Nova Southeastern offers free medical care for the less fortunate at the Good Samaritan Inn

Story and Photos by Phillip E.L. Castell(EJC)
Publshed | June 10, 2014

alt=NSOFMCFTLFATGSI-P1 title="A Medical Doctor of Nova Southeastern University Medical School attends to Joan Campbell and her grand- daughter at the GSI " v:shapes="_x0000_i1025">More than one hundred and thirty Jamaicans received free medical services and health care from medical professionals and students of Nova Southeastern University School of Medicine who came to the Good Samaritan Inn (GSI) in Kingston on Thursday June 5, 2014.

Many of those who came to be seen by the doctors and medical students from the United States of America were homeless persons from all over the corporate area who live on the streets and who ordinarily would not be able to access medical care.

Don Daley, co-coordinator of the mission along with Dr. Paula Anderson Wortes said that the Nova Southeastern medical mission trip was started fourteen years ago in 2001 and it has been expanded over the years to include up to two trips per year sometimes.

"We have medical doctors, dentists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and pharmacists that will dispense medication once the doctors prescribe it and its all for free," Daley said.

This was the fourth year that team was invited to the GSI by the East Jamaica Chapter of the (ASI) Adventist-Laymen's Services and Industries who work closely with the East Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventist to operate the Inn.

From as early as eight O'clock, scores of persons were already gathered at the Inn to receive early registration numbers to guarantee their place on the list to see doctor. By the end of the day, just over two hundred persons had been registered to see the doctor.

Joy, who is from the community, came by to look about her knee which had been paining her for sometime. She was more than grateful for the help she received and felt that she had received the assistance in record time.

"I have been having a problem with my knee and I came here to get treatment for it," Joy said. "I was looked after by two physiotherapists who did some exercises with my knee and put on a knee brace which helped to reduce the pain. I also got a footwear from them to replace my old slippers which they said was too flat."

Joan Campbell and her grand daughter were examined by one of the doctors who gave her a clean bill of health. "I did a medical check-up of myself and my grandchild and the doctors were so very nice to us. I have no complaints," Campbell said.

"They are so gentle and loving. They examined us from head to toe and everything was just nice," Joan said. She was more than delighted to discover that she did not have to pay not even a dollar for the medication which was prescribed for her granddaughter.

Herma Facey was one of many who made good use of the dental team who converted the GSI into a dental lab. She was more than delighted with the service she received from the team who did three extractions which she said was painless.

"I prefer to do my extractions here," Herma said, "because when you go to the comprehensive clinics you have to wait a very long time and sometimes because of the long wait, by the time you receive the cocaine injection and they are ready to do the extraction, it wears off and its very painful. That's not the case here, because the waiting time is short," she said.

Several persons expressed gratitude for the services they received and openly wished they could be here on a more regular basis.

The GSI provides overnight shelter for people who are in need. It is a community drop-in centre where persons may get a change of clothing or even a place to take a bath if they live on the streets and have no access to water. On an annual basis, several mission trips to the island provide health care to the needy by partnering with ASI and Seventh-day Adventist Church. Over six hundred meals are distributed on a weekly basis through the facility