Mairs family invests $5m to adopt Grange Hill clinic in Westmoreland
Published:Monday | October 9, 2023 | 12:07 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau
In the community of Grange Hill, Westmoreland, the hopes of roughly 30,000 residents of a state-of-the-art healthcare facility operating close to their homes have begun to take shape.
Their desires are being made possible through the Mairs Family Office, which has adopted the Grange Hill Health Centre, investing $5 million over a period of five years initially under the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Adopt-A-Clinic Programme.
Community Connection
Kadeen Mairs, founder and director of the Mairs Family Office, said it feels fulfilling to give back to the healthcare sector and the community that raised him for many years.
“Today we decided to adopt the clinic, and every year we will put in $1 million that will go towards the facility, making the clinic more hospitable to the patients and to the staff, and ensuring that the necessary equipment is in place, whether it is the dental department or any other aspect of the medical facility,” said Mairs, who is also founder and former CEO of Dolla Financial Services Ltd.
The young businessman, who is a native of Grange Hill, said he could remember the days his grandmother carried him to the clinic time and time again to be medically examined, to dress a cut, or to be relieved of a fever or cold when all home remedies failed to work.
Mairs said his family’s investment in the Grange Hill Health Centre forms part of efforts to ensure there is good healthcare in the community, and that the facility is in excellent working condition, capable of meeting the community’s needs.
“Also, to lead by example, so that others can be inspired and give back to their community and to meet the needs of the people in Grange Hill,” Mairs, who is one of Jamaica’s youngest self-made billionaires according to his quoted value of holdings, told The Gleaner following a ceremony to adopt the Grange Hill Health Centre on Friday.
LOCAL RESIDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES
Cedric Vidal, 66, of Belle Isle Road in the community, said all his healthcare needs have been processed at the type 3 Grange Hill Health Centre. He is now looking forward to even better services now that private-sector interests have decided to invest in the clinic.
“It can only get better now that private people have decided to spend some money on the facility,” Vidal told The Gleaner.
“It is a good look, and I hope it really gets better,” said the senior citizen, who was at the clinic for one of his regular visits.
Lorna Mitchell, a 63-year-old resident of Geneva district in Grange Hill, noted that the community’s healthcare facility is where she has received all her medical treatment over the past 50 years.
“It is good that private people have decided to invest and lift the profile and aesthetic of the clinic,” Mitchell said.
According to the Geneva senior citizen, while she has been able to get her regular examinations, including accessing all her medication, the road condition to the clinic at times makes the journey painful for her and several others, even after a doctor’s visit.
“My main concern is the road to get here (to the clinic). When you see the doctor and you leave for home, it is like you are still sick because of the bad road condition, which has deteriorated over many decades now,’ she explained.
According to Mitchell, “if we are not careful, the poor road conditions can force many of us to travel to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, and we hear that there isn’t any space down there.”
Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness, said that of the approximately 100 healthcare centres designated for adoption, close to half have already been adopted by private-sector interests.
ADOPTION
“So far, there have been more than 47 adoptions with a donor commitment of more than J$195 million over the last three years,” Tufton told residents in Grange Hill.
“Today is also a great day to solidify the support and partnership of another of our outstanding contributors. In this regard, I say thanks to our donor partners, the Mairs Family Office, without whom today would not be possible,” the minister noted.
He said Friday’s adoption of the Grange Hill Health Centre represents another milestone in the Adopt-A-Clinic Programme.
“Each time we come together like this, we are moving one step closer to better service to Jamaica. Once again, my thanks to our donor for their support and partnership. I look forward to future collaborations, and trust that the users of this facility and the team working here appreciate those contributions and will help to sustain the improvements,” Tufton stated.
Morland Wilson, the member of parliament for Westmoreland Western, praised the Mairs family for their investment, saying that it was an example of responsible business practices when successful business owners give back to their communities.
“I am quite elated, and I want to thank the Mairs family for coming on board to adopt the clinic,” Wilson said.
“This initiative by the minister of health is spectacular, and it helps to bolster and develop the infrastructure and capacity of our health sector,” he continued. And that within itself will enable the Government to provide better healthcare for all the citizens in the parish, not just for Westmoreland Western.”
The Grange Hill Health Centre is under the umbrella of the Western Regional Health Authority, providing primary healthcare services to some 30,000 people who live in the surrounding communities, including Crowder, Sterling, Church Lincoln, Belle Isle Road, Race Course, Top Lincoln, Mint Road, and Geneva, among others.
On average, the health centre caters to more than 1,000 patients monthly, and they benefit from services that include but are not limited to child health; antenatal, postnatal and family planning services; dental, curative, immunological, and family counselling services; as well as home visits.