KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has welcomed the donation of medical equipment and supplies valued at more than US$800,000 by US-based healthcare provider, Northwell Health.

According to a release, over one million items, which include respirator masks, N95 masks, oxygen concentrators, nasal oxygen, safety eyewear, and protective gowns, were handed over during a ceremony at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston on Friday, February 11.

Holness thanked Northwell Health and logistics partner MedShare for providing the well-needed medical supplies to Jamaica, which will aid in the Government’s coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic response.

“One of the most important lessons of the pandemic is that we are all in [it] together…and what it means is that for those who have resources, who have vaccines, who have supplies, it is also in their interest to share as much as possible. So, we are appreciative of this very enlightened approach, and this enlightened consideration by our friends and partners from Northwell Health,” he said.

The Prime Minister hailed Jamaican-born Director of Patient Care Services at Northwell Health Dr Sandra Lindsay for her efforts in making the donation possible. He noted that Dr Lindsay had visited Jamaica in 2021 when the country was experiencing the second wave of the pandemic and she had observed the needs in terms of medical supplies and made a commitment to assist.

Dr Lindsay made history on December 14, 2020, when she became the first person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the US.

“She has been a shining example of exemplary civic service and has been promoting the message of public health and the importance of vaccination,” Holness said, while thanking Northwell’s leadership for being receptive to Dr Lindsay’s call to provide support to Jamaica.

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton also expressed appreciation for Northwell’s donation, noting that it “could not have come at a better time”.

“While we are seeing the back of the fourth wave, we want to also use the opportunity to send a very strong signal that COVID is still with us and still presents a threat. It is our duty as a responsible Government, as a Ministry…to reinforce that message even while we see the progress that we are making,” he said.

Dr Tufton noted that the donation complements the Government’s ongoing efforts to keep the public safe by ensuring that adequate supplies of oxygen and other critical pieces of equipment are available to support the work of personnel in the field.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwell Health, Michael Dowling, who joined the ceremony via video conferencing, said he was delighted that the entity could assist.