JCF Receives Equipment and Software from PAHO
By: , January 14, 2022
Photo: Dave Reid
Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson (left), and Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative for Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Ian Stein, examine equipment and software donated to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) by PAHO. The items were handed over during a ceremony at the Police Commissioner’s office in Kingston on Friday (January 14).
Photo: Dave Reid
Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson (left), is in discussion with Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative for Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Ian Stein (right), following the handover of equipment and software donated to the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) by PAHO. The items were presented during a ceremony at the Police Commissioner’s office in Kingston, on Friday (January 14). Looking on is Clinical Director for the JCF’s Medical Services Branch, Dr. George Leveridge.The Full Story
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), on Friday (January 14), received equipment and software, valued at more than US$30,000, to aid in bolstering health and wellness support for its members.
The items, donated by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), were formally handed over to Police Commissioner, Major General Antony Anderson, by PAHO/World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Ian Stein, during a brief ceremony at the Police Commissioner’s Office on Old Hope Road in Kingston.
The interactive tools, which include video cameras, monitors and relevant software form part of JCF’s ‘Enriching Your Health and Wellness’ initiative, is being spearheaded by the organisation’s Medical Services Branch (MSB), which was also launched.
They will be utlilised as part of a sensitisation and health education exercise to help personnel manage stress and prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
General Anderson, in thanking PAHO, said the highly challenging space within which the JCF’s members operate often elevates stress levels, noting that “trauma becomes a part of a police officer’s life… because we demand [much] from [them]”.
Against this background, he said occasions such as Friday’s presentation “give us an opportunity to do real and meaningful things for our police officers”.
In his remarks, Mr. Stein said PAHO recognises the JCF’s members as an essential workforce on the front line of emergencies and crises, “including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic”.
He said the items donated represent a collaboration between PAHO and the JCF “to enrich health and wellness in this Force”.
Mr. Stein pointed out that the tools “are necessary to support health promotion and communication to address the specific needs of the JCF”.
“We know that by supporting programmes such as this we are also responding to the challenges of the greater society,” he added.
Clinical Director for the MSB, Dr. George Leveridge, indicated that the equipment and software will be used to record real-life situations impacting the police, provide preventative tips, and allow members to undertake stress self-assessments that will generate analyses of individuals’ status, among other outputs.