ON February 17, 2018, the Caribbean Canada Heart Health Education organization, in collaboration with the International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences, hosted its 3rd gala dinner in Winnipeg, Canada, in honour of Dr. Charles Greenidge from Saint Lucia’s Bay Medical Centre.
About 300 community members were in attendance as the local Caribbean community reached out to assist the Caribbean countries in heart health education and practice.
In his keynote address, Dr. Greenidge spoke about the gap in health care standards between the first and the developing worlds.
He mentioned that there are three main supports of the bridge across this gap which is education, collaboration and innovation.
Education involves activities such as continuing education conferences, lectures and workshops that transfer hands- on skills.
He explained that Caribbean people are really friendly and this allows them to form very meaningful bonds with persons from the first world who, over the years, have been tremendously supportive in providing both training and equipment allowing us to provide a high level of medical care despite our lack of financial resources.
He concluded that “necessity is the mother of invention” and Caribbean people have found innovative ways to achieve good results at a lower cost.
Surgery continues to be a challenge in the Caribbean, but as a resourceful people they continue to look for ways to improve the level of care offered to patients.
Dr. Greenidge is a General Surgeon. He completed his MD degree at the University of the West Indies and his surgical training initially at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados and later in Glasgow, Scotland.
He trained in General Surgery with specialization in arterial and venous disease, endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery.
The local doctor is the current secretary of the Caribbean College of Surgeons.
He has worked as a consultant surgeon at Victoria Hospital in St. Lucia 1996-2002, then Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2002-2004 and returned to Victoria Hospital 2004-2012.
From 2013 he has been practicing at Tapion Hospital, St Lucia.
He was an associate lecturer at the University of the West Indies from 2002-2004 and has been a volunteer at St. Jude Hospital, St Lucia since 2015.
His current practice includes a wide range of areas including abdominal surgery, peripheral vascular disease, breast, endoscopy and laparoscopic surgery.