AFTER undergoing several surgeries for reproductive health challenges, Jamaican immigration consultant and philanthropist Nordia Barrett-Lewis has given back to the institution that helped improve her quality of life.

Barrett-Lewis has donated a high-definition ultrasound machine, valued at more than US$18,000, to the Hugh Wynter Institute for Reproductive Healthcare and Endoscopic Surgery (HWI-RHES) at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona.

The donation, which was formally recognised during a Donor Appreciation and Dedication Ceremony on October 29, is expected to strengthen the diagnosis and treatment of women’s reproductive health conditions while improving postgraduate training for doctors specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology.

For Barrett-Lewis, founder and chief executive officer of Barrett Immigration, the decision to give back was personal.

Having undergone several procedures, including her most recent surgery at the institute in February 2026, she said the care she received had made a significant difference in her life.

“I have had several surgeries, not all of them done here, but the last portion has been done here and it has given me a better quality of life,” she said.

Although she now resides overseas Barrett-Lewis continues to return to Jamaica for medical care. Following her surgery, she approached her doctor to find out how she could support the institute. After consultations with the medical team an ultrasound machine was identified as a priority.

“My hope is that women who are going through the process of whether having children, or simply having reproductive issues, may be able to get the quality care that they want,” she explained, adding that access to modern medical equipment is just as important as having qualified health-care professionals.

Director of the Hugh Wynter Institute, Dr John Harriott welcomed the contribution, noting that it would strengthen the institution’s ability to provide specialised reproductive health-care while addressing an important gap in medical training.

“We are very grateful for this donation of…a high-definition ultrasound. It’s part of our mission to use technologies to continue to advance women’s health care,” Harriott said.

He explained that doctors pursuing postgraduate training in obstetrics and gynaecology currently have limited exposure to the use of a gynaecological ultrasound, an area he has been working to incorporate into the training curriculum.

“In particular, this ultrasound is going to serve purposes for training residents in obstetrics and gynaecology in the field of gynaecological ultrasounds. It’s an area that is deficient in the programme right now, and this will serve as a template for introduction of that in the curriculum,” he said.

The institute is also planning a workshop with international experts in March 2027 to further strengthen training in this area.

Beyond its educational value, the machine will support early diagnosis, emergency assessments, and ultrasound-guided surgical procedures, improving the care available to women with reproductive health complications.

Harriott also used the occasion to highlight the range of services offered by the institute which he described as one of Jamaica’s best-kept secrets. These include fertility care, contraception, and advanced minimally invasive surgery — particularly for women suffering from conditions such as endometriosis.

“A lot of women in Jamaica suffer from chronic pelvic pain, secondary to endometriosis, which is quite debilitating,” he said, noting that the institute has helped improve the lives of several patients, including Barrett-Lewis.

Dr Carl Bruce, senior director of clinical services at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), said the donation would have far-reaching benefits for patient care, medical education and research — not only in Jamaica but across the Caribbean.

“First, in the area of patient care our women’s health divisions will be able to use this technology to diagnose with precision and accuracy. But, importantly, we’re able to train another generation of doctors who can use these technologies for their patients — and it’s training not only for the doctors in Jamaica but across the region,” said Bruce.