Cornwall Regional Hospital gets J$6m gift, more to come

Western Bureau:

We Care for Cornwall Regional Hospital, the enterprising group of Jamaicans working to assist the Montego Bay-based medical facility, will be heading to the institution shortly to present the administration with a $6-million gift to purchase badly needed equipment to improve service delivery, especially for blood transfusions for young children.

The money comes courtesy of the inaugural staging of the Rainforest Seafood Festival, which was staged in Montego Bay on Ash Wednesday by the group, which was founded in 2011 by some of Jamaica's leading business personalities who felt the need to enrich and inspire the lives of residents of western Jamaica who rely on the Cornwall Regional Hospital for health care.

"We believe that Jamaicans deserve the very best in medical care, which Cornwall Regional Hospital cannot deliver because it needs significant help," said the charity's representative, Brian Jardim, CEO of Rainforest Seafood Limited. "So we have embarked on this annual festival to raise funds for the hospital, initially targeting the paediatric ward.

"We think that if successful, the annual event will become a major plank in our efforts to make a difference at the hospital," added Jardim.

The charity organisation, which was launched at Sandals Montego Bay last May, has renowned business personalities such as Adam Stewart, Eleanor Miller, Mark Hart, and Brian Jardim spearheading the bid to work closely with hospital professionals and the Ministry of Health to identify operational weaknesses and equipment needs.

"Judging by the success of the first one, the event looks set to become the largest charity festival in the entire English-speaking Caribbean," said Jardim's son, Max, who heads projects at Rainforest. "I want to encourage all Jamaicans to come on-board with us and support the event each year … . We are trying to emulate the huge success which Shaggy has had in raising funds for the Bustamante children's hospital in Kingston."

AMAZING SUPPORT

Commenting on the overwhelming support the Rainforest Seafood Festival got, Adam Stewart, chief executive officer of the Sandals/ATL Group, said it was "nothing short of amazing".

"Rainforest Seafood Limited did a fantastic job in conceptualising, promoting, and executing the Rainforest Seafood Festival, and we are extremely grateful to them. We can all make a difference in the lives of users of the Montego Bay hospital," Stewart said.

"Since the start of the We Care for Cornwall Regional Hospital initiative, funds raised have gone into providing much-needed life-saving equipment such as vital-signs monitors, intravenous drip stands, nebulizers, computers, and upgrade to the infrastructure of the hospital, specifically the paediatric ward, the visitors' lobby, restrooms, and the playroom," explained Stewart.

Sharon Ffolkes-Abrahams, minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, in whose constituency the hospital is located, said she fully endorsed the initiative.

"The work that you are doing for the people of Jamaica is of the utmost importance," said Ffolkes-Abrahams, noting that the Cornwall Regional Hospital was the only hospital outside of Kingston that provided specialist services. "What you are doing will greatly assist in meeting the total health needs of the people, not only of the residents of St James, but also those of other parishes in the county of Cornwall."