JNF Eye-Care Clinic receives donation from Latter Day Saints

Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 21, 2013 (SKNIS): The Ophthalmic Unit at the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital is the beneficiary of quite a few articles of eye care equipment thanks to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

During a handing-over ceremony near the end of last week, Latter Day Saints Elder Terrence Hanley revealed that his denomination decided what to give after consultation with the JNF staff. The donation involved more than physical equipment.

“We have established a relationship with a technician in Antigua who is contracted and organizing himself to come to provide two full days of training, not just training to your technicians,” Elder Hanley noted. “We believe that the technicians that work at Eyecare [Express], Eyes First, wherever, they can come in and get an introduction to understand how to take care of these very delicate equipment that you have over here. We would like to invite them [other eye-care providers] to those two days of training.”

The technician was also contracted to tend to JNF eye care equipment that was in need of maintenance and repair.

In graciously thanking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Minister responsible for Health Honourable Marcella Liburd agreed that maintenance was key.

“An important component, as well, as you pointed out, is the maintenance, because very often we get equipment and buildings and what have you, and what we lack is the maintenance,” Minister Liburd stated. “And so very often these things can run down from lack of maintenance and that sometimes – well all the times – sets you back. So it’s very important, it’s critical that we have that aspect.”

Minister Liburd further noted the importance of providing required health services locally.

“And so we are happy when we get equipment that can help us to help others – our locals first and our visitors whenever they have problems, we want to be able to say that – yes, you can get that assistance right here,” Minister Liburd emphasized. “It’s only yesterday somebody was asking me, if we can do cataracts here (somebody from overseas), … so I had to tell them that – yes, we can.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has previously made several donations to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.