Spanish Town residents enjoy free health fair
Published:Saturday | July 6, 2013 | 12:00 AM
Karen Sudu, Gleaner Writer
SPANISH TOWN, St Catherine:
CHERYL THOMAS of Spanish Town, St Catherine, wanted her tooth extracted for some time. But financial challenges caused her to delay the visit to the dentist on several occasions.
So she welcomed the opportunity to get a free extraction at the Kiwanis Club of the First City's health fair held at the St Jago Park Health Centre recently.
"I am grateful for the chance to get my tooth pulled for free, and they pull teeth very good," Thomas, one of the scores of beneficiaries of the health fair, told The Gleaner.
It was the 10th time that a team under the leadership of Elloreese Burrell, retired Jamaican registered nurse, and Pastor W. James Favourite of Baptist Institutional Church in Tampa, Florida, was visiting the island to provide free health and dental care.
"Every year, we service something like anywhere from 450 to 500 people, who perhaps otherwise might not get to see a doctor with no medical insurance. We bring doctors, we also bring the pharmacist and medication, so that we can at least try to help those individuals in a small way," Favourite, a former football coach, explained.
In fact, it was Burrrell, living in Tampa, Florida, for the last 28 years, who initiated the mission.
"When I contacted my pastor (Favourite) about a mission like this, he didn't hesitate; we have a very caring church family," she said.
Moreover, she pointed out that the people's gratitude continues to be one of the driving forces for their continuous visits.
"When you look at the faces of the people we serve, and how grateful they are for the little that we offer and the prayers that they offer, we just thank the Lord for giving us the opportunity to serve," Burrell told The Gleaner.
Dr Willie Thigpen, who was making his sixth trip, said he volunteered his service because he recognised the challenges many people faced when seeking medical care.
"I keep coming back because many of the people that we see have a number of problems, mainly high blood pressure, diabetes and so on, and many times they have difficulty with getting to a doctor," said Thigen.
Sevette Clarke, the pharmacist with the group, noted the importance of the visits to Jamaica.
"I do love the group that I come with, and it's for a good cause, seeing how it's different here with the medication. It's evident that the drugs aren't as available to people here as they are in the States," Clarke noted.
Unselfish service
Julaine Lumsden, lieutenant governor for Division 23 West, comprised of Kiwanis clubs in St Catherine, Clarendon and Manchester, lauded Burrell and her team for their unselfish service.
"It has been an excellent project that they have been doing over the years. They have taken off time from their vacation and have come here just to deal with people in Jamaica, and in particular in St Catherine and Clarendon," she noted.
In addition to the health fair, Kevon Edwards, distinguished president, Kiwanis Club of the First City, highlighted a number of projects, including a spelling bee competition, geared towards impacting the lives of children, that the organisation has undertaken.
Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) and OBF Finance were two of the major sponsors of the health fair.
"We try to be as open as possible with the community, at the community level we always try to make ourselves present, we always try to give back to the community for their support over the years," Marsha Young-Bennett, customer service representative at JNBS, told The Gleaner.