MONTEGO BAY, St James — The Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventist churches’ Possibility Ministries has announced a partnership with American-based Charlotte Education Services Consortium to establish the first of five diagnostic centres for individuals with disabilities.

The inaugural centre is set to open at Andrews Memorial Hospital in St Andrew by the end of the second quarter of this year.

The announcement was made at the Seventh-day Adventists Possibility Ministries’ assistive technology and health symposium at GWest Medical Complex in Fairview, Montego Bay, on Sunday.

“We have already started discussions and we’re in high gear to create the space for the centre,” president and chief executive officer of Andrews Memorial Hospital, Elder Donnayne Gyles, told the
Jamaica Observer.

Director of the Possibility Ministries, Jamaica Union of Seventh-day Adventists, Pastor Adrian Cotterell noted that services at the centre will be provided at a minimum cost to patients.

“The first one will be at the Andrews Memorial Hospital in Kingston. That’s where we will have our first diagnostic centre. It’s a virtual diagnostic centre that will provide diagnostic care for persons with developmental delays, persons on the autism spectrum, persons with special needs for education, and other care that we can provide through the diagnostic centres,” Cotterell told the
Observer.

“So it becomes a little bit more affordable for persons, and a little bit more comfortable, for persons who are suffering from these various disabilities to have a better and more comfortable life. It will cost a small amount, of course, because there are going to be workers there — we have to provide at least a little allowance for those who are working — but it will be far less than you would have gotten it elsewhere,” the clergyman added.

Cotterell outlined the plan to establish diagnostic centres to enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities across the five conferences of the Jamaica Union of Seventh-day Adventist churches.

“So what we want is to have the first one at Andrews Memorial Hospital, then one is going to be here at GWest Medical Complex. We hope to have one at the Northern Caribbean University, we hope to have one at the Port Maria SDA High School in St Mary, and a location to be decided in the North Jamaica Conference so that we can have diagnostic centres, not only at one place but at several places so that it becomes more easy for individuals to access care,” he explained.

Gyles said the equipment and consultants for the centre will be provided by the Charlotte Education Services Consortium.

Scores of senior citizens and members of the disabled community were provided with free medical and dental services during the symposium.

Meanwhile, director of Possibility Ministries, Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, Dr Samuel Telemaque congratulated the Jamaica Union of Seventh-day Adventists for celebrating 10 years of the Possibility Ministries.

“Jamaica is the only union in [the] Inter-America division which has one week’s celebration for Possibility Ministries for persons with disabilities. God is delighted today,“ he said.