Portland, St. Thomas Health Departments Offer Free Back-to-School Medicals

Parents in St. Thomas and Portland are being encouraged to take advantage of the special dates announced by the parishes’ health departments to take their children for free back-to-school health checks.

Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr. D’Oyen Smith, said that school medicals will be offered at the Yallahs Baptist Church on Saturday, July 26.

Residents of Seaforth and its surroundings will get their opportunity on August 9 at the Seaforth Health Centre, while Duckenfield residents and their neighbours can visit the Isaac Barrett Health Centre on August 16 to access the service.

“The Morant Bay Health Centre will try to catch all those who did not get a chance to be seen before, on August 20,” Dr. Smith said, at the recent sitting of the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, in Portland during the July 10 sitting of the Portland Municipal Corporation, Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr. Sharon Lewis, said that school medicals will be offered at the Fair Prospect Health Centre on July 25 and the Port Antionio Health Centre on July 26.

Medicals will be offered at both the Port Antonio and the Buff Bay District Health Centres on August 9 and 16.

“The Portland Health Department will also provide support in conducting school medicals at the Happy Grove High School on Friday, July 18 and at the Titchfield High School on Monday, July 21,” Dr. Lewis said.

“Parents and guardians are being asked to make appointments for their children at the health records department at the respective health centres and to carry their child’s health and immunisation passport to the school medical sessions. We encourage parents to utilise these opportunities for free school medicals,” she noted.

Dr. Lewis said that the Portland Health Department will also use the sessions to offer vaccines that children may have missed.