WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — As families struggle to rebuild their lives and recover from the emotional and financial toll of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa disaster, two Seventh-day Adventist hospitals recently provided healthcare to five communities across Westmoreland over five days, inspiring hope and relief to many.

For Pastor Dane Fletcher, director of missions, Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited (AMH), witnessing the post-hurricane conditions first-hand during the medical outreach was deeply moving.

“What do you say to senior citizens whose homes have been so severely damaged that only portions remain standing? What words can adequately comfort those who have lost so much yet still struggle to find the resources to rebuild?” he reflected in a release.

“In many moments, words failed me. Yet, amidst the devastation I encountered something profoundly moving: Gratitude for the gift of life and an enduring hope for tomorrow.”

Pastor Javayne Billings (left) of Grange Hill Seventh-day Adventist Church gives a thumbs-up alongside Shelby Houmann, engagement specialist at AdventHealth Global Missions, during the medical mission in Grange Hill, Westmoreland.

Against this backdrop, nearly 800 residents benefited from the Western Jamaica Medical Mission, held October 26-30, 2026, under the theme ‘Five Communities, One Mission, One Resilient Jamaica’, a year after Melissa’s rampage.

AdventHealth, a hospital system in the United States that maintains a strategic partnership with Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, spearheaded the second mission for the year in collaboration with the Jamaica Union Conference and the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The initiative brought free healthcare, including medical consultations, optical screening, dental services, HIV and syphilis testing, pastoral and psychosocial care, and clothing distribution to residents of Sheffield, Grange Hill, Savanna-la-Mar, Waterworks, and Darliston communities.

Donmayne Gyles, president and chief executive officer of Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, welcomed 18 AdventHealth volunteers to Jamaica, including physicians, nurses, and chaplains, who joined local health-care professionals, representatives of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and community volunteers to deliver much-needed medical services.

“Earlier this year we collaborated with our partners to provide healthcare to five communities in St Elizabeth. This time we felt it was important to extend compassionate care to five communities in Westmoreland. The needs are overwhelming, but we are here to do what we can to inspire hope and bring healing and comfort,” Gyles said.

From left: Phillip Williams, facilities and maintenance manager at Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited; Craig Moore, chief executive officer of AdventHealth Kissimmee, Florida; Shelby Houmann, engagement specialist at AdventHealth Global Missions; Dr Mayanna Francis, optometrist and retinopathy grader at Comprehensive Eye Care; and Donmayne Gyles, president and chief executive officer of Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, at the medical mission in Savanna-la-Mar on October 28, 2026.

Craig Moore, CEO of AdventHealth Kissimmee, Florida, and a Clarendon native, said Melissa’s devastation inspired him to give back.

“When the hurricane hit last year, while I was concerned for my family that live in Kingston, and they weren’t as affected, my heart went out to the entire island. When I saw the devastation, I knew I had to do something,” Moore said.

“Here we are in Jamaica, and it has been an absolute pleasure to do this work, to see folks still thriving amid chaos and recovery. We are happy to be here just to be able to give back a little bit to them in terms of providing healthcare for them, treating them with dignity and respect, giving them hope,” Moore said.

Shelby Houmann, engagement specialist at AdventHealth Global Missions, described the experience as emotional but rewarding.

Withclife Campbelle (centre) joins ADRA Jamaica representatives Debbie Waite Williams (left), field officer, and Imogene McCallum, programme director, during a health education session on child abuse prevention and breast cancer awareness at Sheffield, Westmoreland. ADRA Jamaica participated in all five outreach locations.

“We’ve partnered for the week alongside Andrews Memorial Hospital, one of our mission partners, and have been able to impact five different communities. It has been such a privilege to show the love of Jesus to others in those communities where we were able to work,” the release quotes Houmann.

Imogene McCallum explained that Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Jamaica, which she serves as programme director, is partnering with IsraAID, a non-governmental international humanitarian aid organisation based in Israel, through a United Nations Children’s Fund-supported initiative and have been moving across the parishes adversely affected by Melissa to address child protection, gender-based violence, health-related awareness talks, and provide psychosocial support.

“We recognise the emotional needs of children affected by disasters, and they go through trauma. While the children are engaged, we talk with the parents about protecting their children from abuse, how they are to listen to and affirm their children [while] providing methods on how they can take care of their children’s emotional and physical needs,” McCallum said.

Dr Mayanna Francis, an optometrist and retinopathy grader at Comprehensive Eyecare, warned that diabetes is a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults.

Registered Nurse Sashel Plummer attends to a patient during the Western Jamaica Medical Mission, which provided health-care services across five Westmoreland communities from October 26 to 30, 2026.

“Good vision starts with good control of diabetes,” she said, encouraging exercise, healthy eating, and annual diabetic eye screenings. She also highlighted free screening available through referral to Cornwall Regional Hospital’s Diabetic Eye Clinic.

Jamaica Constabulary Force representatives addressed illicit narcotics and Jamaica’s ganja laws, while Ministry of Health personnel provided HIV and syphilis testing and sexual health education.

Dental services were in high demand throughout the medical mission. Deslyn Neunie of DS Prime Health Services noted that most of the dental volunteers were dentists and hygienists from University of Technology, Jamaica dental school.

Neunie also highlighted the financial barriers preventing many Jamaicans from accessing dental care, recounting a patient at one of the outreach locations who reportedly received a $60,000 quotation for a wisdom tooth extraction.

“We will never be able to meet all the dental needs in Jamaica, partly because so many people simply cannot afford the cost of dental care,” Neunie said.

“When you have events like these, health fairs like these, people are just glad. People are just excited.”

Grange Hill resident Tameika Fraser arrived shortly after 6:00 am, having prepared her children for school.

“The service was excellent. I benefited from the medical department. I have friends who came along because once I heard, I spread the news,” she said.

At Darliston, Carlin Clark Allen of Kippin District praised the medical team despite being unable to undergo a dental extraction because of blood pressure concerns.

“I feel a little bit sad that I didn’t get to see the dentist, but it’s okay. Every disappointment is for good. And to be honest, the service here was excellent,” said Allen.