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Hospital Urged to Empower Residents to Adopt Healthy Lifestyle

By: , July 28, 2014

The Key Point:

The Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, which is celebrating its golden jubilee, is being encouraged to empower members of the communities it serves to better take charge of their health.
Hospital Urged to Empower Residents to Adopt Healthy Lifestyle
Minister with responsibility for Information, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, addresses the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital’s 50th anniversary and awards presentation ceremony held at the hospital grounds on July 24.

The Facts

  • Minister with responsibility for Information in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, commended the hospital for the high standard of healthcare delivery.
  • Senator Falconer also urged citizens not to be reckless with their health and to adopt healthy practices so as to reduce overall health costs.

The Full Story

The Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, which is celebrating its golden jubilee, is being encouraged to empower members of the communities it serves to better take charge of their health through healthy lifestyles and preventative care.

Minister with responsibility for Information in the Office of the Prime Minister, Senator the Hon. Sandrea Falconer, commended the hospital for the high standard of healthcare delivery despite scarce resources, and charged the healthcare practitioners to “(engage) the citizenry in taking individual and community action that can make a difference to their health.”

Senator Falconer, who was delivering the main address at the hospital’s 50th anniversary and awards presentation ceremony held on Thursday, July 24, on the grounds of the facility, also urged citizens not to be reckless with their health and to adopt healthy practices so as to reduce overall health costs.

These practices include eating better, stressing less and increasing levels of physical activity.

Citing the increasingly high cost of healthcare, especially for the treatment of lifestyle and chronic illnesses, Minister Falconer stated that “our new thrust has to include public education and individual ownership of the state of our health…we have to change the view that healthcare is government’s responsibility alone. Our health is our responsibility.”

Custos of Westmoreland, Hon. Canon Hartley Perrin, in his address, urged the hospital’s administrators to dream of making Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital an institution, which is equipped with the best technology and delivers health care of a high standard to both local and foreign patients.

Eight medical and non-medical employees of the institution were presented with awards for long and outstanding service.

They include Virly James for 30 years; Pansi Brown, 42 years; Anthony Miller, 39 years; Pauline Lindo, 43 years, while Dr. Vincent Chisholm, Dr. Evan Nepaul, Nurse Vanessa Jones, and Ryan Cunningham were recognised for outstanding service.

The function formed part of the hospital’s Golden Jubilee celebration, which started on July 20 with a service of thanksgiving at the United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman in Savanna-la-Mar.

The anniversary celebration will culminate in November with a fundraising walkathon sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Society of Jamaica, proceeds from which will be used to purchase drug and equipment for the hospital.

Last Updated: July 28, 2014

Jamaica Information Service