MONTEGO BAY, St James — Director of the Committee for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (CUMI) Joy Crooks has again pointed to the need for an ambulance to assist St James’s mental health officers.

“The department of psychiatry is still without an ambulance to support the mental health officers’ prompt response to community requests,” Crooks lamented earlier this week at CUMI’s 2010 annual general meeting held in Montego Bay.

She noted that CUMI has made several appeals to the Office of the Prime Minister “concerning the urgent need for the ambulance service for St James and neighbouring parishes”.

Crooks said that despite the “giant” strides that have been made in the improvement of mental healthcare, the unavailability of a drug rehabilitation centre in the parish is of grave concern.

“St James is still waiting to have a drug rehabilitation centre up and running to address this sector of major community needs. [But] even with these existing challenges we can still be appreciative of the improvements that have been made,” Crooks said.

CUMI has been serving the mentally challenged and other street people in Montego Bay for over 19 years through its programme at the Brandon Hill day care centre in Montego Bay.

Originally developed as an Adult Day Rehabilitation Centre, CUMI soon added a night shelter. To date, approximately 1,200 persons have been served, of which 450 have completed the rehabilitation programme and have returned to their communities, gaining full or part-time employment.

During the annual general meeting, 19 certificates of appreciation were presented to individuals and corporate organisations that have supported CUMI with either cash or kind.