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Second healthcare team joins Bahamas relief efforts
A second team of healthcare professionals was deployed to the Bahamas on Friday, 4 October as the first team returned on the same day after providing two weeks of relief support to the country’s healthcare workers in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.
The team members include Dr. Gilbertha Alexander, Dr. Obinna Eleweanya, Dr. Eryka Simmons, Dr. Peter Soltau and Nurse Muhammad Abdullahi of the Health Services Authority (HSA) and Nurse Shanna Grant of CTMH Doctors Hospital. The group will continue the work of their returning colleagues by offering clinics and medical care in Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, providing respite time to healthcare staff in the Bahamas to allow them to care for themselves and their families.
“On behalf of CTMH Doctors Hospital, our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected by Hurricane Dorian,” said Head Nurse at the CTMH Doctors Hospital Jennifer Williams. “We are humbled to be able to have one of our registered nurses, Ms Shanna Gay Grant, be a part of the second team to provide relief. This is certainly a time of need for our fellow Caribbean neighbors and we are happy to help in any way we can. It has been a pleasure working with Ms Lizzette Yearwood and her team to pull this together on a tight timeline. We at CTMH Doctors Hospital are wishing Team 2 a successful, safe and rewarding experience.”
The returning team was welcomed back by colleagues and officials from the Ministry of Health. Reflecting on his experience providing medical care to the people in Bahamas, HSA Critical Care Nurse Riley Ondoy said, “It’s been a wonderful experience and we received as much as we gave. The people were friendly and very accommodating from the first day and we tried to return their kindness by providing the wholehearted service that they deserve during this tumultuous time.”
“During their time in the Bahamas our staff worked diligently and compassionately with their patients and united efforts with various international organizations that were also there to assist, such as the US Coast Guard and Heart to Heart International,” said HSA Chief Executive Officer Lizzette Yearwood. “I am very proud of the initiative they have shown and I am grateful for their safe return home.”
“It was wonderful hearing from our returning team of healthcare practitioners about their humbling experiences whilst delivering medical care in the Bahamas,” said Hon Dwayne Seymour, Minister of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing. “I am extremely encouraged to know that despite the size of our islands compared to those around us, we positively impacted the lives of the people in the Bahamas including the healthcare staff, patients and other volunteers.”
