Jamaicans in Canada donate medical supplies

KINGSTON — The Ministry of Health has received medical supplies valued at  Can $8,712, which will assist in the provision of quality of health care.

High Commissioner to Canada, Her Excellency Sheila Sealy Monteith handed over three vital signs monitors and three boxes of Oximeters to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jean Dixon, during a press briefing, held at the Ministry, in Downtown Kingston on July 5.

Dr. Dixon expressed her gratitude to the High Commissioner for the donation, and pointed out that some of the equipment will be given to the University Hospital of the West Indies.

She said that the Ministry of Health welcomes all gifts,  but reminded  that donations should be made according to the guidelines outlined by the Ministry.

“We do have a policy that guides the nature of the gifts; for example, in  pharmaceuticals there has to be some consideration about expiration of these products, and for equipment,  whether they can  be used in our institutions without any severe problems,” Dr. Dixon said.

She further urged donors to contact the Ministry, “so that we can give some guidance to the protocols that need to be followed."

“We also have a wish list of items that we would like to have and, shortly we will be mounting that wish list on the Ministry’s website (www.moh.gov.jm), so that some of the gifts can be targeted and will meet the special needs we have at this point in time,” Dr. Dixon said.

In the meantime,  the High Commissioner informed that the gifts were donated  by   Jamaicans in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada.

“I am very pleased to report the great enthusiasm I have seen in our Jamaican community within Canada to contribute to their homeland and to help, especially in the areas of health and education,” Mrs. Sealy Monteith said.

She said that the gift policy and the wish list  are very important, as it  is useful to have guidance on how best Jamaicans living in Canada can meet the needs of the health sector.

“We are really looking forward to being able to meet those specific needs, so we will be consulting with your website and you can be assured that I will be directing those in Canada to the website, so that they can be a little more targeted in their approach,” Mrs. Sealy Monteith said.

By LATONYA LINTON, JIS Reporter