BARBADIANS WILL soon be able to benefit directly from the successes of Grammy Award-winning singer Rihanna.
This follows the donation from the Clara Lionel Foundation, named for her grandparents, the late Clara and Lionel Brathwaite, of three pieces of equipment to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) worth more than $3.5 million.
The presentation was made yesterday outside the radiotherapy department, which was renamed The Clara Brathwaite Centre For Oncology And Nuclear Medicine.
Speaking on behalf of the family, the 24-year-old Rihanna said the Clara Lionel Foundation was committed to donating the pieces of equipment. She thanked QEH chief executive officer Dr Dexter James and his staff for facilitating the donation and dedicating the department in her grandmother’s memory.
“This was my way of giving back to Barbados in a form of philanthropy, by assisting the QEH in its continued modernization programme . . . . I believe that this will have a huge impact on the people of Barbados. This was all done to save lives or at least extend it. I thank you all for being a part of it. Thank you. I’m really excited about it,” Rihanna said.