OCHO RIOS, Jamaica – Clearing the land at the future site of the Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Centre has started in Richmond, St Ann.
Health centres in Jamaica exist to provide primary care, taking the strain off the local public hospitals. The Mary Issa Health Center will specifically cater to children and young people, offering pediatric healthcare and adolescent services to the youth of the Ocho Rios and general area with a holistic approach that considers not only the physical, but the mental and social support for young people.
Issa Trust Foundation chairman, Paul Issa, for whose grandmother the health centre will be named, was present at the clearing of the land. He expressed gratitude that that so many businesses, and individuals and other foundations have joined forces.to support the creation of the new Mary Issa Health Centre in St Ann. It will be the first health centre in Jamaica catering exclusively to children and adolescents.
Diane Pollard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Issa Trust Foundation, said the importance of the Mary Issa pediatric and adolescent health centre to Jamaica will be monumental. “The health centre will not only fill a critical gap in St. Mary and St. Ann, but also across the island by providing primary care in an atmosphere that engages both patients and families in a multifaceted service that address physical, mental, and social support needs,” said Pollard.
In addition to offering preventative services, the centre plans to operate specialty clinics in cardiology, nephrology, gastroenterology, oncology, vision, and hearing tests, just to name a few. Jamaica lags behind international standards with respect to its capacity to deliver mental health services to its population. These among other primary and specialty health programmes will be the focus of the Mary Issa Health Centre.
Issa Trust Foundation Medical Team Conducts Week Long Hospital Visits
