The construction of a health clinic at Harbour View in East Kingston is expected to commence today by a group of American military engineers, with support from the US Embassy.

When completed, the clinic will provide residents of Harbour View and surrounding areas with a modern medical facility, complete with doctors, nurses, dentists, a pharmacist, lab technicians, public health nurses, a public health inspector and a nutritionist.

It will be run initially by both the US military medical team and Ministry of Health personnel, and will be handed over entirely to the Ministry of Health by mid-summer 2002.

The groundbreaking for the facility at 1 Seal Way in Harbour View was done Wednesday by US Ambassador Sue Cobb; Minister of Land and the Environment Horace Dalley, and Senator Kern Spencer, of the Ministry of National Security.

The estimated cost of the entire New Horizons project, inclusive of construction material, labour, travel, and transportation of equipment and supplies is US$3.5 million.

According to Lt Colonel José Marrero, the chief military liaison officer at the US Embassy, the construction is expected to take about six weeks. By the last week in June, the US Department of Defence will officially hand over the health centre.

He said that members of the “Joint Task Force Blue Mountain”, which includes members of the US National Guard, will be involved in the construction.

Speaking at the brief ceremony, Ambassador Cobb expressed pleasure at participating in the project, which she said reveals the humanitarian side to the military. “The beginning of this project represents another success of great proportion in the spirit of co-operation, coordination, and unity of effort among the civilian and military cadres of our two great nations,” she said.

Dalley, who represented the health minister, welcomed the facility. At the same time, he emphasised the importance of practising wellness in preventative medicine, and appealed to Jamaican men to take their health seriously.

“Last year, there were over 498,000 visits (to clinics) by females, while there were just over 218,000 visits by males. This is a reflection of men’s attitude towards their health and is unacceptable as men are equally affected by the epidemiological shift to chronic diseases and account for the highest number of victims in accidents and injuries,” said Dalley.

Meanwhile, Senator Kern Spencer, in bringing greetings from the Ministry of National Security welcomed the ongoing humanitarian contribution of the United States troops to Jamaica.

“In fact, the United States has been Jamaica’s largest supporter in the fight against crime and international narcotics trafficking. Our two countries have shared a long history of collaboration in the efforts to free our societies from the common enemies of crime, drug abuse and narcotics trafficking. Our goal is to collaborate to eliminate gun and drug smuggling and to apprehend those who traffic in this criminal trade,” Spencer said.