The Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester has received a donation of medical equipment, valued at over J$66 million, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which will enhance the institution’s urology services.

The Olympus GI Endoscopy and Storz Urology Laparoscopy systems, assigned to the urology department, will enhance clinical practice at the hospital by enabling less invasive procedures, more precise diagnostics, and advanced urological surgeries.

These improvements are expected to result in shorter hospital admission times.

Urological consultant at Mandeville Regional Hospital, Dr Davon Mitchell, underscored the equipment’s significance, noting that “we are also better able to train our residents, which is an integral part of any teaching institution.”

He expressed gratitude for the donation during last Friday’s (September 5) handover ceremony at the institution, pointing out that the provision will “[help] us to build a much-improved urological service to serve the people of central Jamaica.”

Senior medical officer at the hospital, Dr Everton McIntosh, described the donation as a “tremendous boost to our services,” particularly in the areas of urology and general surgery.

He noted that the equipment will significantly enhance diagnostic investigations and support the expansion of endoscopic surgical procedures.

“But the real impact is extremely tremendous because healthcare, on a whole, is moving towards more and more technology, as you would imagine, and endoscopic surgery is one of the main drivers of healthcare worldwide,” Dr. McIntosh stated.

Representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Paul Sutherland, shared that he has been living in Jamaica for over two years and is assigned to identify opportunities where the church can support community development.

“[We look for] needs in the areas of healthcare, education, clean water initiatives, and food security. We have, in the area of healthcare, five other projects similar to this one [at Mandeville Regional Hospital] at different hospitals across the country,” he informed.

The equipment was procured in partnership with Food For the Poor, whose board director, Jean Lowrie-Chin, commended the church leaders for their generosity.

She described the equipment as “life-saving items,” which will make an “awesome difference” in the timely diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal and urological conditions.

“Such procedures will save the precious lives of the patients here; as we well know, early intervention can make all the difference in treatment outcomes. These are worthy additions to this premier medical institution, the Mandeville Regional Hospital, which is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care, pioneering clinical excellence and nurturing surgical advancement,” she said.