MONTEGO BAY, JA. — Days after Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, aid groups are still struggling to reach some of the island’s hardest hit areas, including Trelawny Parish, where damage to roads and infrastructure continues to slow relief efforts.
In Falmouth, the Pulseline Family Medical Center — located along the waterfront — sustained significant storm damage.
Portions of the roof were ripped away, patient rooms were flooded, and staff have been forced to provide care with unreliable power, limited refrigeration and little access to clean water.
Local 10’s Christina Vazquez spoke to Dr. Patrice Thelwell-Monroe, the medical director at the facility, who confirmed that the center is now operating at a critical shortage of supplies.
She says among the most urgently needed items are tarps, tents, tetanus shots, mosquito nets, IV fluids, oral rehydration salts, IV giving lines, face masks, disposable gloves, IV antibiotics, dengue rapid test kits, COVID rapid test kits, sheets, towels, blankets, bleach, hospital gowns, burn cream, topical antibiotics, SCUBA equipment for oxygen regulators, water purification tablets and insect repellent.
Residents in the community directed volunteers from Project DYNAMO and Savage Freedoms Operations to the site earlier this week to conduct a medical assessment and develop a resupply plan.
“We found rooms open to the sky, operating equipment soaked, and patients sitting in hallways because their rooms are unusable,” said Adam Smith, founder of Savage Freedoms Operations. “We can’t rebuild Jamaica, but what we can do is bring the medical supplies and pharmaceuticals needed to stabilize care.”
The groups said a large shipment of aid is expected to arrive by air in the coming days, with additional deliveries planned depending on access conditions.
Public health teams are also monitoring growing concerns about cholera, dengue fever and other waterborne illnesses, as flooding has forced many residents to collect and use river water contaminated by debris, dead animals and storm runoff.
Access remains one of the most pressing challenges. Aid personnel said key roadways into Trelawny Parish were only cleared for the first time this week, delaying both assessment and relief operations.
Local community advocate Peter Whyte urged international support.
“Jamaica is in a serious situation,” Whyte said. “If you can help — please — we need it now.”
Vazquez has been in Jamaica since Monday embedded with relief groups Project DYNAMO and Savage Freedoms Relief Operations. The groups say they plan to maintain a presence in the region as long as conditions require, coordinating incoming medical aid and working with local clinicians to distribute supplies to the facilities and neighborhoods most in need.
HOW TO HELP: Nonprofit organizations in South Florida collect donations to help Hurricane Melissa victims in Jamaica
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