Hundreds to benefit from health mission

Hundreds of St James residents are expected to benefit from the three-day, 24th annual Atlanta-Montego Bay Sister Cities Health Mission, which started yesterday at the St Johnís Methodist Community Action Centre in Montego Bay.    

Approximately 30 volunteers, inclusive of medical practitioners, nurses, and other non-medical personnel, arrived in Montego Bay last weekend to participate in the annual health fair, which, in 2014, was renamed the Vin Martin Sister City Health Fair. Martin was a former chairman of the Atlanta chapter of the Sister Cities Committee and was Jamaicaís honorary consul in Atlanta.

The visiting health practitioners will join forces with local physicians, nurses, and non-medical volunteers for what promises to be yet another successful venture.

For the duration of the health fair, members of the public will be able to access free health services between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily.

They will be offered specialist services in ophthalmology, gynaecology, obstetrics, paediatrics, internal medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacology.

According to Montego Bayís mayor, Homer Davis, the annual health fair has benefited thousands of persons from across western Jamaica over the years, and he expects much the same situation this year.

INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTION

"It is surely a pleasure to host the team of medical professionals here in our parish for yet another year," said Davis. "We here in St James are appreciative of the invaluable contribution that our volunteers have made over the years to our people through this programme."

The overseas delegation is led by Dr Yvonne Smith. According to Davis, businessman Fred Smith, the chairman of the Montego Bay Chapter of the Sister Cities Committee, has undertaken to host the visiting volunteers. 

The Atlanta-Montego Bay Sister Cities Committee is one of 18 members of the Atlanta Sister Cities Commission and is the oldest Caribbean group in the City of Atlanta. It is also facilitated by the Ministry of Health and the St James Health Department and is one of the major events staged to coincide with Montego Bay's celebration of its city status. 

Approximately 50,000 residents of Montego Bay and its environs have been served by the health mission over the past 23 years. In addition, approximately J$100 million in medical supplies and services has been donated by the health committee.