A medical team from the Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taiwan has donated five Hemoglobin A1C (HA1C) machines worth over EC$100,000.00 to the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment.
The team which is here to commence a pilot project geared at preventing and controlling Diabetes made the donation last Friday 11th January 2019. The machines are used to analyze hemoglobin/glucose levels and will be placed at five different pilot health centers in the country.
Director of International Medical Service Centre, Dr. Yung-Wei Hsu in his remarks said, “we all face challenges such as climate change, Non-Communicable Diseases NCDs and Diabetes is one issue.” The International Medical Service Centre Director added that the HA1C machine is a vital tool for diabetic care and management and that the donation serves as a token of their love for this country.
Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Hon. Luke Browne, thanked the team for its kind gesture. Minister Browne revealed that a Vincentian team was trained at the Mackay Memorial Hospital for the provision of medical support to this project. He also noted that HA1C is a “critical piece of equipment” for Hemoglobin analysis; since current readings from the machine can analyze glucose levels three months prior to test. Minister Browne lauded the healthcare professionals noting that “they’ve selected the best of the best”.
The team in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment will host a workshop showcasing the pieces of equipment and other aspects of Diabetic management at the Methodist Church Hall from today Monday 14th – 17th January 2019.