Fri | May 10, 2024

Air Supply for the children

Published:Sunday | March 19, 2017 | 1:52 PMCarl Gilchrist
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Paul Issa speaking at Wednesday’s press conference, held at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, St Ann, about the June 24 charity concert for the institution being put on by the Issa Trust Foundation.
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Air Supply performs at Children for Charity, held at the National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston, in 2008.
Contributed
Contributed
Ian Allen
Tessanne Chin and DJ Bambino.
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Multi-platinum selling Australian duo Air Supply returns to Jamaica on June 24 for a concert being staged by the Issa Trust Foundation at Couples Sans Souci Resort, Ocho Rios. Their hits include Lost in Love, All Out of Love, Every Woman in the World, Chances, Here I Am, Sweet Dreams and The One that You Love.

Tessanne Chin will open for Air Supply and DJ Bambino will play music. Tickets are $10,000 for general admission and $20,000 for VIP. All proceeds will go towards the St Ann's Bay Hospital's paediatric ward.

"We want the hospital to offer the best possible health care," said Paul Issa, chairman of the Issa Trust Foundation, at a press conference in the hospital's conference room on Wednesday. "It's a worthy cause and a cause that we're committed to," he added.

Hopefully, the concert's result will be 28 new beds in the paediatric ward and four in the isolated area, each fully equipped with air, oxygen, suction, patient monitor, nebuliser and infusion pump. Also, bedside lighting, bedside chairs and fans will be provided for the young patients.

WARD TO BE REFURNISHED

The paediatric ward will be repainted with beautiful colours, lighting will be upgraded and two wall-mounted television sets and DVD players will be installed.

The hospital's gratitude was tremendous. Board Chairman Michael Belnavis said what the Issa Trust Foundation has done for the region over the last decade has been "quite remarkable". Last year, Issa Trust donated pharmaceuticals valued at several million US dollars to the hospital, and, already this year, it has donated over US$1 million worth of equipment and pharmaceuticals.

"It (the paediatric ward) is truly one of the best aspects of the St Ann's Bay health system," Belnavis argued.

Dr Patrick Wheatle, regional technical director (North East Regional Health Authority); Dr Nicole Dawkins, senior medical officer; and Leo Garel, hospital CEO, also spoke glowingly of the foundation's contribution.

Among the event's many sponsors are WATA, JN Bank, Couples Resorts, Caribbean Airlines, CPJ, Rainforest Seafoods, Dolphin Cove, Cool Corp, Fraser Fontaine and Kong, and Select Brand.