Months after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastated large swathes of north-western and south-western Jamaica in October 2025, a transformative community-funded donation is putting full outpatient service resumption at two major regional hospitals within reach. The Sandals Foundation, in partnership with multiple cross-border organizations, has delivered four custom modular units to both Falmouth Public General Hospital in Trelawny and Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover, jumpstarting critical health infrastructure recovery efforts across the storm-battered island.
The entire $21 million restoration initiative is funded entirely by proceeds from the Harmonies of Hope Hurricane Melissa Aid Concert, held in Toronto, Canada in December 2025 — just one month after the storm swept across Jamaica. The sold-out event, organized by The It Factor Ltd with backing from the Jamaica Tourist Board, brought together the Jamaican diaspora and Canadian supporters to raise funds for post-storm recovery projects led by local Jamaican non-profits.
When Hurricane Melissa made landfall, it left a trail of destruction that crippled core health infrastructure across western Jamaica. Multiple critical care facilities suffered severe structural damage, forcing hospitals to suspend outpatient services and grapple with crippling space shortages for patient care. Carlington McLennon, Chief Executive Officer of Falmouth Public General Hospital, explained that the new modular units will reshape care delivery at the facility. Three of the four units will be dedicated to outpatient care, while the fourth will serve as a secure storage space for medical records. This new dedicated space for outpatient services will free up existing hospital capacity to focus exclusively on life-threatening critical emergencies, McLennon noted.
Outpatient care is a cornerstone of accessible primary and secondary health services, allowing patients to receive routine check-ups, diagnoses, treatment, and same-day care without requiring overnight admission. The separation of outpatient services into the new modular units is also projected to cut wait times and speed up care turnaround for thousands of local residents who rely on the two public hospitals.
Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, framed the donation as a defining milestone in Jamaica’s long-term post-hurricane recovery journey. “Since the October 28 storm, Jamaican families and frontline medical workers have shown extraordinary resilience,” Clarke said in an official statement. “Restoring full, functional health services is non-negotiable to rebuilding lives and shattered communities. We are proud to partner with Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness as they lead recovery efforts, supporting medical professionals to deliver safe care and give families accessible, comfortable spaces to access the treatment they need to thrive.”
The initiative represents a successful cross-organizational partnership between the Sandals Foundation and Food For the Poor Canada, a collaboration that Geraldine Isaac, Executive Director of Food For the Poor Canada, said aligns perfectly with both groups’ core missions. “After a devastating hurricane, families don’t just need help rebuilding their roofs — they need support to protect their health, care for their loved ones, and hold onto hope,” Isaac noted. “We have been deeply moved by the outpouring of support from the Jamaican diaspora and Canadians across the country, and we are honored to work with the Sandals Foundation to restore access to life-saving health services at the exact moment communities need it most.”
Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, welcomed the donation, emphasizing that the government’s national health care model prioritizes productive public-private partnerships to expand access to care. “We are deeply grateful for the ongoing partnership and support of the Sandals Foundation,” Dr. Tufton said. “As we continue rebuilding and upgrading health service delivery for parishes recovering from Hurricane Melissa, this generous donation strengthens our efforts and moves us closer to our goal of delivering the best possible health outcomes for all Jamaicans.”
Natasha Borota, President of The It Factor Ltd, which organized the benefit concert, reflected on the event’s success: “Working with the Jamaica Tourist Board, we pulled together a thoughtfully curated concert that brought sponsors, partners, and donors together in hope, love, and solidarity for Jamaica.”
This hospital infrastructure project is just one of multiple recovery initiatives the Sandals Foundation has rolled out using funds raised through the Harmonies of Hope concert. Earlier this year, the foundation partnered with the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to supply building materials for roofing repairs, structural fixes, and home reconstruction under TEF’s Tourism Housing Assistance & Recovery Programme. In the coming weeks, the foundation will also deliver critical infrastructure support to the University of the West Indies’ Western Jamaica campus in St. James, continuing its commitment to comprehensive recovery across the region.