The Bridgetown-based American University of Barbados (AUB) School of Medicine has helped to boost the country’s healthcare system by donating 100 state-of-the-art digital stethoscopes.
The advanced medical devices that convert traditional body sound waves into electronic signals were handed over to the Government of Barbados during a ceremony which took place at Parliament Buildings this week.
President of the AUB Meesam Ali Khan, who flew to Barbados to make the presentation, said the generous donation is in keeping with a promise the University made to Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Amor Mottley.
“We are pleased to be able to deliver these digital stethoscopes for the poor and needy. The needy people who are on the outskirts, who are in the countryside. We have seen them being used in India far and wide,” Mr Ali Khan said.
Meanwhile, Barbados’ Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Lisa Cummins, says the donated devices will assist with developing the country’s tele medicine sector.
“Everyone has heard us talking about the need for us to be able to reduce the incidents of illness because of the failure to be able to monitor or to know what your numbers are.
“Therefore, this is an important donation for us. Therefore, frankly, when we have persons in our mobile clinics and our communities, we have persons who are predisposed to certain types of illnesses.
“Through these donated stethoscopes, our medical professionals will be able to monitor them from where they are or to be able to receive information on their vital signs, from where they are, while they are en route to hospital, or en route to another medical facility,” Minister Cummins said.
The Government Minister also announced that students from the AUB are now interning at the country’s lone tertiary healthcare institution, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The private medical school founded in 2011, continues to play a significant role in helping to improve the health and wellness of Barbadians.
This is through the much-talked-about free community medical clinic, which the University operates from its Wildey, St Michael Campus, Monday through to Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The clinic provides free medical consultations and basic health services from Monday through Friday, as part of the institution’s social responsibility outreach.
Services provided are medical consultations and general advice, blood pressure and hypertension screening, diabetes blood sugar screening, nebulization and wound dressing, basic counselling, health certificates and food handling certificates.
“And we are going to expand that clinic also for all the patients,” Mr Ali Khan announced.
The Barbados Accreditation Council has registered the AUB as a tertiary provider of education.
The Educational Commission also recognizes the University for Foreign Medical Graduates. The recognition grants students the right to take the United States Medical Licensing Examination to become a practising physician in the United States.
The AUB has honoured scores of students with medical degrees, including 70 this year, marking a significant milestone in their academic and professional journeys. (PR)
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