Florida Diaspora Group Gifts $5 Million in Medical Supplies to St. Jago Health Centre

St. Jago Health Centre in St. Catherine has taken delivery of medical supplies worth $5 million from Living Well Community Care Centre (LWCCC), a Florida-based diaspora organisation.

The handover took place on Monday, June 15, at the health facility. Items included medications, gloves, gauze, syringes, needles, masks, wheelchairs and walkers.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder of LWCCC, Dr. Joan Williamson, told JIS News the gift was intended to meet areas of need at the centre. Dr. Williamson, who migrated to the United States in the 1990s, said Jamaica remains close to her, noting that giving back to the island "has always been our joy".

The charity delivers health, social and spiritual support to underserved communities and runs outreach and initiatives focused on Jamaica.

"This is our eighth time since Melissa. We come back so often to make sure ongoing help is being given to Jamaica, to continue the recovery and the resuscitation of the devastation that took place," Dr. Williamson said.

She said her work is guided by faith. "There is nothing for us to gain financially. We do not seek notoriety or recognition. It's just from our heart and we want people to live well," she added.

Jamaica 4-H Foundation 2016 Limited helped arrange the donation through a partnership aimed at delivering urgent relief and longer-term recovery support to communities affected by Hurricane Melissa.

Managing Director of the Foundation, Peter Thompson, said significant work has continued in western Jamaica since the storm. "We have done tremendous work in western Jamaica. We have had several clinics in those communities since the hurricane and we have delivered over 5,000 care packages to persons living in those communities that were affected by Hurricane Melissa," he said.

On Saturday, June 13, LWCCC members and volunteers distributed about 1,000 care packages and medical supplies to residents of St. Catherine. After that event, Mr. Thompson asked the group to extend support to St. Jago Health Centre.

He also thanked the Living Well team for a $1-million donation to the Foundation in March to fund young farmers and support the island's food security.