KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – Members of the Diaspora are being encouraged to make use of the Health for Life and Wellness Foundation when donating health-related gifts to Jamaica.

Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, made the appeal during day one of the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference being held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

“We recommend to Diaspora members and organisations that are interested to contact that entity for any offers to contribute. Even if you direct the contribution to a specific institution in the public health system, work it through the central ministry because that will allow us to provide better guidance in terms of bringing those things in,” he said.

Tufton highlighted the ease of making donations through this channel including applicable duty waivers.

In the meantime, he informed that a needs assessment of the public health sector will be undertaken to ascertain the areas of greatest necessity. The findings, he said, will be issued to the Diaspora through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

“That needs assessment will say what equipment and specialisations are needed. That will be mounted on our website and the intention is also to use our foreign affairs infrastructure across the globe so that they will have that data.

“This will be tied that into the discussions that traditionally take place between the Diaspora and the representatives who are in those markets under the auspices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade,” he outlined.

To make a donation to the Ministry of Health, donors should be guided by the following process: • Indicate items to the foundation and complete and submit the appropriate checklist under the categories

o Gifts of consumables and pharmaceuticals

o Gifts of assets, including medical equipment

o Gifts of service

o Gifts of money

• Assessment and feedback should be given within five days

• Donors should arrange shipping and other administrative costs/wiring or transfer of funds to bank account provided

• Recognition of gifts The Health for Life and Wellness Foundation is a charitable organisation in keeping with the Charities Act of 2013.

In 2016, the Diaspora had 192 missions and contributed US$8 million to Jamaica. Up to July this year, 133 missions have come to the country and US$6.7 million contributed.