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Food For the Poor, donors gift medical equipment valued at over $20 million to boost health system

Published:Tuesday | June 23, 2020 | 4:19 PM
(From left) General Manager at Couples Swept Away and Board Member of the Issa Trust Foundation, Karen Lanigan; Chairman of the Western Regional Health Authority, Eric Clarke; Chairman of the Management Committee at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, Joseph Campbell; Food for the Poor Jamaica Director, Craig Moss-Solomon, and Hazeline Forrester, Matron, Savanna-la-Mar Hospital at a recent handing over of medical supplies – Contributed photo

Jamaica’s health care system recently received a significant boost to ramp up its COVID-19 response thanks to a donation of over $20 million from Food For The Poor Jamaica and committed donors. 

The donation included personal protective equipment, 50 critical care monitors, 240 new fire-resistant hospital mattresses, and patient monitor trolleys.

The items, which were distributed during the last week of May into the first week of June, were handed over to the regional health authorities islandwide and other institutions for further distribution to hospitals, clinics and areas where the need exists.

“The collaborative effort of this donation is proof that, together, we can accomplish so much as we continue to serve and give back,” stated Kivette Silvera, director of Food For The Poor Jamaica.

“It is very important that we have the required gear in stock to protect our staff, especially our frontline workers who are our highest priority at this time. In that regard, I just want to say a big thank you to Food For The Poor and all the other donors for these well needed items.  They will benefit all our major hospitals in terms of ensuring that our members of staff do have the needed protective gear as they deliver health care to our nation,” said Maureen Golding, Regional Director, South East Regional Health Authority.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Dr Michelle Ann Richards of the Bustamante Hospital for Children. 

“At this time when the entire world is being affected by COVID-19, the unselfish, caring and compassionate outreach by our donors to help others, in partnership Food For The Poor, is remarkable.  The donations of PPE, gowns, surgical and N95 masks is an invaluable contribution to the work of the healthcare team and will allow us to safely manage our patients. The donation of spacers, for use in children with respiratory conditions, will help us to reduce the risk of spread through aerosolisation which would have occurred with the use of nebulisers. The donation of the critical care monitors has already been put to use, as the need was immediate. Thank you all and God bless you!”

Chairman of Western Regional Health Authority, Eric Clarke, is also happy at the collaboration.  

“I am pleased to see the donors coming together to make this possible. Alone, they could have only done a fraction of this and so many institutions would not have benefited. I am extremely grateful for the much-needed donations received by WRHA and pleased that other institutions across the Island also benefited.”

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