Food for the Poor (Jamaica) Donates Beds for New Facility – St. Catherine Infirmary
Food for the Poor (Jamaica) Executive Director, David Mair handed over a total of forty (40) beds to Mayor of Spanish Town, Councillor Norman Scott, on Monday, December 10, 2018.
Mr. Mair pointed out that the donation was in an effort to alleviate the problem with lack of space for the homeless at the Spanish Town Hospital, and he was pleased to have been able to facilitate the Ministry of Health and Mayor Scott at this time. He said the beds are easy to use and manually set up with shifting levers to help with adjustment. “We at Food for the Poor will be in constant dialogue with Mayor Scott to assist in whatever way we can, said Mr. Mair, and special thanks to the donors who helped to make this donation a reality.
I must express thanks to the Food for the Poor team and especially Mr. Mair who was prompt in the effort to secure the beds, Mayor Scott pointed out, noting too that he was expressing his appreciation on behalf of the citizens of Spanish Town, and St. Catherine on a whole. He said, “In fact, I want to say thanks on behalf of the people of Jamaica, because the social cases being taken from the Spanish Town Hospital is from all across Jamaica, they are not just from Spanish Town or St. Catherine”. He further added that the (40) beds will go a long way in aiding the Health Care System, as (40) bed spaces will be freed to make room for other sick persons to be admitted. He concurred with Mr. Mair that special thanks and appreciation should be extended to the donors who helped to make the beds available.
The unavailability of the beds was what was holding up the process of persons moving-in at the facility, since it was officially opened on October 05 of this year; however since the beds are now available, persons should be on the ward before the end of the year, Mayor Scott said.
Also present at the handing over was Food for the Poor’s Director of Distribution Services, Craig Moss- Solomon and Healthcare Coordinator, Chevanese Rowe-Lyn Sue, St. Catherine Municipal Corporation’s Chief Executive Officer, Andre Griffiths and Roads and Works Deputy Chief Engineering Officer, Romond Fisher.
Food for the Poor is an inter-denominational relief and development organisation, working in 16 countries in the Caribbean and Central America. It was founded by Jamaican businessman, Ferdinand Mahfood in 1983. The organisation is the largest international relief body in the United States and provides food, housing, health care, education, water projects, micro-enterprise development assistance, and emergency relief to the poorest within the societies where it operates.
