Diaspora group donates $60m in supplies to Percy Junor Hospital

The partnership between United States-based non-profit Right Now For Jamaica (RNFJ) and Percy Junor Hospital in Clarendon has delivered more than $60 million worth of medical equipment and supplies to the institution.

The total was boosted by the official handover of supplies valued at approximately US$400,000 last Friday.

The donation includes hospital beds, resuscitation equipment, IV poles, recliners, mattresses, overbed tables, tablets, computers, and a range of medical and patient-care supplies.

The equipment is expected to improve patient care and strengthen the hospital’s capacity to meet demand.

RNFJ is a Maryland-based diaspora organisation that supports healthcare and community development initiatives in Jamaica.

Delivering the keynote address at the handover ceremony, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Efficiency, Innovation and Digital Transformation, Ambassador Audrey Marks, commended RNFJ for its swift response in identifying and addressing the needs of the Percy Junor Hospital following Hurricane Melissa.

She praised the organisation for visiting the facility, consulting staff, and directing support where it was most needed.

“They saw the pressure on the operating theatre, the needs of the paediatric unit, and the challenges affecting out-patient services. We talked about equipment, rehabilitation, trauma readiness, digital systems, and the clinical environment in which healthcare professionals were asked to work. We saw a team of doctors and nurses doing their best with what was available to them,” Marks said.

The minister also commended hospital staff for their commitment to patient care despite resource constraints.

She noted that in the weeks following Hurricane Melissa, Percy Junor Hospital treated patients from as far away as St Elizabeth, underscoring its critical role in the region’s healthcare system.

Ambassador Marks recalled that when RNFJ unveiled the RNFJ-PJH Ambulatory Clinic earlier this year, a $30 million modular container-based facility, the organisation made clear that it wanted more than a makeshift clinic.

She noted that the facility was designed with eight fully equipped examination rooms, triage capacity, procedural surgical care, office space, patient recovery bays, and support for primary care, paediatric services, and specialist consultations.

“Critically, resilience has been built into the facility, with backup power, an independent water supply, and off-grid capabilities,” the minister added.

Highlighting the clinic’s digital component, Ambassador Marks said the tablets and computers donated by RNFJ would help facilitate Percy Junor Hospital’s planned transition to an electronic medical records system.

RNFJ President Dr Maurice Miles said the organisation was formed by a group of diaspora Jamaicans in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa to support the country’s recovery efforts.

He said many members have backgrounds in healthcare and education and travelled to Jamaica last November to assess the hurricane’s impact and identify areas of greatest need.

Based on those assessments, Dr Miles said the group selected Percy Junor Hospital as its primary focus, paving the way for the partnership that now exists between RNFJ and the institution.

Meanwhile, RNFJ Director Rosalee Gordon said the foundation’s goal is to support the team at Percy Junor Hospital in delivering quality care, highlighting members’ deep love for Jamaica despite living overseas.

Gordon said that in addition to healthcare, education remains a key focus because it is the engine that drives opportunity. She noted that RNFJ is, therefore, committed to supporting both sectors.

She also acknowledged the contributions of Matter NGO and Yassuh, a Jamaican-founded company, for their consistent support whenever called upon.

Gordon further lauded the many contacts, partnerships, and relationships the organisation leverages to carry out its work.

RNFJ Vice-President Dr Trudy Hall, who was also in attendance, said she was honoured to help bridge critical gaps and provide resources to support the exceptional care healthcare workers deliver daily.

“Every day you save a life, a child is cared for … every day someone gets care to go back home to their families. RNFJ is here as a long-term partner to help you do that,” she stated.