PoSGH staff receive care packages from NGO

Workers at the Port of Spain General Hospital were honoured with 60 gift packages from an international religious organisation on Monday for their work and efforts during the covid19 pandemic.

Speaking with reporters during a distribution ceremony for the packages at the hospital car park, deacon Michael Duncan of the Save the Earth from A to Z We Are One family (ASEZ WAO) group said the initiative was sponsored by some of the group's local members as a token of their appreciation of frontline medical workers.

Duncan said while the packages were relatively small, he was happy to show gratitude to hospital workers who sacrificed their time and health to help others.

"We wanted to say and show you our thanks, and to do this,the members of our church came together and put together some money to make these gift bags of encouragement.

"All the members wanted to share these snacks to show our appreciation for all the great work you have been doing through this public health crisis."

Duncan said each bag contained snacks and a letter written by a member of the church to give words of encouragement to doctors and nurses.

Speaking at the ceremony, director of health for the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) Dr Antony Parkinson said he was heartened by the gesture, and promised the group and the public that medical professionals would continue to do their best despite the challenges of the pandemic.

"We as staff of the NWRHA, particularly those of us at the Port of Spain General Hospital, have withstood the test of time, we have withstood covid19, and we are still here.

"We are here to stand in the space between the public and the covid19, virus and we are still here. We will remain here to fight this disease and all other diseases. This is a hospital that is still here."

Parkinson said while the pandemic was far from over, he was confident in the abilities of the various RHAs to serve the public.

The ASEZ WAO group is an international volunteer group with 7,500 members in 135 countries.