TORONTO, March 13, 2017 /CNW/ - On Thursday, March 9^th in London, Ontario, Humber River Hospital's Chief of Staff, Dr. Narendra Singh, was one of the remarkable Canadians recognized for their excellence, courage or exceptional dedication to service by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada.

Dr. Singh was awarded the Meritorious Service Decoration (Civil Division). The Citation for Dr. Singh reads as follows:

Narendra Chetram Singh, M.S.M.

Toronto, Ontario

Meritorious Service Medal (Civil Division)

Toronto-based pediatrician Narendra Chetram Singh founded Guyana Help the Kids [www.guyanahelpthekids.com] in 2009 to address neonatal and infant mortality rates in his country of birth. He raised funds to procure essential equipment, then went on to establish a residency program in collaboration with Canadian universities to train Guyanese pediatricians and nurses. Thanks to his efforts, the infant mortality rate in Guyana's largest hospital has decreased by nearly 40 per cent.

Hospital President & CEO Barb Collins congratulated Dr. Singh, noting "we are all proud of the amazing work Dr. Singh, and many of his colleagues at Humber, do, not just in our hospital every day but beyond into the local and global communities. In Dr. Singh's case, his leadership has seen the neonatal and infant mortality in his birth country of Guyana drop dramatically, saving the lives of hundreds of babies every year."

Dr. Singh thanked his partners in Guyana Help the Kids, saying "I'm honoured to share this with them: this is a true team effort from people determined to make a difference for these kids. I also want to thank my colleagues at Humber River Hospital for their support and encouragement at every step."

From time to time, the Governor General presents honours on behalf of all Canadians in communities across the country to help share inspiring stories, celebrate tremendous contributions to our society and connect with Canadians. From community volunteers to astronauts, from actors to members of the military, from scholars to everyday citizens, hundreds of Canadians earn our applause and gratitude.

More information about these honours is available online at www.gg.ca/honours.

About Humber River Hospital 
Humber River Hospital is one of Canada's largest acute care hospitals, serving a catchment area of more than 850,000 people in the northwest Greater Toronto Area. North America's first fully digital hospital, it is located at Keele Street and Highway 401 in northwest Toronto.

With a capacity of 656 acute inpatient beds, including 48 critical care beds, the hospital has 3,400 staff, approximately 700 physicians with privileges, and over 600 volunteers. The hospital has formal affiliations with the University of Toronto and Queen's University Medical Schools.

A number of Humber River's programs and services have been, and remain, recognized provincially, nationally and internationally. Learn more about Humber River Hospital online at www.hrh.ca or follow us on Twitter at @HRHospital.

For further information: Gerard Power, Director, Public & Corporate Communications, Humber River Hospital, 416-242-1000 ext. 81607, gpower@hrh.ca