More than 500 residents of Bensonton in South East St Ann received free health care and medication at a community health fair staged by Sandals Dunn’s River and the South East St Ann Management Committee on January 20.

The health fair, held at Bensonton All-Age School, formed part of Sandals Dunn’s River’s monthly outreach programme of providing medical assistance to needy residents of the parish.

A team of doctors and nurses, as well as officials from firms that provide medical supplies, participated in the health fair.

The team included Dr Rogelia Wallace and Dr Patricia Francis of the St Ann Health Department, Nurse Berverly Richards and her team of dental nurses, Nurse Jacqueline Wright from the St Ann Health Department, representatives from FAMPLAN Jamaica, Peter Munroe and Christopher Lee of LASMED pharmaceutical company, and members of the police force.

The FAMPLAN Jamaica and police representatives counselled the residents on various aspects of parenting, HIV/AIDS, cancer of the cervix and community policing.

Nurse Richards and her team advised over 200 children on oral hygiene and cleaned and provided temporary fillings for more than 100 children.

Pap smears were done by Nurse Wright, while Munroe and Lee donated more than $70,000 worth of LASMED medication to the needy residents who expressed appreciation for the gesture.

“I feel very good about it because persons like myself wanted to visit the doctor but could not afford to do so,” said Francis Jones, a resident of Douglas Castle.

Paulette James, who said she was from Forte George, thanked God for sending the medical team.

“We do not have the money, and I am also happy that they could give us free medicine,” Jones said.

The Member of Parliament for South East St Ann, Aloun Assamba, as well as the councillor for the area, Lydia Richards, said they were very pleased with the help provided by the medical team and the other support personnel, and praised Sandals Dunn’s River for being a good corporate citizen.