BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — The Black River Hospital (BRH) has benefited from donations aimed at improving health care in rural Jamaica.

On Wednesday, January 12, the hospital received two phototherapy lamps for its Paediatric Unit from District Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of Jamaica & the Cayman Islands and two bariatric wheelchairs for plus-sized patients from the We Care Social Outreach Development Limited.

Consultant paediatrician for the BRH, Dr Aggrey Sajabi, thanked the District Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons for donating the costly phototherapy lamps, which are used to treat severe jaundice in babies.

“We have had to transfer babies to other hospitals in the recent past because of the need for more lamps so this donation will facilitate the vital treatment of these babies. We are grateful because now we are quite enabled to treat more children and put less burden on the regional hospital and allow them to concentrate on things that only they can do. We are a small hospital but we are extremely proud of the ability to be able to manage the majority of inborn babies and definitely to be self-sufficient,” Dr Sajabi said.

Regarding the donation of the bariatric wheelchairs, CEO for the hospital, Diana Brown Miller, explained that the wheelchairs the hospital use are of a standard size; however, when patients of a different size are to be transported, it presents challenges because of the absence of the specific type of wheelchair.

“When we have patients of plus size, we have to use a stretcher; however, now that we have these wheelchairs, it will be easier for patients and staff to manage and transport. I want to thank the We Care Social Outreach Development Limited for being one of the most consistent in supporting the facility with medical supplies and donation. They have been donating to the hospital for several years and I also want to thank Kingsley Shipping Services for providing free shipping to the group for these items,” Brown Miller said.