The Credit Unions of Jamaica has donated $500,000 to the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange (JSSE) to assist Mona Tech Engineering Services to repair much-needed ventilators for the Jamaica health sector during this COVID-19 crisis.

The contribution was received at a brief ceremony held at the Jamaica Stock Exchange’s (JSE) head office in downtown Kingston, on Wednesday last (May 13).

Under the COVID-19 Relief Fund, the JSSE aims to raise $3.5 million to aid Mona Tech in repairing critical equipment needed to fight the disease.

“I am happy that Credit Unions of Jamaica has answered the call and this cheque that is donated today will go a far way to assist the Mona Tech Engineering to fix the defective ventilator. I hope other companies, follow in the footsteps of Credit Unions of Jamaica, thereby assisting us to meet our goal, as this project can help to save thousands of lives,” Marlene Street Forrest, JSE’s managing director, stated at the event.

Robin Levy, Group CEO of the Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union League, who handed over the cheque on behalf of the Credit Unions of Jamaica also shared similar sentiments.

“The Credit Unions of Jamaica is happy to be assisting Mona Tech Engineering to repair these ventilators. The Credit Unions of Jamaica is a people organisation and we believe that together we can achieve great things. It was not hard for us, through the JSSE, to support Mona Tech as for a long time we recognised that the social sector of this country needs assistance and the health sector in particular. We believe that the JSSE has a very important role to play in Jamaica as they assist in enhancing the social sector in Jamaica. We are convinced that as time goes by the JSSE’s role will be recognised as critical to assisting many companies in the social sector. I am appealing to other companies to come on board and support the appeal,” Levy stated.

The ventilators are critical pieces of equipment needed in the care of patients in the advanced stages of COVID-19 infections. Hence, the JSSE selected Mona Tech Engineering Services in the department of engineering at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, to benefit under the COVID-19 Relief Fund. This organisation is on a drive to repair malfunctioning ventilators and other biomedical equipment desperately needed to treat persons affected by the COVID–19 virus.

The Jamaica Social Stock Exchange is making a wide appeal to businesses and individuals to assist with the funding of this worthy project.