Wed | Dec 18, 2024

Port Maria Hospital gets equipment from JN Foundation

Published:Monday | November 28, 2022 | 12:07 AM
Jennifer Martin (third right), board director of the JN Foundation; Winsome McNish-Ricketts (right), business relationship and sales manager of JN Bank’s Ocho Rios, Port Maria and Gayle branches and Orlene McNeish (fourth right), president of the JN Cir
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Jennifer Martin (third right), board director of the JN Foundation; Winsome McNish-Ricketts (right), business relationship and sales manager of JN Bank’s Ocho Rios, Port Maria and Gayle branches and Orlene McNeish (fourth right), president of the JN Circle, Ocho Rios, Port Maria and Gayle chapter present medical equipment to Dr Powell Sydney (second left in the front), senior medical officer at the Port Maria Hospital and members of his team.

JN Foundation recently made donation of equipment to the Port Maria Hospital, St Mary. The equipment, which comprise an ECG machine, 10 Pulse oximeters, six digital thermometers, a vital signs monitor and a hospital lamp and stand were funded by a grant.

“JN has always been working with us and to see that we have put forth this project to them, requesting equipment to enhance healthcare and that it has been approved, I can say that we are overjoyed and for sure this will enhance service delivery for our patients,” said Lorraine Brown-Wright, chief executive officer of the Port Maria Hospital.

Dr Powell Sydney, senior medical officer at the Port Maria Hospital, underscored the importance of partnership with the private sector, as he noted that the health sector is in need of critical equipment to improve healthcare.

“These partnerships are clearly critical for us because there is no way that gap can be closed without benefactors and in particular one of the measures… [used to determine] whether a country is developed is actually [the] maternal mortality ratio, which reflects the care that we give to women,” he said.

DECREASE IN DEATH RATE

Dr Sydney noted that there has been a significant decrease in the death rate of women. He said the equipment requested will assist the hospital in managing the care of these patients and other people with chronic lifestyle diseases.

Jennifer Martin, board director of the JN Foundation, said the donation of critical equipmentwill improve the service offered by the hospital to the general public. The idea to fund the project was presented by the Ocho Rios, Port Maria and Gayle chapter of the JN Circle network.

“The Port Maria Hospital is an important institution in this region, serving not only St Mary, but parts of St Ann, Portland and St Catherine, said Martin. “Therefore, when the JN Circle recommended that critical equipment be purchased for the hospital, having done an assessment to ascertain your needs, we were happy to support”.

Orlene McNeish, president of the JN Circle Ocho Rios, Port Maria and Gayle chapter, said that the hospital was selected because of the need for the equipment to improve health care.