Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

Patients of the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care programme cheer the Cuban medical team whose members were present yesterday at the first anniversary celebration of the programme, at the Ministry of Health, King Street, downtown Kingston. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

The Government has received US$5 million (J$330 million) from the Venezuelan Government through the PetroCaribe agreement, to construct a first-class ophthalmology centre in the parish of St. Mary.

Minister of Health Horace Dalley made the disclosure at the one-year celebration of the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care programme held at the ministry's head office in Kingston yesterday.

"That centre will be a centre of excellence where we will have Jamaican ophthalmologists, Cuban ophthalmologists, Trinidadian ophthalmologists ... and ophthalmologists from anywhere in the world who want to offer their skills and expertise to the people of Jamaica," Mr. Dalley said.

The Health Minister noted that facilities in the country need to be developed to ensure the proper care of the citizens. This, he said was necessary, regardless of the care that is offered through the friendship with the Cuban and Venezuelan governments.

Detailed report to come

The minister was reluctant to divulge the details concerning the construction of the clinic, but promised to give a detailed report in Parliament next week.

Dr. Albert Lue, a local ophthalmologist who was critical of the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care programme, welcomed the news of the clinic as he said it would allow for independence in eye care.

"A centre in St. Mary, in my mind would be a good idea. I am for it," he said. Dr. Lue pointed out that east Jamaica has been neglected in many ways so the centre could be the start of better things to come for that section of the island.

Dr. Alverston Bailey, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ), echoed the sentiments of Dr. Lue that the country is in need of an ophthalmology centre in the north eastern region.

He said: "We welcome the proposal that the centre will be staffed by Jamaican doctors who will work in collaboration with our international colleagues and we anticipate that the services offered will be affordable." Dr. Bailey stressed that money should be made available to equip and improve the physical plant of the other three eye care facilities in the country.

Since the Jamaica/Cuba "miracle eye care programme" began on September 1 last year, more than 11,000 patients have been screened and just over 3,800 operations have been conducted.