The Jamaica Civil Service Association (JSCA), on Thursday (Dec 12), donated $100,000 each to four health facilities from the proceeds of the JSCA’s Centenary Charity Grand Prix 5K Run/Walk.

The beneficiaries are the St. Ann’s Bay Health Department, in the North East Regional Health Authority (NERHA); Whitehouse Health Centre, Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA); Mandeville Health Centre, Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA); and the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA).

The money will be used to purchase an otoscope and a defibrillator machine at White House Health Centre; to retrofit the Outpatient Department – North and South Wing – with new chairs, ceiling fans and cabinets, at KPH; to purchase supplies at the St. Ann’s Bay Health Department, and to expand the Parental Health Clinic at the Mandeville Health Centre.

These entities were selected by the respective regional directors, based on the needs identified.

The Charity Grand Prix included four races that were held in Runaway Bay, St. Ann; Montego Bay, St. James; Denbigh, Clarendon; and at JACISERA Park, Kingston, between February and May.

The events were part of the JCSA’s 100th anniversary celebrations, held under the theme ‘Running into 100 Years Healthy’.

At the presentation ceremony, held at JACISERA Park in Kingston, President of the JCSA, O’Neil Grant, expressed gratitude to members of the sports committee, who worked tirelessly to organise the four races and the sponsors who came on board and helped to make the donations possible.

Meanwhile, representatives of the different health departments who collected the cheques expressed delight and gratitude.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer at KPH, Diane McIsaacs, while lauding the JCSA for using its anniversary to give back to others, said that “for us at the KPH, being the largest hospital in Jamaica and the Caribbean, this gift will go a long way in improving patient care”.

—JIS (Tanesha Mundle)