The Mandeville Regional Hospital which serves a population spanning the parishes of Manchester, St. Elizabeth, Clarendon and St. Ann, will at least now be able to address some of the need for more patients to have access to treatment for renal failure due to the handing over of a Haemodialysis Unit at the Hospital on Wednesday, January 19, 2011.

The Unit  was made possible through a grant of J$24 Million  from  the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund (CHASE), to renovate and expand a building to house the Unit as well as support  for its operational costs.

During the handing over ceremony W. Billy Heaven, Chief Executive Officer of the CHASE Fund expressed a feeling of fulfillment that his organisation’s investment would address a critical need for patients in central Jamaica.

He was referring to the Fund’s continued support for this area of need, which included the provision of US$90,000 for the maintenance of 16 machines at the Kingston Public Hospital; the Training of nurses in Nephrology (the study and treatment of kidney diseases) over a two-year period with a grant of $5 million and benefits to individuals with renal disease totaling some J$62 million.

Heaven suggested that greater emphasis be placed on the efficiency  of delivering dialysis care to patients by  increasing the utilization of machines through the  operating of shifts systems (3 shifts per day/6 days per week), so that the machines would be used to its full capacity and more patients would receive the service.

The Fund’s CEO promised his organisation’s continued support overtime which he suggested, would result in making treatment more accessible to patients, and more affordable options.  He listed these initiatives going forward as: expansion of facilities at the Mandeville, KPH and UHWI Hospitals, more training for nurses and the possibility of establishing more units across the island.

The grant falls under the Fund’s health mandate which works with stakeholders at the national, institutional and community levels to promote wellness and create new opportunities that will enhance the delivery and quality of health service to the people of Jamaica. Support for this sector includes the provision of vital equipment, research to unearth factors which lead to life threatening illnesses and diseases, as well public education programmes.