MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Urology patients at the Mandeville Regional Hospital (MRH) in Manchester, are to benefit from the use of a resectoscope, used in prostate and bladder surgeries, and valued at $1.1 million.

The equipment and its accessories will be used for most of the endoscopic surgeries performed in the urology department.

Consultant Urologist at the MRH, Dr K Sean Jones, explained that this piece of equipment, donated by the Manchester Wellness Foundation on Monday, May 16, is of immense value and will be used weekly in the urology department.

“Most of the hospitals don’t have this equipment and we have depended on private equipment brought in. Many doctors have lost their expensive lens and had to buy it back, so we will be looking after this very carefully. Thank you very much Manchester Wellness Foundation as we move forward with the operations of the department. This is what we started using in the 20th century and we are now in the 21st century, so we are already one century behind but thank God we made it this far and we plan to add item by item to our repertoire,” Dr Jones added.

CEO for the facility, Alwyn Miller, expressed gratitude to the Foundation for assisting the hospital with its inventory of specialised equipment.

“Some years ago one of my colleagues made the point of the value of having the appropriate equipment in the hands of a specialist who knows how to use it in terms of the intervention that can be made in the interest of patient care. We are thankful that we have Dr Jones who is a part of our surgical team and who has given us guidance in terms of equipment that can help in his particular service to many members of the population not only in Manchester but across the region,” Miller said, as he stressed the value the equipment will bring to patients.

The CEO lauded the Foundation for its exceptional dedication to assisting health facilities in the parish, noting that the organisation was able to raise funds through a raffle despite the cancellation of its two main fundraising activities, due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

The Foundation was established in 2003 and since its inception, has donated more than J $20 million to health institutions in Manchester, with the mission of supporting health and wellness facilities in Manchester and promoting holistic wellness.