ATLANTA – Jamaica’s honorary consul to Atlanta, Mrs. Jewel Scott, has praised the Atlanta-Montego Bay Sister City Health Mission for providing over US$80 million in medical supplies and services and treating over 47,000 patients over the past 20 years.
“This assistance to Montego Bay, in the critical area of healthcare, represents a major contribution towards the nation’s health sector and therefore towards the country’s development,” said honorary consul Scott.
Addressing the Atlanta-Montego Bay Sister City 14th annual fundraising banquet at the Atlanta Marriott Century Hotel on Saturday, September 20, 2014, Mrs. Scott said, “Each year your health mission team comes together and your members and supporters give selflessly to address the healthcare needs of Montego Bay. I want to thank and praise you for this remarkable, tangible expression of love for Jamaica.”
She pointed out that the assistance given to Montego Bay by the health mission in the critical area of healthcare cannot be taken lightly, as it represents a major contribution towards the nation’s healthcare sector and therefore towards the country’s development.
Mrs. Scott also had high praise for the sister cities committee as well as members of the medical team who she said comprise some of the finest physicians, nurses and volunteers who journey to Montego Bay every year to deliver healthcare at no cost, the ultimate definition of a labor of love.
In paying tribute to the late founder of the Atlanta Montego Bay Sister Cities Committee and former Honorary Consul to Atlanta, Mr. Vin Martin, Mrs. Scott said, “He was truly a gentle giant whose life was the epitome of patriotism at its best, especially during his sixteen years as Jamaica’s Honorary Consul in Atlanta.
As chairman of the Atlanta Montego Bay Sister Cities Committee, he played an integral role in conceptualizing the annual volunteer mission to Montego Bay and in making it a reality. He believed in doing whatever he could to advance initiatives to strengthen the economy, educational, cultural and healthcare ties between the cities of Atlanta and Montego Bay.
Fifty volunteers and medical personnel will journey to Montego Bay for the staging of the 21st Atlanta Montego Bay health mission from October 6 – 9. The yearly health mission is undertaken in association with the St. James Parish Council and is facilitated by the St. James health department. This is one of the main events staged to coincide with the annual commemoration of Montego Bay achieving city status in October 1980.
