The opening of the Barbados Living Laboratory, a strictly research-focused lab, shows that Government continues to prioritise the health of its citizens, says Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.
The lab was officially opened by Prime Minister Mottley and Minister of Health and Wellness, Senator Dr. The Most Honourable Jerome Walcott, on the grounds of the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory, Enmore Complex, Martindales Road, St. Michael, yesterday.
Ms. Mottley said Barbados had a history of treating medicine and medical care as critical components of the work done on the island, adding that medical services, medical research, medical tourism, and the manufacturing of medical devices were some of Government’s priorities.
She said it was important to send the message to children and schools that they need to continue pursuing studies in the sciences.
“The Government is about to invest in a major programme for the training of our Maths teachers, along with partners internationally. This is a problem not just for Barbados but the Caribbean region. Secondly, be curious. We have too much flora and fauna…. There must be something about Cerasee bush or Horehound bush….
“We have to be able to command our scientists to do the serious research that helped our forebears survive on those different plants like Cerasee bush and how they used them. It should not be our lot to only buy back pretty medicine in a box. We have AI as a tool that can help break down much more effectively and quicker, the constituent elements of the particular plants to see how best this region…can benefit,” Ms. Mottley said.
Senator Jerome Walcott said the opening of the Barbados Living Laboratory signalled Barbados’ journey into precision medicine.
“It is expected that the Barbados Living Lab will link patients to physicians to researchers and academia with industries. In our case, pharmacogenomics and biotechnology being all linked. I am told that this lab will conduct genomic sequencing and various molecular studies related to cancer, chronic diseases, rare diseases, and HLA typing, not only for transplant surgery but to diagnose certain conditions,” he explained.