KINGSTON, Jamaica –As Jamaicans prepare to celebrate the Christmas season, Bellevue Hospital is calling on families to visit their relatives who are admitted at Bellevue and to take home those who have been discharged and are ready to return to the embrace of their loved ones.

The hospital in a media release on Monday, reminded Jamaicans that healing and recovery are strongest when supported by family. It said while households across the island prepare for gatherings, gift-giving and shared meals, several individuals at Bellevue spend the season without visits, without phone calls and without the reassurance that someone is thinking of them.

“Among them are men and women who are clinically stable, fully discharged and waiting with packed bags because they have no family to take them home. Their continued stay is not due to medical need but to the absence of support from the relatives they long to reunite with,” it said.

During a recent walk through the wards, Bellevue Hospital’s CEO, Suzette Buchanan, met several discharged patients who are hoping to be with family before the holidays.

“It is just a few days before Christmas, and many of our patients would treasure a moment with their loved ones, even if it is the only visit for the year,” she said.

“Those who have been discharged already have their bags packed. There is sadness in their eyes and pain in their hearts because they want to spend Christmas where they belong, at home surrounded by family. A visit or taking them home if they are discharged may be the most powerful gift of healing they receive this season,” she added.

The hospital said it continues to create spaces where reconnecting feels natural and meaningful.

“With refurbished areas throughout the facility, including the recently opened Leon Bailey Family Room, thoughtfully designed to offer a warm and comfortable setting for families to sit together, the hospital has made it easier for relatives to visit, share time, and rebuild connections that may have been strained or lost. These renewed spaces reflect the spirit of Christmas: hope, grace and the belief that every person deserves to feel wanted and remembered,” the hospital said.