Montego Bay Community College Hosts Health Fair and Blood Drive

Students and staff participated in the third annual health fair and blood drive, hosted by the Montego Bay Community College in St. James, on March 19.

They also took advantage of the various health services on offer, including HIV testing and screening, blood pressure checks and others.

College Nurse, Linconett Brown-Martin, said the initiative helped students to be better equipped with knowledge to make informed health decisions, while also getting their check-ups.

“This year, students have been supportive of the event. We started as early as 9:00 a.m. The students were out and ready and willing to start the [blood] donation,” Mrs. Brown-Martin added.

“Also, the HIV testing and screening is perfect for the student population, because even though we might not want to acknowledge it, ‘they are doing the things’, and we need to ensure that they are made aware of the dangers of not using protection and just providing health education on a broader basis,” she noted.

Mrs. Brown-Martin told JIS News that students and staff were also encouraged to take part in the blood drive, adding that they were taught the value of their contribution to those in need, and they willingly stepped up to give blood.

“We don’t know when we might need blood ourselves, and there are a lot of persons out there needing the blood that students are giving today. We’re basically just playing our part in society by doing that deed,” she said.

The event featured partnerships with several organisations, such as the Cornwall Regional Hospital’s blood bank, Imperial Optical, the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), Western Regional Health Authority’s HIV unit, and medical professionals.

Other collaborators included Jamaica National (JN) Bank, Playa Resorts and Hotels, Fairview Medical and Dental Hospital, St. James Public Health, Covenant Insurance, the National Council on Drug Abuse, the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), and Jamaica AIDS Support for Life.

Student, Noel Reid, shared his experience by noting that while he was initially nervous about donating blood, the process was less painful than he expected.

Mr. Reid said he was grateful for the opportunity to help others and encouraged more students to participate in future blood drives.

Library Assistant, Alex James, who also took part in the blood drive, pointed to the importance of such initiatives.

“I believe they should have a health fair like this at least two times per year, as that will really help the students as well as everybody else on the school compound,” Mr. James said.