Hello Friends 👋

In this episode, Mbozu and Shelly-Ann are joined by Dr. Clyde Cave and Dr. Gillian Birchwood. The conversation explores the neonatal care in Barbados, focusing on the challenges faced and the incremental changes made to improve the care provided. Dr. Cave and Dr. Birchwood provides an overview of the NICU in Barbados, the early years of the NICU, human resource development, financial challenges and fundraising, dealing with pushbacks, and internal pushback and changing practices. The conversation highlights the importance of advocating for neonatal care and the need for continuous improvement in the face of limited resources.

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Bios

Dr. Clyde T. Cave is a highly accomplished paediatrician and neonatologist with a wealth of experience and expertise. He graduated from the University of the West Indies (UWI) in 1980 and completed his residency in Paediatrics at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Dr. Cave further specialized in Adolescent Medicine at  The Hospital for Sick Children,Toronto and specialized in Neonatology at Women's College Hospital,  Toronto. 

With a career spanning over three decades, Dr. Cave  served as a Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) from 1990 to 2022. Currently, he practices as a Paediatrician at Palm Court in Belleville, St. Michael, Barbados, and holds the position of Honorary Consultant in the Department of Paediatrics at QEH. Dr. Cave’s commitment to education is evident through his role as a Senior Associate Lecturer in Child Health at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados. He also serves as the Chair of the Clinical Governance Committee at BayView Hospital, Barbados, and as the Barbados Programme Director at the Shaw Centre for Paediatric Excellence. In addition to his local contributions, Dr. Cave is a Consultant for the Eastern Caribbean Neonatal Network under the World Pediatric Project.

Dr. Gillian Birchwood is a Pediatrician and Neonatologist and currently serves as  Consultant Neonatologist,  and head of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Barbados. Dr. Birchwood also serves as faculty at the University of the West Indies and is involved with supervising research projects and training medical students and pediatric residents. Dr. Birchwood has also worked to promote newborn care across the Caribbean region in her role with the Pan American Health Organization.

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Contact:

Dr. Clyde Cave : clyde.cave@gmail.com

Dr. Gillian Birchwood: gbirchwood@yahoo.com