Health Ministry Gets $7 Million to Purchase Items for Ebola Preparedness

Supreme Ventures Limited handed over a cheque valued at $7 million on Monday, October 27, for the purchase of equipment to assist with the Ebola preparedness and response.

The items to be bought include: one thermal sensing unit for the Falmouth Cruise Ship Complex, inclusive of installation and training; 10 Ebola kits containing operating theatre gowns, shoes, bags for bio-hazardous materials and disposable needles; two type B complementary kits containing heavy duty surgical aprons, body bags, safety goggles, anti-fog liquid for the lenses, one litre chemically resistant insecticide sprayer tanks and 12 litre polypropylene backpack model sprayer insecticide tanks; and 25 rechargeable non-contact infra-red forehead thermometer units.

The cheque was presented to Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, by President and Chief Executive Officer of Supreme Ventures Limited, Brian George, during a press briefing held at Jamaica House.

Dr. Ferguson said the equipment will go a far way in the country’s Ebola preparations and response.

“We are very pleased with the overall response that is coming in. We have to be very clear.  While we have no direct flights from any of the affected countries to Jamaica….we are seeing Ebola emerging in the United States and we do significant business and travel,” he noted.

“So, our response must be heightened, especially at our points of entry. This is why the donation is so critical to our response at the border. It is a work in progress and we can say to the country that we are well on our way in terms of the preparations and response to Ebola,” the Minister added.

Meanwhile, Mr. George said  his organisation is proud to play its part in the national Ebola awareness programme.

“We are particularly anxious to ensure that the necessary training in the use of (the equipment) is offered to the health care workers, as we see the health care workers are the people who are the first line of risk… as we see in the international media,” he noted.

Mr. George pointed out that the initiative is consistent with Supreme Ventures’ values.

Meanwhile, Minister of National Security, Hon. Peter Bunting, said that countries that are prepared and have a response mechanism in place have been able to dramatically mitigate the impact of Ebola.

“The thing that spreads faster than Ebola is fear and panic and the way to counter that is by preparing, educating and communicating what is there to the general population,” he said.

For his part, Tourism and Entertainment Minister, Hon. Dr. Wykeham McNeill, also expressed his appreciation to Supreme Ventures Limited for its donation.