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Home to the largest pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in the Rio Grande Valley, South Texas Health System Children’s is honored to have Narendra Singh, MD, leading the facility’s team of highly trained pediatric intensivists. Dr. Singh and his team work tirelessly to provide round-the-clock intensive care to the Valley’s critically ill and injured children.

From diagnosing and treating children who have unstable, life-threatening conditions to performing complex life-sustaining procedures, Dr. Singh’s team plays a crucial role in providing the highest level of care to critically ill infants and children locally and on a global scale.

But Dr. Singh’s commitment to improving the health of children extends beyond the Rio Grande Valley. In 2009, he founded Guyana Help the Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to decreasing neonatal and infant mortality rates in his native Guyana through comprehensive education and the provision of specialized equipment.

“The program was born out of a desire to make a difference in the lives of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society,” says Dr. Singh, who has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts as well as a handbook in pediatric critical care during his 40-plus years in medicine. “Developing this program was never about accolades. To see it save the lives of hundreds of babies in the country of my birth is profoundly meaningful.”

In recognition of his dedication to pediatric health globally, the University of Guyana has awarded Dr. Singh an honorary doctoral degree for Excellence in Medicine alongside 10 other Guyanese exemplars in science, business, the arts and education. The distinguished honorees, who join only 21 other honorary doctorates in the university’s 61-year history, received their awards during this month’s convocation exercises.

“I am grateful for the support and dedication of everyone who has worked alongside me,” says Dr. Singh, whose team has provided quality, compassionate care to hundreds of critically ill and injured patients in the STHS Children’s pediatric intensive care unit since May. “This honor belongs as much to them whose strength and resilience inspire me every day.”

In addition to serving the healthcare needs of children and families of the Rio Grande Valley, improving pediatric health in his home country is a cause that Dr. Singh fully embraces. Along with the important work done through his charity, he currently serves as the program director for the Pediatric Post Graduate Program at the University of Guyana and serves as a strategic advisor to the Minister of Health in Guyana.

“Congratulations to Dr. Singh, an esteemed pediatric care specialist respected by healthcare professionals and parents across the Valley, for this well-deserved honor,” says Lance Ames, Chief Executive Officer, STHS Children’s and STHS Edinburg. “STHS Children’s and the Rio Grande Valley are blessed to have such an enthusiastic children’s health warrior fighting for our kids to help ensure they receive safe and effective care in their time of need.”

Since opening its doors in March 2006 as the first-ever dedicated children’s hospital in the Rio Grande Valley, STHS Children’s has provided quality, compassionate care to more than 300,000 children from across the region, allowing parents to receive much-needed close-to-home pediatric healthcare services for their children, including trauma and critical care in the largest pediatric emergency department and pediatric intensive care unit in the four-county region.