A fifth health center in Jamaica has been adopted by the Consulate General of Jamaica in Miami, the island’s health and wellness minister Dr. Christopher Tufton announced.
Through the work of Jamaica’s Consul General for Southern USA Oliver Mair, the Highgate Health Center in St. Mary has been adopted for three years, with a $3 million dollar commitment.
It’s the fifth adoption by the Consul General through the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ adopt-a-clinic program. The total number of health centers adopted now stands at 48.
Started in 2017, the program allows donors in Jamaica and overseas to provide medical assistance and funds to maintain any of the 100 health centers in Jamaica that are part of the program.
The Consulate had raised the funds for the adoption of the health center through the Jamaica Hi-5 5K Run/Walk which took place in Miramar, Florida, earlier this year.
This latest adoption brings the total monetary commitment to the program from the diaspora to $97.5 million. The number of health centers adopted by members of the diaspora is now 32. An additional sixteen have been adopted by local private sector groups, who have committed $103 million thus far.
Read more: Diaspora pledges nearly $100M to Jamaica’s adopt-a-clinic program
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, previously said the government wants to continue to leverage philanthropic support from the private sector and diaspora to improve the nation’s primary health care system.
“Strategic alignment has always been part of our operations in public health, be it through international partners, diaspora members or local private sector or voluntary players,” Dr. Tufton noted.
“The Adopt-A-Clinic Programme has been one of the driving forces that enable individuals and groups to contribute to the improvement of health care service delivery at the primary-care level,” he added.
The donor support not only helps to assist with major upgrades of the health centers, but minor maintenance and repairs as well.
“For us, the adoption is not just about the commitment to give cash or kind… the intention is not to build buildings from the proceeds of the adoption, but to address the small but important things for the day-to-day functioning of a facility like this,” Dr. Tufton noted.
