South Florida Team on One-Week Medical Mission MIAMI(JIS)
Thursday, June 15, 2006

Some 113 medical professionals and volunteers from South Florida will begin a one-week medical mission to Jamaica starting tomorrow (June 15).

The group, which is on its sixth annual mission to the island, comprises doctors, nurses, para medicals and volunteers from the Nova Southeastern Medical University in Fort Lauderdale.

Some 4,000 residents from the parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew and St. Mary are expected to benefit from cholesterol, hypertension and eco-cardiogram tests and services in dentistry and optometry. They will also receive pharmaceuticals. Health education sessions will also be held, to encourage persons to develop healthy lifestyles.

Team leader, Dr. Paula Anderson-Worth, who is a family practitioner at the Nova Southeastern Medical School, informed that the medical team would also visit students in nearly 10 schools, as well as some penal institutions. Medical supplies and pharmaceuticals totaling nearly US$25,000 will be distributed to the clinics and institutions visited by the medical team.

According to Dr. Anderson-Worth, the care provided to the residents over the years, has served to improve their overall health. She noted that an electronic information system has been established for those patients, who need follow-up care.

Jamaican national, Don Daly of CRI Communications, who initiated the project in 2000, said that the mission costs about US$100,000 annually, most of which is paid through sponsors in Jamaica and South Florida.

Some of the sponsors include Air Jamaica Limited, Moneygram, Jamaica National Building Society, GraceKennedy, Kingston Miami Trading, Pepsi Cola, Juici Patties, Pegasus Hotel, Sandals Resorts, Beaches Boscobel and Golden Seas Resorts.

Mr. Daly expressed his appreciation to the Ministries of Health, National Security and Finance, for their continued commitment and overwhelming support of the work of the medical mission.