Jamaica Cancer Society Gets Bus

Healthcare workers will be better able to offer cancer screening and awareness training in rural and underserved communities, following the handover of a bus to the Jamaica Cancer Society.

The 15-seater, 2021 Toyota Hiace bus, which costs US$43,000, was donated through the collaborative efforts of the Rotary Club of St. Andrew North and corporate Jamaica.

It was handed over today (February 21) at the Jamaica Cancer Society office in Kingston.

In her address, State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, expressed gratitude for the donation, while noting that the country’s healthcare system continually “grapples with the burden of non-communicable diseases”.

She further pointed out that cancer remains the leading cause of death in Jamaica.

“Given our country’s cancer profile, education and collective action must be persistently pursued, and this bus from Toyota, Jamaica, will definitely be able to do that,” she said.

“The mobile unit is especially important for reaching people in underserved communities – those who, for one reason or another, may not have the funds to have access to the service,” Mrs. Cuthbert Flynn added.

According to the State Minister, approximately 20,000 men and women are screened annually, through the Jamaica Cancer Society.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Jamaica Cancer Society, Earl Jarrett, said the Society is grateful for the donation, after being affected in their fundraising efforts, due to the global (COVID-19) pandemic.

“This gift is really valued and welcomed from the Rotary Club in Jamaica,” he added.

Mr. Jarrett pointed out that increased screening for men is vital, “as we are reputed to be one of the countries with the highest rate of prostate cancer globally, based on a study done by Global Et Al, which identified that most Jamaican men will have prostate cancer”.

For her part, Chief Executive Officer of the Jamaica Money Market Brokers (JMMB) Joan Duncan Foundation, Kim Mair, who spoke on behalf of the sponsors, emphasised that supporting the Society will also benefit citizens in rural Jamaica.

“This is where there tends to be a healthcare gap, because of less access to the facilities that provide cancer screening at nominal costs and other medical support. It is, therefore, critical that we support the Society by bolstering its resources as they work towards achieving the organisation’s mandate of eliminating cancer as a major health problem in Jamaica,” she said.

The sponsors of the donation are Toyota Jamaica; Mayberry Investments Limited; Proven Wealth Limited; the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund; the Jamaica Broilers Group Limited, and the JMMB.