THE COMMUNITY of Carrington’s Village, St Michael, will soon have a clinic, thanks to hometown boy Dr Kurt Lambert.
The 43-year-old Lambert, who has studied and worked in places including Europe, the United States and Africa, said he funded the clinic simply because this area had been his home.
“This is where I grew up,” he said. “Some of the neighbours I knew 20 years ago are still here. I thought it would be useful as Government can only do so much.”
Lambert said there were two main objectives for the clinic: to provide quality, affordable health care and to educate the public.
“Prevention is better than cure and I believe prevention is best handled by educated people,” he said.
Lambert was speaking at the official opening of the clinic yesterday in Chadderton Road to an audience made up of family, friends and members of the community.
He said the clinic, which was built on family land, was all about the people in the Carrington’s Village community so would prioritize them but would also serve the wider public as long as it had the capacity.
“This clinic is not about me; it is about you and this community. What I’ve done is provide the funds for the building, given an overall strategy and established standards – and I will continue to fund this clinic – but its ultimate success depends on the community,” he said.
The clinic will be operated by Dr Dionne Johnson and will employ a receptionist and additional staff to be decided at a later date.
Despite the opening ceremony, only the downstairs section is finished but Lambert said the clinic should be completed by August. It has two examination rooms, a reception area and bathroom facilities.
Parliamentary representative for the area, Richard Sealy, and Opposition member Dale Marshall attended the function.
Sealy said: “I hope this venture can be held as a beacon, something that can be replicated throughout the length and breadth of Barbados because the reality is we all know the cost of health care.”
Marshall also spoke on the high cost of health care and praised Lambert for giving back to the community. He said many people who had left Barbados and achieved success never looked back.
