Eight local hospitals get $15m in supplies

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER of Mandeville Regional Hospital Alwyn Miller has welcomed a $15.3-million donation of medical supplies from New York City-based philanthropist Bill Tingling through MedGive, a not-for-profit organisation.

The supplies were distributed to eight local hospitals: Mandeville Regional, Cornwall Regional, Savanna-la-Mar, Noel Holmes, Percy Junior, Andrews Memorial, Hargreaves, and Kingston Public hospitals.

At a presentation ceremony in Mandeville last month, Miller said that heavy demand on the hospital’s services made the donation particularly timely.

“This hospital [Mandeville Regional] serves Manchester and the wider region. We have an annual figure of approximately 25,000 persons [using] our Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department. Each year we do approximately 7,000 surgeries, we deliver approximately 3,500 babies, and instruments are used in most of these procedures. We are indeed appreciative of this donation,” said Miller.

Tingling was not able to attend the presentation ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority Wayne Chen thanked donors and front-line healthcare workers.

“I want to thank, on behalf of Jamaica’s public-health sector, benefactors like Mr Bill Tingling for the continued support that they give us. I want to take the opportunity to thank our front-line healthcare workers. I can’t thank you enough. Tough times, tough conditions. The conditions weren’t pretty before, and the conditions are not pretty now, and they aren’t getting prettier in a hurry.

“Despite [the conditions], I see improvements. Even though we are fighting a pandemic, there are improvements with the system,” he added.

Jamaica has over 1,000 cases of coronavirus.