Indian High Commission, MP host medical camp
Published:Friday | April 1, 2022 | 12:09 AMDavid Salmon/Gleaner Writer
Amid the challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian High Commission, along with Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Rural Juliet Holness, hosted a medical camp within the constituency at St Martin de Porres Primary School on Sunday.
Masakui Rungsung, the Indian high commissioner, explained that this camp represents a continuation of the support previously given to Jamaica in healthcare. Last January, the high commission conducted 13 simultaneous medical camps, where 1,500 persons received free check-ups and medication. This was followed by three camps held in Kingston during December and another one held this year in Central Manchester. The high commissioner explained that the aim is to have a camp done every other month.
Rungsung told The Gleaner, “They are, indeed, interior areas that we don’t get the sort of health facilities that we get in the cities. This is the same problem back in India, too … . The Indian community here is very strong in terms of where health is concerned.”
He estimates that there are 100 Indian doctors who are practising locally and 10 to 12 pharmaceutical companies based out of Jamaica. Rungsung shared that many doctors were excited to participate, as a camp of this size attends to 400 to 500 people on average.
“We have about 15 doctors on board because it is a big camp; about 10 nurses, five pharmacists, and we have medicines from six different pharmaceutical companies worth $2 million. We also have an additional feature this time; we have an eye specialist and a dental specialist, and we are also giving out free glasses to people,” Rungsung said.
Attendees at the camp also received free medical check-ups, dental examinations, and had their prescriptions filled for three months.
Councillor for the Dallas Division, Celia Jones, who was one of the attendees, explained that she was excited to see the doctors and the citizens being provided with medication. “Today went very well. It is a good idea. We carried one busload of people from Bull Bay, and they came here, sat dawn and enjoyed themselves,” Jones said.
REWARDING PARTNERSHIP
According to the high commissioner, this partnership between local representatives and the high commission has proven particularly rewarding. This sentiment was also echoed by Holness.
She expressed that accessing healthcare in some parts of the constituency can be difficult, due to the terrain and the cost of transportation. Compounding these challenges is the cost of medication. She shared that many persons often do not seek treatment because of the prices.
Despite these challenges, numerous residents, including children and the elderly, flocked to the premises to receive treatment.
“The health fair has been an absolute success. Before midday, a little after 11, we have over 200 persons who arrived to have medical services done. They are literally getting to see doctors, and they were encouraged to walk with their previous prescriptions to have them filled,” said Holness.
She also made a pledge to her constituents that she would fulfil any prescription that could not be provided at the camp. She added, “I have made a commitment to my constituents who have attended the medical camp, because it is a signal that they care about their health and they are trying their best, whatever prescriptions they are not able to fill today, I will ensure that through the CDF (Constituency Development Fund) we will fulfil the remaining prescriptions, or do anything outstanding.”