Breezes health clinic benefits hundreds

RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann:

Breezes Runaway Bay, with the help of over 50 medical specialists from Health Care International (HCI), recently conducted a health clinic for more than 100 staff members and their families and nearly 200 students at Hoolebury Primary School in Runaway Bay.

The HCI is a voluntary organisation that provides free health care to needy persons.

At Hoolebury, 198 students benefited from dental care that included fillings and extractions and gifts of toothpaste and toothbrushes. They were also lectured on how to care for their teeth.

Principal of the school, Desland Pennant, expressed gratitude to the staff of Breezes Runaway Bay and HCI for providing the well-needed clinic, especially at a time when Jamaicans are facing more economic challenges because of the global financial recession.

Ashford Kelly, president of the Breezes Staff Association, played an instrumental role in pulling together the two clinics. He said it is very important to him to do all within his capacity to ensure that the staff is well taken care of and the children in and around the Runaway Bay community also get the well-needed health care.

- Carl Gilchrist

Foster resigns as head of HEART Trust

KINGSTON:

Donald Foster, executive director of the HEART Trust/National Training Agency, has resigned effective March 31, having indicated his intention not to renew his contract.

Foster will go on vacation leave on February 2 and Paulette Dunn-Smith, the senior director responsible for the National Council on Technical Vocational Education and Training (NCTVET), has been appointed to act as executive director.

The HEART Trust/NTA thanked Foster for his 14 years of service to the organisation as national programmes director, chief technical director and as executive director.

- Contributed

Fisher calls for vehicle for Balaclava police

BALACLAVA, St Elizabeth:

In light of the recent spate of break-ins and robberies in the Balaclava area of St Elizabeth, councillor for the division, Everton Fisher, has written to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Richard Reese, asking for additional resources for the police.

The Balaclava Police Station has no operational service vehicles, preventing police personnel from responding in a timely manner to the residents' calls for assistance.

In a letter dated January 27, Councillor Fisher said: "Kindly take the necessary steps to effect repairs or replace the service vehicle assigned to the Balaclava Police Station. The only vehicle at the facility has been out of use for some time and has subsequently been causing severe hardship to the officers in executing their duties, as they have to be relying on help from the Siloah and Black River police stations, which are situated approximately 10 miles away from the area."

When contacted, commanding officer in charge of the St Elizabeth Police Division, Howard Francis, confirmed that the lone service vehicle at the Balaclava Police Station has been out of service due to mechanical problems.

- Rayon Dyer

Man to face court for copyright breach

SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland:

As the Westmoreland Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) continues its crackdown against breaches of the Copyright Act, a merchandiser is to face the Savanna-la-Mar Night Courts on February 9.

Roydell Murray, 31, has been charged with 10 counts of breaching of the Copyright Act.

According to the police, during an operation in the Burnt Savannah district, Mr Murray was seen in a shop negotiating the sale of bootlegged DVDs. He was taken into custody and charged and the DVDs confiscated.

During the same operation, a businesswoman was charged with breaching the Spirit Licence Act.

Calisha Kerr, 27, was charged after she was caught selling distilled alcohol without the relevant spirit licence.

She is also scheduled to appear in the Savanna-la-Mar Night Court on February 9.

Since the start of the year, members of the Westmoreland ISCF has stepped up their operation against breaches of the Spirit Licence, Public Health and Copyright acts.

- Neville Paul

State-of-the-art machine for hospital

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

A state-of-the-art anaesthetic machine, valued at over $3.5 million, has been handed over to the Mandeville Regional Hospital, in Manchester, by the Rotary club of Mandeville.

Making the presentation on January 23, president of the club, McClooney Blair, said in its drive to serve the community, the club has used local fund-raising ventures, and help from its international partners, to acquire medical equipment to boost service delivery at the hospital.

"This is to ensure that the Mandeville Regional Hospital is well equipped to deal with patient care. And, although we are faced with daunting economic prospects, we proceed with our project, and with the help of Rotary International and the Rotary Club of Cape Coral, we are able to hand over this state-of-the-art equipment, and I assure you that before the Rotary year ends, we will hand over more medical equipment to this hospital," Mr Blair said.

CEO of the hospital, Paulette Elliot, said that the Rotarians have put the institution in a position to treat patients with the latest medical technology available.

"You have worked hard for this, and I want to thank you for your continued friendship and partnership. This equipment will be most beneficial in the delivery of health care at this hospital, and we can now boast that all our theatres are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. We are better positioned to deliver quality health care to our patients," Elliot said.

- JIS News