PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP - CHORES IN ACTION IN GRENADA

UNCLAS GRENADA 000058 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI PREL EAID GJ SUBJECT: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP - CHORES IN ACTION IN GRENADA ¶1. Ambassador Ourisman spent several hours in St. George's on April 14 meeting with American volunteer health workers with the Children's Health Organization for Relief and Educational Services (CHORES) program at the General Hospital. The Ambassador thanked Dr. Beverly Nelson for having the vision to reach out to CHORES and the group for the tremendous work they are doing. The program is an excellent example how a public-private partnership has resulted in excellent health care for some of Grenada's neediest children. She visited the children's and preemies' wards and spoke with a number of the mothers and children waiting for their appointments. The Ambassador's visit was well covered by local television, radio, and print press. The Government of Grenada was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health. ¶2. CHORES volunteers have been coming to Grenada twice a year since 1989. Several members of the current group have come every year since the beginning, lending a much needed continuity in care for those children they examine and track. The focus was originally on cardio care, but now includes orthopedics, prosthetics, speech therapy, and physiotherapy. A local organization, CHORES Support Group Grenada, was founded by Dr. Nelson several years ago to raise funds to support the volunteers and to keep tabs on the children treated in between visits. The group starts the week in St. George's and then fans out to hospitals and clinics scattered around Grenada's two larger islands, Grenada and Carriacou. ¶3. Press coverage was excellent for the Ambassador's visit. She made a brief statement to the press describing the CHORES program and introducing the group to the Grenadian public. The media took advantage of the opportunity to continue the conversation with the CHORES volunteers, resulting in two days of positive press for the U.S. on radio and television. We expect the local print weeklies, which are published towards the end of each week, will also include coverage. ¶4. Embassy Grenada will host a reception for the volunteers and local health care workers on Friday, April 18, their final work day. ¶5. Ambassador Ourisman cleared this cable. MCISAAC