Jamaica’s premier organisation in Atlanta, Georgia, the Atlanta Jamaican Association (AJA) recently donated medical supplies to the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) valued at J$300,000.

CRH’s needs were brought to light when trustee of the AJA, Dr Apollone Reid tended to her late mother, Joyce Peterkin, who was a patient at the hospital earlier this year. Dr Reid brought the concerns of infirmed patients needing to be comfortable during their sojourn at the institution to the AJA. The organisation immediately acted on securing funds to provide the needed items in an effort to mitigate the discomfort of patients who are not able to afford these items.

The donated items include an electronic blood pressure monitor, silicone-coated foley catheters, urinary drainage bags, 4,000 gloves, 750 disposable adult diapers, five gallons of ultrasound gel, adjustable folding walkers and canes, cervical collars, various surgical and treatment garments, masks, shoe covers, and other items.

The AJA is a non-profit organisation that was incorporated in 1977 with the mission of providing assistance to Jamaicans and others in Atlanta and Jamaica, as well as promoting understanding among Jamaicans and all peoples in and around Metropolitan Atlanta. The AJA provides scholarships annually to students of Jamaican heritage in Atlanta and Jamaica who are about to embark on their tertiary education, assists Jamaicans in times of bereavement and economic hardship, and hosts the annual Jamaican Independence Ball and Scholarship Awards, in addition to its many other outreach initiatives that help the poor and homeless in Atlanta and Jamaica.