Michael Bernard, president of the Shipping Association of Jamaica, speaking at the launch of the Edna Manley College leg of the Jamaica Wellness Tour to focus on healthy lifestyles. Also pictured are (from left): Professor Errol Morrison, president of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains; Burchell Duhaney, principal of the Edna Manley College; and Cheryl Sloley, vice-president of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains. - CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
THE JAMAICA Wellness Tour, which was officially launched on April 10, has moved on to the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts. The college community and residents of the surrounding areas have been receiving low-cost medical tests in the Shipping Association of Jamaica's mobile clinic since May 29, and the clinic will be open until June 9 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Minister of Education, Maxine Henry-Wilson, who is also Member of Parliament for the area, was present at the launch of the clinic last week. The minister praised the sponsors and organisers of the Jamaica Wellness Tour for their initiative in promoting preventative medical care to those most in need.
PROJECT
The tour is a project of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains in association with the Shipping Association of Jamaica, Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited (BCJL) and the Diabetes Association of Jamaica (DAJ). On the first leg of the tour, the SAJ's mobile clinic was based at the parking lot of the University of the West Indies Health Centre from April 10 to 13, providing health tests to the university population and hundreds of residents of surrounding communities such as August Town, Hermitage and Tavern.
Second stop of the tour was at the New Providence Primary School in Liguanea, during May, where tests were offered to members of the school community and the surrounding communities.
At the launch of the third leg, Professor Errol Morrison, president of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains, noted that the Jamaica Wellness Tour was keeping with its objectives of:
Providing medical screening facilities to those persons who face the greatest challenge in accessing such services.
Increasing the awareness of Jamaicans on the need to adopt healthy lifestyles and preventive approaches to personal health care.
In his address at the launch, Michael Bernard, president of the SAJ, noted that his organisation was heartened to see its mobile clinic "playing an integral role in bringing health services to those most in need." He used the opportunity to thank Marine Haulage and Services Ltd., and its CEO Roger Hinds, for taking the mobile clinic to and from locations during the tour.
Burchell Duhaney, principal of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, thanked the sponsors of the tour for bringing the clinic to serve the college and general community. Duhaney is also a director of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains.
BCJL, SAJ and the DAJ are providing medical personnel, equipment and supplies for the medical tests that include heart and blood pressure tests; eye screening, blood sugar and cholesterol level tests and hearing checks. Solid Insurance Brokers have contributed strips for blood-sugar tests. The Jamaica Wellness Tour will be taken all over Jamaica during the year.
