KENNETH Snate, a 64-year-old asthmatic, went to the outreach clinic at the Seventh-day Adventist church in Old Harbour Bay on Sunday to get a bronchodilator for his wheezing. He got two. He also got a month’s supply of tiny off-white tablets for asthmatics.

“I get dem here fi mi asthma,” he told the Observer, showing off the drugs.

Snate said he was told by a member of the church that there would be an outreach programme at the facility which would involve donations of food, clothes and medicines. The only part that interested him, however, was the medication.

“Is only dem here mi did want,” he said shortly before bidding farewell and hurrying off up the road.

A younger man, Christopher Grant, also heard of the health clinic and took his nine-year-old son Daniel. The boy had a rash his father thinks was caused by the insanitary conditions in the community after the passage of the hurricane last month.

Snate and Grant were like many other residents in the Old Harbour Bay area which was devastated by Hurricane Dean a little over three weeks ago. Many were in need, but not all of them were as lucky, including Alice Williams.

By the time the 81-year-old made it to the SDA church some time after 1:00 in the afternoon to see the doctor, she was told that registration had already closed. The disappointment was still strong in her voice when she spoke with the Observer.

“I wanted to see the doctor because I’m diabetic and I have trouble with my nerves,” she said. “But they sey ah not registered. I did ask somebody to register me because ah went to church, but it look like dem don’t do it,” Williams said.

She did, however, leave with some toiletries from the Christian aid group which comprised the Adventist Laypersons Services and Industries (ASI), Andrews Memorial Hospital, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), as well as community service directors among others.

Health clinic and accompanying pharmacy aside, the group had counselling and prayer sessions with persons in some of the worst affected areas in St Thomas, Clarendon and the Old Harbour Bay area of St Catherine. They also issued packages of food – totalling more than 2,000 – mattresses and articles of clothing to the most needy persons in each of the three areas.

President of the West Indies Union (WIU) of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA), Patrick Allen told the Observer Sunday that presenting merely tangible donations to the people would not cater to all their needs.

Vice-president of ASI at the Inter-American Division, Marston Thomas, said a similar project was undertaken in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc on the country.