KINGSTON, Jamaica – In a heartfelt holiday appeal, Bellevue Hospital is urging Jamaican families to reunite with relatives undergoing treatment and to welcome home those who have been medically discharged but remain institutionalized due to lack of family support.
The psychiatric facility emphasized in a recent statement that familial involvement significantly accelerates healing and recovery. This call comes as households across Jamaica prepare for festive gatherings, gift exchanges, and shared meals—traditions that stand in stark contrast to the experience of numerous Bellevue patients who face the holiday season in isolation, without visits or even phone calls.
Hospital authorities revealed that among their current residents are clinically stable individuals who have been fully discharged yet continue to reside at the facility simply because they have nowhere to go. These patients remain hospitalized not for medical reasons but due to the absence of family support networks desperately needed for their reintegration into society.
CEO Suzette Buchanan, during recent ward inspections, encountered multiple discharged patients clinging to the hope of family reunification before Christmas. She observed, ‘With mere days remaining before the holidays, many of our patients would cherish even a single visit from loved ones this year.’
Buchanan added with emotional resonance, ‘Those cleared for discharge have literally packed their bags. Their eyes reflect profound sadness and heartache as they yearn to celebrate Christmas where they truly belong—at home surrounded by family. A simple visit or taking them home could represent the most transformative healing gift they might receive this season.’
The hospital has undertaken substantial facility improvements to facilitate meaningful family reconnections. Recently refurbished areas, including the newly inaugurated Leon Bailey Family Room, provide warm and comfortable environments designed specifically for family interactions. These thoughtfully designed spaces aim to help rebuild strained or lost connections, embodying the Christmas values of hope, grace, and the fundamental belief that every individual deserves to feel valued and remembered.