Foundation donates US$38,000 to purchase thermal sensing unit

Tuesday, January 06, 2015 | 6:32 PM    

NEW YORK (JIS) – The Vincent HoSang Family Foundation (VHFF) has donated US$38,000 to purchase a walk-through thermal sensing unit to be installed at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston as part of Jamaica’s Ebola preparedness and response activities.

The cheque presentation, which took place on December 22, followed an appeal by the Jamaican Consulate in New York, which is spearheading the Jamaica Ebola Prevention Programme’s response activities in the Diaspora.  

“After hearing the Jamaican Consulate’s appeal…outlining the urgency for Jamaica’s preparedness against the Ebola virus, it resonated with me,” said Vincent HoSang, Chairman of the VHFF.

The donation will cover the cost of one of five thermal scanning machines needed.  

“The Jamaica Ebola Prevention Programme calls for the urgent procurement of several items, including five state-of-the-art thermal scanning machines,” Jamaica’s Consul General, Herman LaMont said.

 “The Consulate is extremely appreciative and thankful that the VHFF has responded to the call for assistance,” he added.

LaMont said he is particularly thrilled that the Diaspora can join forces with corporate Jamaica to fight the threat of the deadly Ebola virus.  

The donation is the third of its kind, as two similar thermal scanning machines are earmarked for the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and the Falmouth Cruise Ship Complex in Trelawny, donated by Jamaica-based Sagicor Insurance Group and Supreme Ventures, respectively.

The VHFF is Jamaican-owned and is an affiliate of food company Caribbean Food Delights.

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Foundation donates US$38,000 to purchase thermal sensing unit

Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run donates equipment to UHWI Special Care Unit

SAGICOR Group Jamaica yesterday presented the Special Care Unit of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) with medical equipment valued at $6.2m as part proceeds from the Sigma Corporate Run.

The annual 5K walk, run and wheelchair road race which took place in February, garnered over $21m, the most in the 16-year history of the event.

With a theme of “Save Our Children, Save Our Future 2014″ tagline, the Special Care Nursery was the recipient of two ventilators and accessories.

It is a part of the department of Child Health at the hospital that specialises in infectious diseases, development and behavioural paediatrics, cardiology, endocrinology, neonatology, nephrology, neurology, pulmonology and other subspecialties managed in conjunction with other specialties.

Dr Cecil White, CEO of the University Hospital of the West Indies, thanked Sagicor.

“We are extremely grateful as these machines you can see here are extremely expensive and are valuable to us. We can’t measure how valuable they are to us,” said Dr White.

Earlier this year, Sagicor presented three other beneficiaries with well-needed equipment and contracted services from the over $21m raised. They included the Sickle Cell Unit at the University Hospital; Sickle Cell Trust in Mandeville and Jamaica Kidney Kids Foundation.

Professor Minerva Thame, head of the department of Child Health at the University Hospital of the West Indies, pointed out that the donation has purchased vital equipment.

“When we got the two ventilators and were setting them up, we had two babies that were born the day before and both of them would have needed a ventilator because they have something that is called a respiratory distress syndrome, and they would have got progressively worse. Fortunately for them, both ventilators were set up and both have been beneficiaries of these ventilators,” said Thame.

“We are very grateful to be one of the beneficiaries of the Sigma Run. These pieces of equipment are important in the care of the newborn and will help to improve the level and quality of health care that we deliver as we work to save their lives,” said Thame.

Meanwhile, Ingrid Card, Sagicor’s group marketing assistant vice-president, said the support from Jamaicans was overwhelming.

“We want to thank every single person that registered, donated and volunteered to make a difference. Sigma Corporate Runs shows that when Jamaicans unite we can do anything,” said Card.

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Sagicor Sigma Corporate Run donates equipment to UHWI Special Care Unit