Nassau, Bahamas – The United States Government has pledged $750,000 to help health facilities in The Bahamas detect, isolate, and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Bahamas Red Cross Society, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will administer the funds.
The donation empowers the Bahamas Red Cross to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical supplies for the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA). The Bahamas Red Cross will also use the money to provide hand-washing stations to select shelters and schools on New Providence, and mental health and psychosocial support to community members and healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the pandemic.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John McNamara celebrated the donation as another powerful example of the U.S.-Bahamian partnership to combat the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the social and economic impacts of the pandemic: “These $750,000 dollars will complement the Government of The Bahamas’ own robust efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, and to provide longer-term support to those affected by this terrible virus.”
On behalf of the Ministry of Health, PHA Director Mary E. Lightbourne-Walker thanked the government of the United States for its generous donation: “The donations for the health sector will assist the laboratory, EMS, and laundry services of the Princess Margaret Hospital, the primary clinical facility in the country. The laboratory equipment will directly speed up the turnaround time for the testing of COVID-19 specimens.”
The IFRC and Bahamas Red Cross Society have already begun using the $750,000, which will continue to provide services and supplies to the Bahamian people through August 2021.
