Eager students waited in anticipation to get their eyes tested and to be seen by a doctor February 17 at the New Providence Primary School in Barbican as the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plans (RCLP), opened 'Wellness Tour 2009'.

In its fourth year, the SAJ/RCLP Wellness Tour targets communities across the island with the aim to provide well-needed medical attention to community members. Offerings include checks for hypertension, diabetes screening, optical screening and other general medical check-ups.

Thanks

Speaking at the launch, Michael Bernard, president of the Rotary Club of Liguanea Plains, as well as immediate past president of the SAJ, thanked the various partners who have made the mobile clinic a success - the SAJ who owns the mobile clinic; the Diabetes Foundation of Jamaica; Foundation for International Self Help (FISH); SecuriPro; Atlas Security; Marine Haulage and Maritime and Transport Limited.

"One of the missions of the club is to reduce infant mortality rate and what better place to begin our work than New Providence, which is our adopted school. We look forward to moving across the island and providing health care to people in other communities," Bernard said.

Myrtle Fletcher, eye screening technician and maintenance manager of FISH, thanked the SAJ and the Rotary club for the invitation to partner to give back to back to the community.

"We are very happy to assist with the children because there are a lot of children with eye problems in schools and it is very good to partner with organisations like the SAJ and Rotary to go into these schools and offer assistance," Mrs Fletcher said.

Medical and dental screening

She also informed the group that FISH offers more than just eye screening but also medical and dental screening. Sharlene Keane, medical technician, Diabetes Association, reiterated the association's commitment to the Wellness Tour, adding that the association will continue to provide basic screening and blood-sugar tests at the clinic as it travels across the island.

The five-day clinic offered optical and medical services to students of the New Providence Primary school as well as residents of the surrounding community. Close to 400 patients received medical attention.

The SAJ/RCLP Wellness Tour was launched in 2005 with the aim to provide medical screening facilities to individuals who face challenges accessing such services.