Trinidad and Tobago women’s health doctor Dr Adesh Sirjusingh is one of three recipients of the 2023 Anthony N. Sabga Awards, Caribbean Excellence, which celebrates individuals for their contribution to public and civic life.
The other recipients are Joanne Hillhouse, of Antigua and Barbuda, and Guyana’s Dr Mahendra Persaud.
The ANSA McAL Foundation announced the 2023 Laureates yesterday, each of whom will receive TT$500,000 at a ceremony later this year for exceptional work in their field of endeavour.
In an immediate reaction to the announcement, Sirjusingh said he was “truly humbled at receiving this award and I thank the country’s committee and the (ANSA McAL) foundation for this honour.”
“This award validates the work of the excellent teams of professionals in the healthcare sector in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the possibilities that abound in our Caribbean diaspora,” Sirjusingh told Guardian Media.
“It gives me the impetus, whilst I still have the ability to do so, to continue the work that I have started. “Congratulations as well to the other awardees and I look forward to serving our region and assisting in improving the lives of our women and children and their families.”
Sirjusingh is a highly accomplished obstetrician and gynaecologist who has delivered thousands of babies in T&T and the UK.
As an administrator, he is noted for the originality of his achievements, particularly in the sphere of public healthcare system management. A major regional accomplishment has been his contribution as the T&T lead on the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Ministry of Health initiative to implement the PAHO Perinatal Information System (SIP), which has been successfully adapted to local needs and is currently in use.
One of his greatest achievements so far has been the complete overhaul of the women’s obstetric and reproductive health system in the public and private sectors. He is currently the Director of Women’s Health at the Ministry of Health.
Hillhouse is one of Antigua and Barbuda’s foremost contemporary writers. Although based in the region, her work has not gone unnoticed internationally. She has so far published seven books; an adult contemporary novel ; a teen/young adult novel and three children’s picture books.
Persaud is a leading figure in the region’s food security because of his ground-breaking work in rice production. He has developed several high-yield, disease-resistant strains of rice that emerge excellently under flooded conditions, with superior grain qualities that are well suited to global markets. He is also leading the development of new varieties and is now at the forefront of efforts toward regional food security.
There were 12 nominees for the awards, which has been in existence since 2005 and has named, inclusive of the current inductees, 57 Laureates from throughout the region.
The Laureates were chosen from amongst candidates in Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and T&T.
The 2023 ceremony will be staged in June at a date and location to be announced.