WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — As families struggle to rebuild their lives and recover from the emotional and financial toll of the Category 5 hurricane Mellissa disaster one year ago, two Seventh-day Adventist hospitals recently provided health care to five communities across Westmoreland over five days, inspiring hope and relief to many.
Volunteers from AdventHealth, Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited,
Comprehensive Eye Care and Live-in-Love Ministries pictured at the
Waterworks Seventh-day Adventist Church, the fourth stop of the
Western Jamaica Medical Mission, held from October 26 to 30, 2026,
under the theme "Five Communities, One Mission, One Resilient
Jamaica." Photo: Contributed
For Pastor Dane Fletcher, Director of Missions, Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited (AMH), witnessing these conditions firsthand during a five-day medical outreach was deeply moving.
"What do you say to senior citizens whose homes have been so severely damaged that only portions remain standing? What words can adequately comfort those who have lost so much yet still struggle to find the resources to rebuild?" he reflected.
From left: Phillip Williams, facilities and maintenance manager
at Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited; Craig Moore, chief
executive officer of AdventHealth Kissimmee, Florida; Shelby
Houmann, engagement specialist at AdventHealth Global
Missions; Dr Mayanna Francis, optometrist and retinopathy
grader at Comprehensive Eye Care; and Donmayne Gyles,
president and chief executive officer of Andrews Memorial
Hospital Limited, at the medical mission in Savanna-la-Mar on
October 28, 2026. Photo: Contributed
"In many moments, words failed me. Yet, amidst the devastation, I encountered something profoundly moving: gratitude for the gift of life and an enduring hope for tomorrow."
Against this backdrop, nearly 800 residents benefited from the Western Jamaica Medical Mission, held October 26–30, 2026, under the theme "Five Communities, One Mission, One Resilient Jamaica."
AdventHealth, a Hospital System in the United States, with Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, spearheaded the second mission for the year, in collaboration with the Jamaica Union Conference and the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. The initiative brought free healthcare, including medical consultations, optical screening, dental services, HIV and Syphilis testing, pastoral and psychosocial care, and clothing distribution, to residents of Sheffield, Grange Hill, Savanna-la-Mar, Waterworks, and Darliston communities.
A team of nine doctors from AdventHealth, Andrews Memorial Hospital
Limited and the Ministry of Health and Wellness provided medical
services to residents of Grange Hill, Westmoreland, during the five-day
Western Jamaica Medical Mission. The clinical and support team from
the Ministry of Health gave full support for the five days. Photo:
Contributed
Healthcare Delivered with Compassion
Donmayne Gyles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Andrews Memorial Hospital Limited, welcomed 18 AdventHealth volunteers to Jamaica, including physicians, nurses, and chaplains, who joined local healthcare professionals, representatives of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, and community volunteers to deliver much-needed medical services.
“Earlier this year, we collaborated with our partners to provide healthcare to five communities in St. Elizabeth. This time, we felt it was important to extend compassionate care to five communities in Westmoreland. The needs are overwhelming, but we are here to do what we can to inspire hope and bring healing and comfort,” Gyles said.
Craig Moore, Chief Executive Officer of AdventHealth Kissimmee, Florida and a Clarendon native, said Melissa's devastation inspired him to give back.
"When the hurricane hit last year, while I was concerned for my family that live in Kingston, and they weren't as affected, my heart went out to the entire island. When I saw the devastation, I knew I had to do something," Moore said.
Registered nurse Sashel Plummer attends to a patient during the
Western Jamaica Medical Mission, which provided healthcare services
across five Westmoreland communities from October 26 to 30, 2026.
Photo: Contributed
"Here we are in Jamaica, and it has been an absolute pleasure to do this work, to see folks still thriving amid chaos and recovery. We are happy to be here just to be able to give back a little bit to them in terms of providing healthcare for them, treating them with dignity and respect, giving them hope."
Shelby Houmann, Engagement Specialist at AdventHealth Global Missions, described the experience as emotional but rewarding.
"We've partnered for the week alongside Andrews Memorial Hospital, one of our mission partners, and have been able to impact five different communities. It has been such a privilege to show the love of Jesus to others in those communities where we were able to work.”
Health Education
Preventive education featured Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA), Comprehensive Eye Care, the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Imogene McCallum, Programme Director, ADRA Jamaica, said that they are partnering with IsraAID through a UNICEF-supported initiative and have been moving across the parishes adversely affected by Mellissa to address child protection, gender-based violence, health-related awareness talks, and provide psychosocial support.
Highlighting children's emotional needs following disasters, McCallum said, "We recognise the emotional needs of children affected by disasters, and they go through trauma," he explained.
“While the children are engaged, we talk with the parents about protecting their children from abuse, how they are to listen to and affirm their children. Providing methods on how they can take care of their children’s emotional and physical needs.”
On eye health, Dr Mayanna Francis, an optometrist and retinopathy grader at Comprehensive Eyecare, warned that diabetes is a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults.
"Good vision starts with good control of diabetes," she said, encouraging exercise, healthy eating and annual diabetic eye screenings. She also highlighted free screening available through referral to Cornwall Regional Hospital's Diabetic Eye Clinic.
Withclife Campbelle (centre) joins ADRA Jamaica representatives
Debbie Waite Williams, field officer (left), and Imogene McCallum,
programme director, during a health education session on child abuse
prevention and breast cancer awareness at Sheffield, Westmoreland.
ADRA Jamaica participated in all five outreach locations. Photo:
Contributed
The JCF addressed illicit narcotics and Jamaica's ganja laws, while Ministry of Health personnel provided HIV and syphilis testing and sexual health education.
Dental services were in high demand throughout the medical mission. Deslyn Neunie of DS Prime Health Services noted that most of the dental volunteers were dentists and hygienists from the University of Technology (UTech) Dental School.
Deslyn Neunie (left) and Neville Wright, owners
of DS Prime Health Services, supported the
Western Jamaica Medical Mission by providing
dental services at four of the five outreach
locations in Westmoreland. Photo: Contributed
Neunie also highlighted the financial barriers preventing many Jamaicans from accessing dental care, recounting a patient at one of the outreach locations who reportedly received a $60,000 quotation for a wisdom tooth extraction.
“We will never be able to meet all the dental needs in Jamaica, partly because so many people simply cannot afford the cost of dental care,” Neunie said.
"When you have events like these, health fairs like these, people are just glad. People are just excited."
Dr Sharon Robinson Rowe of The Dental Place Foundation, who offered services on day five of the event, expressed her happiness to be part of the initiative: "We came in, we did extractions, cleanings. I found it to have been a very, very impactful event."
Gratitude
Grange Hill resident Tameika Fraser arrived shortly after 6 a.m., having prepared her children for school.
Pastor Javayne Billings (left) of the Grange Hill Seventh-day Adventist
Church gives a thumbs-up alongside Shelby Houmann, engagement
specialist at AdventHealth Global Missions, during the medical mission
in Grange Hill, Westmoreland. Photo: Contributed
"The service was excellent. I benefited from the medical department. I have friends who came along because once I heard, I spread the news," she said.
At Darliston, Carlin Clark Allen of Kippin District praised the medical team despite being unable to undergo a dental extraction because of blood pressure concerns.
"I feel a little bit sad that I didn’t get to see the dentist, but it's okay. Every disappointment is for good. And to be honest, the service here was excellent,” said Allen.
Pastor Oshane Whyte of the Contented Hall District of Seventh-day Adventist Churches, Westmoreland, commended the outreach.
We are overjoyed and deeply grateful to Andrews Memorial Hospital, AdventHealth, the West Jamaica Conference, and the Jamaica Union, for their invaluable support in making this programme possible. From day one, the team has been exceptional.”
Partnership Poised to Continue
Donmayne Gyles attributed the initiative to a shared commitment to compassionate healthcare.
"There's a passion ingrained in me to give back, and that's why AdventHealth and Andrews have come together, because we have a shared mission of extending Christ's healing ministry," he said.
Gyles thanked the partner institutions, healthcare professionals, volunteers, communities and sponsors, including Mia’sarka Foundation, Comprehensive Eye Care, Apotex, R.A. Williams, Carimed Group, Denk Pharma, The Dental Place Foundation, National Health Fund, NCU FM, Mello FM, Three Angels Pharmacy, DS Prime Health Services, Live in Love, Copiers Limited and the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Members of Live-in-Love Ministries, which distributed clothing packages
to residents during two days of the Western Jamaica Medical Mission in
Westmoreland, pause for a photograph. Photo: Contributed
He confirmed discussions about making outreach an annual initiative in strategically selected communities.
"We plan to make this an annual event as we continue discussions with AdventHealth to see how we can bolster this and make it bigger and better, to impact more lives and more people with more services in the coming years," Gyles said.