Fri | Nov 22, 2024

Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew gives back to Ferry through health fair

Published:Wednesday | November 13, 2024 | 12:07 AMKeisha Hill/Senior Gleaner Writer
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Doctors and nurses assessing patients at the inaugural staging of the Fesco Health Fair, held at the Coore’s Fesco Service Station in St Andrew from November 4-6.
Contributed Photos
Doctors and nurses assessing patients at the inaugural staging of the Fesco Health Fair, held at the Coore’s Fesco Service Station in St Andrew from November 4-6.
A patient being assisted by one of the volunteers at the recently held Fesco Health Fair.
A patient being assisted by one of the volunteers at the recently held Fesco Health Fair.
Some of the children and their parents that participated in the inaugural staging of the Fesco Health Fair, held at the Coore’s Fesco Service Station in St Andrew from November 4-6.
Some of the children and their parents that participated in the inaugural staging of the Fesco Health Fair, held at the Coore’s Fesco Service Station in St Andrew from November 4-6.
From left: Medical student Delmar Squire, Nurse Cynthia Campbell, Nurse Fredrecker Adams, and dental hygienist Olayinka Opesanmi.
From left: Medical student Delmar Squire, Nurse Cynthia Campbell, Nurse Fredrecker Adams, and dental hygienist Olayinka Opesanmi.
Lieutenant Governor for Division 23 Central, Sharon Usim (left), and President Claudine Heaven of Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew.
Lieutenant Governor for Division 23 Central, Sharon Usim (left), and President Claudine Heaven of Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew.
From left: Christopher Coore of Coore’s FESCO; past district trustee, Kiwanis International, Ralston Nunes; Chairman of FESCO  Lyden ‘Trevor’ Heaven; LG Sharon Usim, Eastern Canada & the Caribbean district governor; Pamela Rodney-White; Claudine Hea
From left: Christopher Coore of Coore’s FESCO; past district trustee, Kiwanis International, Ralston Nunes; Chairman of FESCO  Lyden ‘Trevor’ Heaven; LG Sharon Usim, Eastern Canada & the Caribbean district governor; Pamela Rodney-White; Claudine Heaven, president, Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew; Hugh Coore, owner, Coore’s FESCO; and Stefan Ebanks, FESCO head of business development.
From left: Christopher Coore of Coore’s FESCO); Ayoola Opesanmi, dental hygienist; Hugh Coore, owner, Coore’s FESCO; Claudine Heaven, president, Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew; Stefan Ebanks, FESCO head of business development; and Nurse Shadea Lawson.
From left: Christopher Coore of Coore’s FESCO); Ayoola Opesanmi, dental hygienist; Hugh Coore, owner, Coore’s FESCO; Claudine Heaven, president, Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew; Stefan Ebanks, FESCO head of business development; and Nurse Shadea Lawson.
Dr Andrea Bonnick, United States-certified oral and maxillo-facial surgeon.
Dr Andrea Bonnick, United States-certified oral and maxillo-facial surgeon.
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OVER 3,000 people in Ferry Heights and adjoining communities, including areas of Portmore and Spanish Town, St Catherine, benefited from a comprehensive, three-day health fair – on November 4, 5, and 6 – held at Coore’s Fesco Service Station in St Andrew.

The event, organised by the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew; Dr Andrea Bonnick, United States-certified oral and maxillo-facial surgeon and her Health Mission’s team; and the operators of Coore’s Fesco Service Station, was in the pipeline for a number of years. However, with the growing demand for healthcare services that are not affordable to the families in these areas, the organisers ensured that the event was held this year.

“The Coores operate their business in the community, and on several occasions, people reach out to them for support. They decided to give back to the community in a fulsome way, and reached out to the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew for support in organising the event,” said Claudine Heaven, president of the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew.

“The feedback from the community was overwhelming. The doctors and nurses were able to assess the patients and they were given prescriptions that were filled at the health fair as well. Our partners QualCare and R. A. Williams Distributors supplied the medications that were filled during the health fair,” Heaven added.

Dr Bonnick’s team, with additional support from health officials and students at The University of the West Indies, Mona School of Dentistry, under the tutelage of Dr Thaon Jones, head of school and undergraduate programme coordinator, and a team from the St Catherine Health Department, also volunteered their support to the initiative.

The participants in the health fair received free medical and dental support that included blood pressure and blood sugar tests. Many children completed their medical reports for school. The Ministry of Health’s HIV/STI team offered counselling and testing to all adults that participated in the fair, and provided several sessions on sex education over the three-day period.

“There were persons waiting in line from as early as 4:30 a.m., to ensure that they were seen by the doctors, and also participate in the many initiatives and tests that were available to them. Most of the attendees were grateful, because they were seen on the day by the health officials, as opposed to the long waiting periods at the hospitals. It was also some people’s first time seeing a dentist, and this number included senior citizens,” Heaven said.

Dr Bonnick, who has led several medical missions all over the world, said the overall goal was to provide comprehensive, sustainable healthcare for the people in these communities.

“The event finally came together in 2024, and we were able to get good people involved in the process. Getting the right kind of support can be challenging, but with the support of the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew, the medical teams, and volunteer organisations and other support personnel, our efforts really matched the outcome. We did not expect anything less,” Dr Bonnick said.

Her team was comprised of over 12 volunteers, including her three daughters who were attending the mission for the first time. “Over 100 people came on the day that Tropical Storm Raphael came to Jamaica. We saw many children on that day. Overall, we are always willing to provide support, and we are very proud of what we accomplished on this mission,” she said.

Hugh Coore, vice-chairman of Future Energy Services Company (FESCO) and operator of Coore’s Fesco Service Station, said his team made a valuable contribution towards the project after seeing the need for these services in the surrounding communities.

“As a business owner in a community that is socially and economically disadvantaged, we saw the need for accessible healthcare assistance. We subsequently connected with Dr Bonnick and her team, who committed to leading a mission to Jamaica. There is much more to be done, because even after the event ended over the three days, people turned up thinking that they could still see a doctor. We will definitely look at hosting another event of this nature again,” Coore said.

keisha.hill@gleanerjm.com