KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) held a 5K Fun Run/Walk dubbed 'Welcome to Kingston 5k Fun Run/Walk', which raised funds to purchase two incubators for the Victoria Jubilee Hospital's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and the University Hospital of the West Indies' Neonatal Unit.

This, the JSE said, was in response to the great and ongoing need of both hospitals for the necessary equipment to care for premature babies.

At the handover ceremony on Wednesday at Victoria Jubilee, JSE's Managing Director Marlene Street Forrest told the hospital team, “I understand the needs of the health sector because in my previous life, I was a part of the health sector in the capacity of parish manager for Kingston. Therefore, it was easy for me as the managing director of the JSE to endorse the plan for the donation to the VJH as I have first-hand knowledge of the needs that exist in the health sector. The JSE is willing to work with the hospital on projects such as this to ensure that our population is healthy as our health is our wealth and the best place to begin to ensure that we have a healthy population is with our children.”

Street Forrest thanked the many participants who contributed and took part in the 5K, which resulted in the purchase of these valuable incubators. She also encouraged more Jamaicans to think social and highlighted the JSE as a vehicle for improving the social sector.

Dr Yanique Brown, consultant paediatrician at VJH, who accepted the incubator, said, “An incubator is designed to provide a safe, controlled space for infants to live while their vital organs develop. Between 15-20 per cent of deliveries are premature, which means the birth of between 45 to 60 preterm babies on a monthly basis. One third of these babies come to VJH (20-30). However, sadly, we have insufficient tools to take care of these babies and this makes the management operations extremely difficult. The donation of this incubator will greatly impact the management process.”