Jacana donates $1m to Issa Trust Foundation to further St Ann health centre plans
KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Mary Issa Paediatric and Adolescent Health Centre got a J$1 million injection from cannabis producers Jacana on Friday to further the completion of the St Ann-based health centre.
Conceptualised by the Issa Trust Foundation, the facility when complete is supposed to be a 9,000 square foot health centre serving mainly St Mary and St Ann by providing primary care for children and adolescents.
It is slated to operate specialty clinics such as cardiology, nephrology, mental health support, oncology, as well as provide free vision screening and glasses if needed and hearing tests, according to its website.
“We feel proud to be able to assist in this cause— St Ann is our home, it’s where our farm is so we are very pleased to be giving back to the community where we are, there’s no facility like it in St Ann and we think that it’s an incredible endeavour,” marketing manager at Jacana, Laura Marley said at the handover, which took place at the Jacana Manor Park location.
Marley indicated that part proceeds of Jacana’s annual 4/20 festival goes to a different cause each year, with last year’s beneficiaries being the Accompong Water Project.
Paul Issa, chairman of the Issa Trust Foundation, expressed gratitude to Jacana for the donation.
“Jacana has always been a wonderful partner, they’ve always had booths at our events and this year their annual 4/20 festival they donated proceeds to the foundation and I am very grateful,” Issa said.
While Jacana has donated to the Issa Trust Foundation before, Friday’s handover was the first donation of this magnitude, Marley said, adding that she hoped for the contributions to grow.
“As their projects grow we hope to grow our donations and contributions as well because we think that the work they are doing is meaningful and we are happy to support,” she said.