Work has commenced on the forthcoming Mary Issa Pediatric and Adolescent Health Centre in Richmond, St Ann.

The centre emerges as the nation’s first establishment devoted exclusively to the welfare of young individuals. This crucial step marks the initiation of a facility destined to become a cornerstone for child and adolescent health within the region.

Primarily designed to provide essential primary care services, the Mary Issa Health Centre aims to ease the burden currently shouldered by local public hospitals. Its target demographic encompasses children and adolescents from Ocho Rios and its surrounding areas.

Holistic approach to healthcare

With a vision anchored in a holistic approach to healthcare, the institution is committed to addressing the physical, mental, and social needs of the youth it serves. With its specialization in pediatric and adolescent health, the Mary Issa Health Centre is set to fill a significant void in the Jamaican healthcare landscape.

Issa Trust Foundation Chairman Paul Issa expressed gratitude that many businesses, individuals, and foundations have rallied in support of the venture. Named in honor of his grandmother, the initiative has garnered extensive backing, underscoring the widespread recognition of its value and necessity in St Ann.

Beyond its preventative services mandate, the Mary Issa Health Centre has outlined plans to introduce specialty clinics. These units will focus on various medical fields including cardiology, nephrology, gastroenterology, and oncology, along with clinics for vision and hearing tests among others.

With mental health services in Jamaica trailing behind international benchmarks, the establishment of the Mary Issa Health Centre is timely. It is geared towards addressing this shortfall while simultaneously providing other primary and specialty health programmes, thereby cementing its role as a comprehensive healthcare provider for the nation’s youth.

President and CEO of the Issa Trust Foundation Diane Pollard acknowledged the monumental importance of the new centre to Jamaica. Pollard shared that the establishment is positioned to bridge a critical healthcare gap, not just within the confines of St Mary and St Ann but across the island.

With a service framework engaging patients and families alike, she added that it will provide a multifaceted support system addressing physical, mental, and social needs.