Over the weekend, a pediatric cardiology clinic was organized by the World Pediatric Project (WPP) at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre (SLBMC) where around eighty children received specialized care.

Since 2011, the Ministry of Health and SLBMC have collaborated with WPP to arrange this clinic.

This year, the clinic treated 80 patients between the ages of 1 week to 14 years, all of whom received ECHO services.

Previously, patients had to travel to St. Vincent for follow-up care and ECHOs. Out of the 80 patients who received specialized care this year, 33 were new patients, 20 had undergone previous surgeries (14 of which were carried out by WPP), and six have been added to a list for surgeries that are performed at hospitals located abroad.

One patient had surgery in Colombia this year, while two had their surgeries performed in the United States. From the current list of patients, the most commonly repaired congenital heart disease is Tetralogy of Fallot, according to WPP.

The SLBMC has hosted WPP-sponsored pediatric cardiology clinics every year since 2019, except for 2021 when the clinic was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.