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

Cancer-treatment equipment coming -- Ferguson

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — Health Minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson, says that discussions are advanced with a leading Canadian hospital for the acquisition of equipment to improve cancer treatment in the local public health sector.

Ferguson said that during a recent visit to Canada, he was able to make “significant progress” with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for the supply of two Linear Accelerator machines, which are used for radiotherapy treatment.“We are closer to achieving our objective of getting two Linear Accelerator machines. As it is now, we only have one in the private sector, and we are moving to have two in the public sector,” the Minister said, while addressing Friday’s (August 30) groundbreaking ceremony for expansion of the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann.He stated that the acquisition of the machines “will take a tremendous burden off our cancer patients”. Dr Ferguson said that the Government is committed to reducing the cost of cancer treatment and care.“Cancer care remains a burden for individuals and families, and part of my mandate is to work to get cancer care down to a certain manageable level. There is a particular drug that is going at over J$200,000 per dose, and for persons with breast cancer, you need 18 doses. We must find a way to get those prices down,” he stated.The Minister said that even as he works on improving care, he also has to encourage Jamaicans to adopt healthier lifestyle choices to reduce cancers and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).“This is why I have been so steadfast in my arguments against smoking in specified public places. We are facing a debilitating problem where NCDs are concerned. High blood pressure, diabetics, cancer, respiratory diseases; these NCDs are responsible for over 70 per cent of deaths in Jamaica,” he said.JISLike our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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Cancer-treatment equipment coming -- Ferguson

PAJ chides Asafa"s attorney for seizing journalists’ equipment

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) has described as alarming the action of attorney Milton Samuda in confiscating journalists’ equipment after an interview with Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson earlier this week.

The PAJ, in a statement Thursday, argued that except for threat to life or a Court Order, journalists should under no circumstances hand over notes or recordings to parties outside of their professional supervision.According to the PAJ video recordings of two journalists were seized by Samuda on Tuesday July 23 after an interview with the athletes. The interview was granted in light of positive tests for the banned substance ‘Oxilofrine’ on the part of both athletes and the subsequent controversy involving their trainer. Samuda is the attorney-at-law for Powell and Simpson.“During the interview when certain questions were raised about the supplements — the number of supplements they were taking before Christopher Xuereb was hired and how many they were taking after, as well as what they knew about the substance Oxilofrine, Samuda intervened and objected to those questions indicating that they had not previously agreed to answering those queries,” the PAJ statement said.“Mr Samuda then demanded both video recordings, and these were handed over.” The PAJ said the tapes were returned a day later with the interview erased and an edited version substituted.“We call on Mr Samuda to clearly state his position in what appears to be a conflict of interest in this matter. As guardians of freedom of expression and democracy this compromise of journalistic integrity cannot be tolerated,” the PAJ insisted.Samuda is also chairman of TVJ and Director of Radio Jamaica.“The commitment of journalists is to the public and we must use every opportunity to ask important questions without fear or favour. The information relayed must stand up to professional scrutiny.“It is our responsibility to ensure that information presented to the public is without bias and meets the standard of fairness and balance and in this case we cannot truly vouch that the information coming out of the edited interview met this criteria,” the PAJ said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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PAJ chides Asafa"s attorney for seizing journalists’ equipment

US gives Fire Brigade J$1m in equipment

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Jamaica Fire Brigade received water and structural rescue kit equipment valued at some $1 million, to further strengthen its search and rescue operations in six parishes

The equipment, which has been donated by the United States Southern Command, in partnership with the US Embassy in Jamaica, was handed over to Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Laurie Williams, at the York Park Fire Station, in Kingston, on June 28.Included in the items are self-contained breathing apparatus, portable lighting, helmets, chain saws, holding shovels, and water rescue and flotation devices.They will be deployed to the York Park, Trench Town and Stony Hill Fire Stations in Kingston and St Andrew; the Falmouth Fire Station in Trelawny; the Port Maria Fire Station in St Mary; and the Ocho Rios Fire Station in St Ann.Commissioner Williams, in expressing gratitude to the US Government, assured that the tools will be utilised with professionalism and true commitment to duty. He noted that the donation is quite timely, as it coincides with the start of Hurricane Season. “This is a time when we may be called on again to do our part in saving lives and protecting property,” Williams said.Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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US gives Fire Brigade J$1m in equipment

US gives Fire Brigade J$1m in equipment

News

Saturday, June 29, 2013 | 11:14 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Jamaica Fire Brigade received water and structural rescue kit equipment valued at some $1 million, to further strengthen its search and rescue operations in six parishesThe equipment, which has been donated by the United States Southern Command, in partnership with the US Embassy in Jamaica, was handed over to Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Laurie Williams, at the York Park Fire Station, in Kingston, on June 28.Included in the items are self-contained breathing apparatus, portable lighting, helmets, chain saws, holding shovels, and water rescue and flotation devices.They will be deployed to the York Park, Trench Town and Stony Hill Fire Stations in Kingston and St Andrew; the Falmouth Fire Station in Trelawny; the Port Maria Fire Station in St Mary; and the Ocho Rios Fire Station in St Ann.Commissioner Williams, in expressing gratitude to the US Government, assured that the tools will be utilised with professionalism and true commitment to duty. He noted that the donation is quite timely, as it coincides with the start of Hurricane Season. “This is a time when we may be called on again to do our part in saving lives and protecting property,” Williams said.

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US gives Fire Brigade J$1m in equipment