For Alicia Francis, the health fair staged by the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) was an answer to her prayers, as it had been nearly impossible to book an appointment to get her five-year-old daughter’s medical done in time for the start of the new school year.

With back-to-school preparations in full swing, many parents and guardians were faced with the rush to attain medicals for the upcoming academic year. In an effort to relieve the strain on local medical resources, MAJ staged a Back-to-School Health Fair at the Jamaica College auditorium in Kingston on September 3 and 4.  

“I went to so many different pediatricians in hopes of getting an appointment to do my daughter’s school medical,” explained Francis, as she watched her daughter being assessed by the nurses at the fair.

“I saw a flyer in the school’s WhatsApp group and made my way here as quickly as possible.”

The free health fair facilitated school medicals for one thousand students in the Corporate Area in time for the start of the 2022-23 school year. The philanthropic initiative was made possible through a partnership with National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited (NCBJ), whose donation of $400,000 towards the initiative helped to acquire medical supplies needed by the MAJ to successfully execute the fair.

“Students from the surrounding communities were able to get their medicals done for free,” shared Dr Brian James, president of the MAJ.

“When we reached out to NCB, we were immediately met with a favourable response, and for that we are very grateful.”

The two-day fair met its objectives of providing medical services to students, inspiring a healthy lifestyle through a series of health talks and individual counseling, and linkage of special services to complex cases. Over 50 COVID-19 vaccinations were also conducted at the fair.