In a significant humanitarian initiative, approximately 150 young students at Laura’s Basic School in Duhaney Park, St Andrew, received comprehensive medical attention during a health fair organized this Tuesday. The event represented a collaborative effort between the Indian High Commission in Jamaica, the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew, and the healthcare organization Global Health Care.
Dr. Nagamalleswara Rao Chandolu, head of Global Health Care and the recent recipient of the Order of Distinction for his medical contributions in Jamaica, revealed the health fair was conceived by India’s High Commissioner, Mayank Joshi. The initiative provided a wide array of services, including sugar tests, haemoglobin analyses, urine tests, and crucial de-worming medication, which Dr. Chandolu personally sponsored. He emphasized the critical importance of de-worming, explaining that parasitic infections are a common precursor to anaemia, weakened immune systems, and recurring illnesses like coughs and colds in children.
Ten Indian pharmaceutical companies contributed medications to the cause. The fair also featured optometric services provided by a Cuban optometrist through Global Health Care, resulting in free frames and lenses for approximately 20 individuals diagnosed with vision problems. Free dental check-ups and necessary medications were also administered.
This event marked the 50th health fair hosted by Global Health in Jamaica since 2020. Sherrell Wilson, president-elect of the Kiwanis Club of West St Andrew, expressed profound gratitude for the partnership, aligning perfectly with the Kiwanis International mission—celebrating its 110th anniversary this year—particularly its ‘Young Children Priority One’ arm focused on early childhood health and educational assessment.
The success of the day brought immense satisfaction to Laura’s Basic School Vice-Principal Michelle Dixon, who described it as a beacon of hope that lifted spirits still dampened by the recent Hurricane Melissa. She praised the demonstration of care from corporate Jamaica and international partners for the early childhood sector.
High Commissioner Joshi stated the fair was part of a joint outreach initiative under the theme ‘Serving the Unserved; Reaching the Unreached; Touching the Untouched.’ He highlighted that such initiatives reinforce the deep-rooted historical, cultural, and people-centric relations between India and Jamaica, grounded in shared democratic values and Commonwealth ties.