a patient bed or whatever we have, whatever we get, each item will also serve to reduce gaps, relieve pressure and reaffirm our commitment to excellence in care but perhaps more importantly this gesture reinforces the principle that health equity, access to quality care regardless of where one lives or what one earns, can only be realized through collaboration.”

Hon. Moses Jn Baptiste, Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs urged the Millennium Heights Medical Complex to prioritize the continuous maintenance of the biomedical equipment to ensure they are always functional. “I want to encourage the Millennium Heights Medical Complex to continue to emphasize and to work on maintenance, to work on the improvement of the equipment, to work on the development of protocols, the improvement of protocols which would cause our equipment not to remain idle, and which would cause our equipment to be used.”