PSOJ

THE JAMAICA MEDICAL ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE

In 2006, The Jamaica Medical Assistance Committee was able to negotiate a Contract with the National Health Fund to provide financial assistance for the cost of shipping and clearing four (4) containers of medical equipment and supplies donated from Global Links during 2006/2007. The latter has been a regular donor to our public health system, through JAMAC, for nearly 25 years and some of the hospitals which benefited this year are Spanish Town, Princess Margaret, Bustamante, KPH and Mandeville Regional. The contract was valued at US$50,000.00.

The Committee has been successful in negotiating a second contract with the fund for the year 2007/2008, and are in the process of collating information from the Primary and Secondary Care institutions as to their needs.

The demand for Renal Dialysis remains urgent and both KPH, UHWI and St. Joseph Hospitals’ received donations of machines, shipped in the Global Links containers. This will allow them to rotate their existing ones and effect service when necessary. The greatest deterrent to increasing service to patients in need of dialysis is not only the lack of sufficient machines and trained personnel but the prohibitive cost of Reagents which are used in the machines. The process of dialysis per person, is estimated to cost approximately Ja$1 million annually, and given the limited budget for Health, this generally means limited dialysis services being offered, but many patients in need. Donations towards the cost of reagents would be of tremendous benefit to the institutions presently offering this service.

Voluntary services coordinated by JAMAC during 2006 were

• The American Flying Dentists who paid two visits to North Manchester as guests of the Rotary Club of Christiana. Their service continues to maintain the dental health of the residents of the area.
• VOUCH, a group of Optometrists who visited Portland as guests of the Rotary Club of Port Antonio. They test and prescribe free spectacles for the people of Portland.
• The Beulah Baptist International Church, through their Jamaica Outreach Ministry, led by their Pastor, the Rev. James Favourite, but coordinated by Jamaican medical professionals who are members of the church. Their visit is co-hosted by The Kiwanis Club of the First City, Spanish Town. Voluntary service is usually offered throughout St. Catherine and they have placed special emphasis on the Fort Augusta Adult and the Hilltop Juvenile Correctional Centres. At the latter facility, they instituted a trainee programme in barbering, which has proven to be very successful among the young men there, over the past two years.
• Dr. Paul Weber, D.D.S. and Dr. Steven Glaser, M.D. to Above Rocks Clinic, St. Catherine. Their visits are co-hosted by St. Mary’s Church, Above Rocks and they use the Clinic facilities to see quite a large section of the populace.
• Caribbean Cultural Association visited as guests of the Kiwanis Club of Stony Hill and conducted their visit in the area of West Rural St. Andrew. The visit by these Jamaican professionals was as usual very successful and their donations of medical equipment and supplies welcomed by the Clinics which they visited.

Celia Barnes

Coordinator

JaMAC (JAMAICA MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME)

During the year under review, the Committee co-ordinated the visits of overseas medical personnel who conducted dental treatments, eye surgery and medical outreach programmes, as well as overseas donations valued at US$ 1,665,562 for the Public Health services and C$20,000.

JaMAC was terribly saddened by the sudden passing in February 2002 of Mr. Bruce Rickards who was our Chairman for 19 of the 21 years of our existence. Having retired from the post, he served on the Committee as a member until the time of his death and continued to take a keen personal interest in the work of the organisation.

PROGRAMMES

American Flying Dentists - Their 20th visit to Manchester was made in November 2002, when a total of 510 patients were seen. JaMAC presented the Dentists with a plaque recognising their twenty (20) years of service (Value - US$92,000.00).

Canadian Surgical Eye Expedition (CANSEE) - The CANSEE team paid their ninth visit to Jamaica, in December 2002, and worked with the Eye Clinic at the Mandeville Regional Hospital. (Value of Donation Can$10,000).

Caribbean Cultural Association - These medical volunteers paid their fifth visit to Jamaica in May 2002. The team was hosted by the Kiwanis Club of The First City, Spanish Town and dedicated their visit to the Health Centres in St. Catherine. One member of the team visited the Psychiatric Clinic at the Linstead Hospital for two days and saw 75 patients. The rest of the team saw 184 patients. They were extremely impressed with the treatment meted out to them by their hosts, the ladies of this Kiwanis Club and their visit ended with an agreement that next year's visit would again be to St. Catherine (Value of donation US$20,000).

Above Rocks, St. Catherine - Dr. Stephen Glaser arrived in March 2002 for his third visit with the Above Rocks Community. He travelled into the remote hillsides to treat the elderly and shut-ins. (Value of donation US$20,000). Dentists, Dr. Paul and Pamela Weber and their 2 Assistants performed voluntary service at the Above Rocks Clinic in October, 2002 and treated 105 adults and 89 children (Value of Donation US$20,000).

GLOBAL LINKS - Their first container for the year was sent and cleared by the Ministry of Health (Value of Donation US$140,130). A second container was sent in November 2002 and items provided to a new Clinic in Harbour View, as well as the Lionel Town, Port Maria and St. Ann's Bay Hospitals (Value of Donation US$71,416).

HEALTH CARE INTERNATIONAL- A much needed surgical drill was donated to the Neuro Surgical/Orthopaedic Department of the Kingston Public Hospital (Value - US20,250.00).

CHRIST CHURCH, NEW JERSEY - This team comprised of eight (8) Doctors of varying disciplines, four (4) Registered Nurses, (1) Chiropractor and 7 assistants held Clinics at Burnt Savannah and Lacovia in St. Elizabeth and the Faith Deliverance Centres in Savanna-la-Mar and Kingston and donated pharmaceuticals and medical equipment (Value of Donation US$1,178,000).

FUND RAISING
Letters were sent to 88 private sector companies in an effort to raise $700,000.00, the budgeted amount for operational costs for the year.

JaMAC had been promised continued funding from Kaiser Bauxite for 2002. Their donation of J$250,000 had assisted us considerably between May '01 to May '02. Unfortunately, their Head Office in the US declared bankruptcy, which signalled the demise of any funding for us for the upcoming year. 2002 was also an election year in Jamaica and it seems charitable causes were not foremost in the minds of potential donors, therefore we have limped along financially for most of the year. Mr. Philmore Ogle, Committee member, prepared a very factual letter stating our achievements and comparing the value of our contributions versus the economical manner in which the Committee had managed its affairs over the past 21 years. We have been promised some assistance for the coming year, but are unable to quantify the amount at this time.

DONATION OF PLAQUES:
The Co-Ordinator suggested to the Minister of Health that we could prepare plaques honouring Jamaicans who have consistently donated medical supplies and equipment to the Health Sector over the years. He readily agreed to this suggestion and appointed a member of his Ministry staff to liaise with us on this project.

OVERSEES DONATIONS
We are grateful to PAHO for underwriting the transportation costs for the containers from Global Links valued at US$1,665,562 and C$20,000.

LOCAL DONATIONS RECEIVED
We are grateful to the local companies, which contributed J$570,064 to our programme. JaMAC thanks the following agencies and organisations for their assistance during the year under review:

• Air Canada
• Air Jamaica Limited
• Airports Authority Kingston/Montego Bay
• BWIA
• Communication Consultants Limited
• Customs Kingston/Montego Bay
• Dental Council of Jamaica
• Island Broadcasting Services Ltd.
• Jamaica Optometric Association
• LASCO Pharmaceuticals
• Medical Council of Jamaica
• Ministry of Finance
• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Labour
• Ministry of National Security
• Mr. Patrick Burgess/Carib Star Shipping
• Nursing Council of Jamaica
• PriceWaterhouseCoopers
• Radio Jamaica Limited
• Rotary Club of Christiana
• The Gleaner Company Limited
• The Jamaica Observer
• The Kiwanis Club of The First City
• The Sunday Herald
• United Way of Jamaica

The Committee thanks Grace Kennedy & Company Limited for its continued contribution to JaMAC's administrative expenses.

The Committee is appreciative of the assistance provided by the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica which has continued to help JaMAC in its efforts to channel donations of personal time, expertise of medical professionals, equipment and supplies, which augment needy areas of the public health service.

The Co-ordinator thanks the Patron, Mrs. Mitsy Seaga, the Chairman, Mr. Neville James, and the members of the Committee for their continued support.