Clarendon residents benefit from health fair

The New Testament churches in Palmers Cross, Clarendon, and Escarpment Road, St Andrew, last weekend partnered in hosting a two-day wellness clinic providing free dental, optical, medical and legal services to residents of the rural Palmers Cross community.

Senior pastor of the Escarpment Road congregation, Rev Dr Stevenson Samuels, said the services are a part of the church’s mission to provide societal transformation.

“A part of our philosophy is that we are ‘missioners’ – reaching out to others to bring transformation [incorporating] participation and integration, so we engage all the gifts within our church to see our society transform,” said Samuels.

He noted that the team has also carried out similar missions in August Town, Yallahs and Port Maria.

Samuel’s wife, Larene, said hosting the clinic is important as the church has been made cognisant of the dire need for dental, optical and general medical services within several communities.

willing to volunteer

She added, “We think it’s necessary not just to confine it in the locale that we operate, but all over Jamaica.” She shared that medical and legal professionals are willing to offer their services to the initiative each year, adding that the team includes members of the church and other volunteers. “They’ve been very willing over the years to offer their services,” she said, noting that the initiative, which is in it’s third year, is funded by members of the church. “Our members pledge a special gift to the wellness clinic every year.”

Speaking of the decision to bring the wellness clinic to the parish, Mrs Samuels said, “Clarendon is a huge parish and this is where we have most of our New Testament churches and we are aware of the needs in the area.”

Oral and maxillofacial surgeon, Dr Laxam Kumar, a member of the Escarpment Road church and head of the dental care team, said, “It’s a passion of mine to serve, especially in the rural areas where they are very underserved.” Kumar, who has been a part of the Escarpment Road mission team since inception, noted that there is usually a greater turnout of residents in rural communities. This, he said, is due to the limited access to oral health services. “Kingston has a lot of health centres and other provisions available. What I find in the rural areas are very few dental offices so there we find the need much more than what we find in Kingston.”

Mrs Samuels said the team is also on a mission to spread the gospel, and as such, the wellness clinic would climax in the parish with a Sunday evening gospel show.