The Percy Junor Hospital (PJH) in northeast Manchester is the beneficiary of a life-saving infant warmer or resuscitaire machine which will provide critical care to newborns in distress. The machine, valued at a little less than J $1 million was donated to the hospital by the Rotary Club of Christiana in Manchester on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 on the hospital grounds.
left to right) Rotarian and Incoming Secretary, Ms. Avril Allen, President of the Rotary Club of Christiana, Ms. Leshana Campbell, Consultant in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the hospital, Dr. Christopher Fletcher, and CEO, Mr. Carlton Nichols.
Consultant in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the hospital, Dr. Christopher Fletcher explained that this gift will assist Jamaica in delivering on the commitment to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to 70 per 100,000 live births by the year 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. He added that the medical staff at the hospital are presently undergoing neonatal resuscitation training which will support the use of the machine.
The Florida League of Cities (FLC), celebrating its 100th anniversary as the united voice for Florida’s municipal governments, announced that the City of Miramar is one of 22 municipalities to receive scholarships to join the Florida Race to Zero cohort, a friendly competition between municipalities to showcase how they are leading the way to carbon neutrality. The scholarships are provided by the League and will allow the selected municipalities to access the technical assistance and expertise of national and regional organizations.
“Our state is no stranger to climate impacts,” said FLC Executive Director/CEO Jeannie Garner. “The League has seen many cities working to address those impacts in their local communities, but we also recognize that many local governments lack sufficient resources and support to do the same. That’s why we decided to offer these scholarships, to help those cities on their path to sustainability. And supporting Florida’s cities, towns and villages is our top priority at the League, so we’re thrilled to be able to provide this assistance.”
The scholarship recipients will join a Florida Race to Zero “cohort” – a structured, technical assistance training program that will guide participants toward tangible results. Each city will receive assistance with conducting greenhouse gas inventories, developing science-based targets, developing and implementing an action plan, reporting results and more.
Dr. Roy Virgin, Miramar’s City Manager stated, “We are honored to have been selected as a scholarship recipient to join the Florida Race to Zero cohort. I look forward to working with city staff and our elected officials to develop a solid action plan that aligns with the global Race to Zero to make our city safer, cleaner, and more resilient for generations to come.”
This training cohort will allow cities to carve out their path to carbon neutrality and officially join the international cities’ Race to Zero program to rally leadership and support from businesses, governments and investors for a healthy, resilient and decarbonized global economy. As part of the Florida cohort, the cities will develop a baseline inventory of local greenhouse gas emissions, create capacity to act among city staff and elected officials, expand climate action to include adaptation and resilience, as well as set a 2030 science-based target and identify high-impact actions that align with the global Race to Zero campaign.
Urology patients at the Mandeville Regional Hospital (MRH) in Manchester are to benefit from the use of a resectoscope, used in prostate and bladder surgeries, and valued at J $1.1 million.
Urology patients at the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester are to benefit from the use of a resectoscope, used in prostate and bladder surgeries, and valued at J $1.1 million. Participating in the handover are: (left to right): Directors of the Manchester Wellness Foundation, Roydell Williams; Diana McIntyre-Pike; Valrie Tomlinson; CEO of the MRH, Alwyn Miller; the Foundation’s Secretary, Valerie Dixon and its Vice President, Jascinth Collins and Consultant Urologist at the MRH, Dr. K. Sean Jones.
The equipment and its accessories will be used for most of the endoscopic surgeries performed in the urology department. Urology is the branch of medicine that focuses on the diseases of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs.
Consultant Urologist at the MRH, Dr. K. Sean Jones explained that this piece of equipment, donated by the Manchester Wellness Foundation on Monday, May 16, is of immense value and will be used weekly in the urology department.
Consultant Urologist at the MRH, Dr. K. Sean Jones (2nd right) receives the resectoscope from the Manchester Wellness Foundation which will be used in prostate and bladder surgeries, and valued at J $1.1 million. Participating in the handover also are: CEO for the facility, Mr. Alwyn Miller (right) and Directors of the Manchester Wellness Foundation, Roydell Williams (left) and Valrie Tomlinson.
“Most of the hospitals don’t have this equipment and we have depended on private equipment brought in. Many doctors have lost their expensive lens and had to buy it back, so we will be looking after this very carefully. Thank you very much Manchester Wellness Foundation as we move forward with the operations of the department. This is what we started using in the 20th century and we are now in the 21st century, so we are already one century behind but thank God we made it this far and we plan to add item by item to our repertoire” Dr. Jones added.
CEO for the facility, Alwyn Miller expressed gratitude to the Foundation for assisting the hospital with its inventory of specialized equipment.
“Some years ago one of my colleagues made the point of the value of having the appropriate equipment in the hands of a specialist who knows how to use it in terms of the intervention that can be made in the interest of patient care. We are thankful that we have Dr. Jones who is a part of our surgical team and who has given us guidance in terms of equipment that can help in his particular service to many members of the population not only in Manchester but across the region. As he said it is not available in many hospitals which points to the value in terms of it in his hands and in terms of the intervention it can make with patients” Mr. Miller noted.
The CEO lauded the Foundation for its exceptional dedication to assisting health facilities in the parish, noting that the organization was able to raise funds through a raffle despite the cancellation of its two main fundraising activities, due to the COVID-19 restrictions.
The Foundation was established in 2003 and since its inception, has donated more than J $20 million to health institutions in Manchester, with the mission of supporting health and wellness facilities in Manchester and promoting holistic wellness.
John Bell, the first Executive Director of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), was honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS), which he was instrumental in launching.
John Bell
Taking place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida this week, the coveted honor was bestowed upon Bell for his significant contributions to the hospitality industry. Fellow tourism legend and former CHTA CEO and Director General Alec Sanguinetti accepted the award on Bell’s behalf.
Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General, and former CHTA chief executive Alec Sanguinetti saluted their colleague John Bell in Florida yesterday. At left is Jeff Higley, President of the BHN Group, the organizers of CHRIS.
Among his many achievements, Bell, who was the guiding force of CHTA (formerly the Caribbean Hotel Association or CHA) for 29 years, was lauded for recognizing the critical need to get investors and financial institutions engaged in the Caribbean hotel sector. He launched the first investment conference in 1997, triggering prolific growth in the region’s leading sector.
“We thought that it would be a good idea to bring the financial community into some kind of a direct contact with the hotel industry (so) we decided the best way to do that was to partner with another company, which in that case was the Financial Times of London,” Bell said. “We got them to become involved and use their clout to bring in the different players … and it worked extremely well,” he added.
In her tribute, current CHTA President Nicola Madden-Greig noted that “it is not often that we get to honor living legends in our field,” adding that Bell’s vision and energy “framed the key role of tourism in the economies of the Caribbean.”
Frank Comito, who served as CEO and Director General of CHTA until January 2021, described CHRIS, which Bell envisioned more than 25 years ago, as “the single most important factor which contributed to the phenomenal growth of Caribbean tourism.”
Comito asserted the growth and development of Caribbean tourism “stands on the broad shoulders of John Bell, whose drive, vision, and persuasive nature over three decades laid the foundation on which we continue to build today.”
Vanessa Ledesma, CHTA’s Acting CEO and Director General who was originally hired by Bell, pointed to the catalytic role the investment summit played in the development of Caribbean economies.
She cited The Bahamas, Dominican Republic and Jamaica as key beneficiaries as early host destinations for the investment conference in the 1990s. “These destinations and the region have much to be grateful to John for his leadership, which helped to propel tourism’s growth throughout the Caribbean,” Ledesma stated.
About the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA)
The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is the Caribbean’s leading association representing the interests of national hotel and tourism associations and the region’s private sector. For 60 years, CHTA has been the backbone of the Caribbean hospitality industry. Working with some 1,000 hotel and allied members, and 33 National Hotel Associations, CHTA is shaping the Caribbean’s future and helping members to grow their businesses. Whether helping to navigate critical issues in sales and marketing, sustainability, legislative issues, emerging technologies, climate change, data and intelligence or, looking for avenues and ideas to better market and manage businesses, CHTA is helping members on issues which matter most.
The Mandeville Regional Hospital (MRH) in Manchester has received J $7 million worth of COVID-19 related equipment, through a partnership with the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).
MRH Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Everton McIntosh (left) demonstrates the use of one of the items donated by the TEF to the hospital, valued at J $7 million. Looking on are: CEO for the hospital, Alwyn Miller (2nd left); Chairman of the TEF, Godfrey Dyer (2nd right) and Executive Director of the TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace (slightly hidden).
The equipment which include: five bacterial/viral filters for ventilators; seven central venous catheters; six patient transport stretchers; 20 oxygen flowmeters; a blood analyzer and cartridge, were handed over on the hospital’s compound on Wednesday, March 12.
CEO for the facility, Alwyn Miller noted that despite the country experiencing a lull in COVID-19 cases, the hospital welcomes the support as it is still managing COVID-19 patients.
The MRH received J $7 million in COVID-19 related equipment from the TEF. Participating in the handover were (left to right): Jamaican volunteer, Sandra Miller-Hall who advocated for the donation; MRH Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Everton McIntosh; CEO for the MRH, Alwyn Miller; Chairman of the TEF, Godfrey Dyer; TEF Executive Director, Dr. Carey Wallace; SRHA Board Chairman, Wayne Chen and Regional Director for the SRHA, Michael Bent.
“We received these gifts from the Tourism Enhancement Fund as part of the COVID Pandemic response assistance to the hospital, to help us in terms of serving the public. Yes, we are pass the fourth wave, but we still have persons with COVID and these items will be vital in terms of serving these persons as well as serving other patients that may present to the hospital” Mr. Miller said.
The CEO explained that this donation is one of the most significant to the hospital since the Pandemic and has come at a right time in helping the hospital to respond to its clients.
Board Chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), which administrates the MRH, Wayne Chen noted that this viable contribution will enhance the Authority’s capacity to deliver healthcare to residents.
“Outside of the visible tourism that the TEF is responsible for, it is well known that central Jamaica, centered around Mandeville has become a retirement destination for many Jamaicans who have lived abroad. It is also a destination for their family and friends who come to visit and we have many Jamaicans in the Diaspora who visit this part of the country frequently and contribute significantly to economic activity and social life in central Jamaica. So, the ability to respond to our citizens and to place ourselves as a place where visitors can come and enjoy good healthcare facilities, is a priority. We continue to create that virtual cycle where people can come and feel safe and feel that there is no great risk to visit and in turn generate more economic activity” Mr. Chen explained.
For Executive Director of the TEF, Dr. Carey Wallace, enhancing Jamaica as a tourist destination means enhancing its facilities, particularly health institutions.
“A destination that our visitors choose to travel to must have that assurance that God forbid if anything should go wrong then there is that efficiency of service ensuring that they are safe and healthy. Coming out of a global Pandemic we are aware, in fact the surveys have shown that most of our visitors coming or travelling anywhere in the world, health and safety have become more important to them as one of the things they consider when booking a destination. As such, the TEF looks at opportunities to shore up our health services right across the length and breadth of Jamaica, but particularly our resort towns” Dr. Wallace said.
After establishing itself as an avenue of support for creatives, Kingston Creative was approved by the Charities Authority, Department of Cooperative and Friendly Societies (DCFS) to officially operate as a charity as of November 4, 2021.
(L-R) Ricardo Nuncio Managing Director, Heineken Jamaica, Alando Terrelonge Minister of State Ministry of Culture Gender Entertainment and Sport, Novia McDonald Whyte, Senior Style Editor Jamaica Observer, Andrea Dempster Chung Executive Director Kingston Creative, Geoff Lewis CEO Paperboy (2019)
Official charity status benefits its faithful donors like Red Stripe, CB Facey, Dennis Shipping and others as, now, project support will reward them with traditional charity donation benefits. Section 13(1)(q) of the income tax act states that there is an allowable deduction of the amount or value of a donation to a registered charitable organization (however, the allowable deduction shall not exceed five per cent (5%) of the statutory income of the organisation).
Kingston Creative has also launched a Diaspora Giving campaign, and for their overseas donors, there is a tax benefit available through a new partnership with the American Friends of Jamaica, a 501(c)3 organisation. Caron Chung, president of the AFJ said “We are really pleased to put our full support behind Kingston Creative as they work to support Jamaican artists and transform Downtown Kingston into an Art District.” This partnership could not have come at a better time, as the United States celebrates the “National Day of Giving”or “Giving Tuesday” on November 30th 2021.
Caron Chung, Executive Director, American Friends of Jamaica
The campaign is an effort to secure funds for Kingston Creative’s future projects slated for 2022, primarily the large-scale Paint The City mural project in Water Lane. Executive Director, Andrea Dempster-Chung, says “We are so excited about the new charity designation and the partnership with AFJ as this brings even more value to our donors. We hope that everyone will visit our website (www.kingstoncreative.org) and support our efforts to develop Downtown Kingston into the creative and cultural force we know it can become.”
CEO for the Mandeville Regional Hospital (MRH), Alwyn Miller (centre) accepts a vioscan machine from President of the Rotary Club of Mandeville, Dr. Kimberly Freeman (2nd right) at the hospital on Friday, October 8.
The machine, valued at about $700,000 will be utilized in the hospital’s urology department and will be primarily used in the catheter clinic. A catheter is a tube that is inserted into your bladder, allowing your urine to drain freely.
Consultant in the Urology Department at the MRH, Dr. Kerron Jones (left), explained that the machine will allow many different on the spot diagnosis for patients. “Normally, we would have to send the patients out to get an ultrasound scan done to know whether or not what we are doing is successful. We take out the patient’s catheter, we can know if they are ready to have a trial of voiding and then when they void we can do a quick scan of them to make sure they are empty, so they don’t go home half full and have to come back in the night, because they are gaining retention. This will allow us to filter a lot of the patients in that clinic towards medical management of their condition or surgical management or just removal of their catheter so they don’t have to be dependent on the clinic” Dr. Jones said.
Mr. Miller thanked the Rotary Club for its kind donation, lauding the group for its constant search to find technology and means to make clinics at the hospital more efficient and to make the patient experience better. He added that the tool will advance the efficiency of the clinic and will also impact the decrease in admission of patients.
Participating in the handing over also were: Past District Governor of the Rotary Club of Mandeville, Dr. Patrick Adizua (2nd left) and Treasurer and President-elect of the Rotary Club of Mandeville, Joseph Jackson.
Jamaica is eagerly preparing for the resumption of cruise calls by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines beginning in November as well as 110+ planned cruise ship visits from October through April 2022 by Carnival Cruise Lines.
“Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean are critical partners for Jamaica’s tourism sector and the destination’s wider economic recovery,” said Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, Hon Edmund Bartlett. “We are seeing a welcome return of vessels with the recognition that Jamaica’s Resilient Corridors offer a safe environment for our visitors, tourism workers and the general population. The world has taken note of Jamaica’s protocols being implemented safely and effectively, as these plans clearly demonstrate.”
Minister of Tourism the Hon. Edmund Bartlett (at left) and Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation Arnold Donald (at right) share a light moment from their meeting in Miami, Florida last week.
Minister Bartlett continued, “With the return of stopover visitor arrivals since June 2020, we have been seeing steady growth towards pre-COVID-19 levels. Now that cruise is also back, we are looking forward to even stronger growth in our numbers. While there are a few matters we still need to resolve with regard to Royal Caribbean’s return, all requirements have been put in place to meet both United States and Jamaica’s COVID-19 protocols in addition to passenger movement being limited to our Resilient Corridors.”
“With a boost in cruises to Jamaica, we will in turn see a boost to the economic and social livelihoods of thousands of Jamaicans who work directly and indirectly in our cruise sector, providing a positive impact for many,” Minister Bartlett concluded.
Minister of Tourism the Hon. Edmund Bartlett (3rd from right) is pictured with Royal Caribbean International’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Donna Hrinak (4th from right) and from left to right, Ministry of Tourism Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright; Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Deputy Director for the Americas, Donnie Dawson; Chairman of the JTB, John Lynch; Royal Caribbean International’s Vice President of Worldwide Port Operations, Hernan Zini; Director of Tourism, Donovan White and Royal Caribbean International’s Vice President of Government Relations, Russell Benford.
Royal Caribbean intends to resume cruises with limited operations as of November, following over a year and a half hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Calls to Jamaica from the line have the potential to bring tens of thousands of passengers into the destination. Plans from Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line, include 110+ cruise ship visits by its various brands that could carry more than 200,000 visitors to the island between October 2021 and April 2022. These operations are subject to continued close collaboration between Jamaican authorities and the cruise lines.
These cruise updates were provided during meetings with Royal Caribbean and Carnival last week in Miami. They were among a series of meetings held with travel industry leaders, including major airlines and investors, across Jamaica’s largest source markets of the United States and Canada. The purpose of these meetings is to drive increased arrivals into the destination in the coming weeks and months and to cement further investment in the island’s tourism sector. Joining Minister Bartlett at these meetings was the Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board, John Lynch; Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Senior Strategist in the Tourism Ministry, Delano Seiveright and Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas, Donnie Dawson.
Jamaica resumed welcoming cruise ships safely back to its shores in September 2021. Cruises must meet strict measures governing the restart of cruise shipping, requiring passengers over the age of 12 and crew to be fully vaccinated and for all passengers to provide evidence of negative results from a COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of sailing. In the case of unvaccinated passengers, such as children, a PCR test is mandated, and all passengers are also screened and tested (antigen) on embarkation.
Jamaica remains open for travel and continues to welcome visitors safely. It’s health and safety protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels recognition that allowed the destination to safely reopen to travel in June 2020. The island has also recently announced additional airlift from key source markets and ninety percent of planned tourist investments remaining on track.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.
Last year, the JTB was declared the Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board by the World Travel Awards (WTA) for the 13th consecutive year and Jamaica was named the Caribbean’s Leading Destination for the 15th consecutive year as well as the Caribbean’s Best Spa Destination and the Caribbean’s Best MICE Destination. As well, Jamaica copped the WTA’s World’s Leading Wedding Destination, the World’s Leading Cruise Destination, and the World’s Leading Family Destination. Additionally, Jamaica was awarded three gold 2020 Travvy Awards for Best Culinary Destination, Caribbean/Bahamas. The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) named Jamaica the 2020 Destination of the Year for Sustainable Tourism. In 2019, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #1 Caribbean Destination and #14 Best Destination in the World. Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition.
The Mandeville Regional Hospital’s (MRH) Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Department in Manchester has received rigid laryngoscopes, chest support unit and biopsy faucets equipment valued at J$1.5 million to detect and treat laryngeal cancers, the sixth most common cancer in men.
The donation was made to the ENT department on Thursday, May 6 at the MRH, by the Manchester Wellness Foundation, which has adopted the ENT department. The Foundation donates millions to purchasing well needed equipment and instruments for the hospital annually.
(Left to right) MRH ENT Consultant, Dr. Andrew Manning; Manchester Wellness Foundation Nadine Sinclair; MRH Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Everton McIntosh and MRH CEO, Alwyn Miller examine the equipment donated to the hospital.
ENT Consultant at the hospital, Dr. Andrew Manning explained that persons would have to travel to either Kingston or Montego Bay to access these services; however, with the acquisition of the state-of-the-art equipment, the services will now be available to central Jamaica.
“If you detect laryngeal cancer you can save someone’s life without having to resort to major surgery. If you don’t catch it early enough it’s quite debilitating and presents the person with severe difficulties, for example if the mass grows to a certain size you won’t be able to breathe. We actually do laryngoscopy here (MRH) but we have been using older equipment for some time. This equipment represents state-of-the-art, modern equipment and we are able to use it with some other bits of equipment that we had before” Dr. Manning explained.
MRH ENT Consultant, Dr. Andrew Manning shows the use of one of the pieces of equipment donated to the hospital on Thursday, May 6.
“To put it into perspective, if someone presents to us with certain symptoms, persistent hoarseness being the main symptom, we are able to
see that patient, take that patient to theatre and under general anaesthesia we can safely do a biopsy and send it to the pathologist and confirm the diagnosis. If we catch it early enough, say stage one or two, we can send the patient either to Montego Bay or Kingston and the Government has recently acquired a linear accelerator so we can treat
these patients with minimum morbidity and treat it at an early stage so you are saving that person a lot of trauma” Dr. Manning added.
The ENT Consultant pointed out that having the service at the hospital will cut down on the waiting times in the public system, adding that: “once you can make the diagnosis early you should be able to treat more persons early. If you treat somebody with radiotherapy it means you don’t have to have a major surgery and that person doesn’t have to come into hospital and stay in bed and use up a lot of oxygen and anaesthesia, so all of this helps towards that.”
CEO for the hospital, Alwyn Miller thanked the Manchester Wellness Foundation noting that without their intervention, it would have been unlikely for the hospital to procure the equipment on their own.
“We are very thankful and this will continue to help us as a hospital and the ENT service to respond to emergencies and other selective circumstances. We are very pleased about this partnership which dates back several years and without a doubt, persons outside of the parish will be able to benefit from the improved services from the equipment” Mr. Miller said.
For her part, Chairman of the Foundation, Nadine Sinclair noted that the Foundation is honoured to be able to partner with the medical services in the Manchester region and help to improve services in the ENT and other departments in the hospital.
She noted that since the establishment of the Foundation in 2003, the Foundation has raised and disbursed more than J$ 19 million to health facilities in Manchester; through two major fundraising events, a run walk and a vintage party.
Matron of the Golden Age Home in Franklyn Town St Andrew Eunice Adeoye (far left) was on hand for the donation of $164,000 by the Jamaica Rifle Association (JRA) on December 21 to bring cheer to residents of the facility, the largest of its kind in Jamaica. The donation was made on the grounds of the JRA where President Maj (Ret’d) D John Nelson (right) said that the members of the JRA recognised the home as a part of its community and thanked the staff for the high level of care that they have been delivering to the vulnerable residents throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Making the presentation to the Golden Age Home General Manager, Mrs Sonia Foster Fobes, was JRA Pistol Captain Mr Paul Shoucair. Mrs Foster Forbes welcomed the gift and promised the JRA that they would be invited to visit as soon as pandemic restrictions were lifted. The donation was part proceeds of pistol events that were held during 2020.