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Porus Health Centre gets well-needed medical supplies

Published:Wednesday | June 30, 2021 | 12:06 AMCecelia Campbell-Livingston/Gleaner Writer
Vassell O’Gilvie (right) and Seymour Stewart (second right) from the Friends of Porus stand beside some of the donated items while members of the health centre staff look on.
Vassell O’Gilvie (right) and Seymour Stewart (second right) from the Friends of Porus stand beside some of the donated items while members of the health centre staff look on.

Last week Wednesday, the Porus Health Centre in Manchester benefited from a donation of medical supplies from Vassell O’Gilvie, a Jamaican psychotherapist now residing in New York, United States.

The clinic received items such as walking sticks, crutches, walkers, comfortable track monitor system, inco pads, adult diapers and a number of other items, including stationery and sanitary supplies valued at about US$4,000.

Commenting on his philanthropic efforts, O’Gilvie said, as a director of the Friends of Porus (FOP) group, formed to look out for the well-being of the community, the priority was to ensure that residents had a clinic that could offer the best services, and that meant having well-needed supplies.

Over the years, O’Gilvie has given back to his community. However, this is the first time that his philanthropy was done under the auspices of the FOP.

“This group is committed to helping in all areas of community development, such as working with the schools, seeing to recreational development, medical and any other needs the community might have,” he told The Gleaner.

O’Gilvie said FOP’s president, George Tulloch, keeps him updated with the needs of the community, and in a few weeks, another shipment of medical supplies valued at US$5,000 will be sent to Jamaica for the clinic.

Porus Health Centre is not the group’s only focus. O’Gilvie said the next venture will be to shine the spotlight on schools in the area and assist students in any way they can.

Everine Smikle, a nurse at the clinic, in expressing gratitude for the donated items, said they were previously having challenges delivering effective service as they did not have a number of necessary equipment that they needed.

“Healthcare workers had to improvise. For example, bedrolls were used to wrap equipment for sterilisation, when no autoclave papers were available. Undoubtedly, these supplies are extremely important and necessary at this time as we seek to deliver optimum care to all our clients in the Porus health district,” she said.

Smikle added that the donation will go a far way in the clinic’s healthcare service delivery.

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