By: Lindsay Thompson/BIS

Friends of the Public Hospitals Authority Foundation of Washington D.C. donated $10,000 to the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre earmarked for the comprehensive refurbishment project of the SRC Adolescent Library.

The presentation was made during a press conference at the SRC Administration Conference Room, Fox Hill Road on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

In attendance were representatives of the PHA Board, Chair of the Friends of the PHA Foundation (Washington DC); Board Members, Friends of PHA Foundation, and officials of SRC.

The partnership highlighted the power of the Diaspora and international friends coming together to support what is considered the most vulnerable in their care.
And, the donation presented a major partnership milestone, and served as a meaningful “first gift of healing” from the Friends of the PHA to the Bahamas’ public health care system.

Chair of Friends of the PHA Bahamas, Dr. Philippa Belton, underscored the importance of learning and personal growth for adolescent patients, adding that access to educational resources plays a key role in recovery and long-term wellbeing.

PHA Chairman Andrew Edwards urged more corporate partners to step forward in meeting the growing demand for mental health services both locally and internationally.

The library room located in the Child Adolescent Unit at the SRC is part of the in-patient programme servicing the psychiatric needs of children and adolescents up to 18-years- old.

The reading age of the unit ranges from primary school to high, with the majority of patients in the middle school range. Reading is being viewed as a “budding protective factor” as a key component to the in-patient programme.

The library is being set up with the assistance from the National Library Association, which is offering guidance on appropriate seating furniture, and the types of books to outfit the library.

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