Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Area One police is appea-ling to the public to help raise an additional sum of $700,000 to cover physiotherapy treatment for their injured colleague, Cecil Bond.

The call was issued during a presentation of a $101, 232 cheque to the constable, by the Area One Chaplaincy Unit, at Summit Police Station, in Montego Bay, on Wednesday.

Constable Bond was injured in a motor vehicle accident along the Coopers Pen main road in Trelawny in May 2004.

Owing to the kindness of his colleagues and a 'Good Samaritan' out of Florida, Dr. Dennis Grant, the injured officer was able to have surgery costing $1 million, in Cuba. He was receiving medical attention there last year, but was forced to return home because of inadequate funds.

"Our initial effort to help Constable Bond was fruitful - Dr. Grant gave us close to $800,000," explained Corporal Olivette McKenzie, coordinator of comm-unity relations in Trelawny.

"(The funds) should have com-pleted his surgery and physio-therapy in Cuba but when he got there his lungs were not working properly; his kidneys had all kinds of complications hence three quarters of that money that was to have been used for his physical therapy had to be used to sort him out."

Quickly

She added, "He needs all of this money now to go back (to Cuba) and get right back into his training and he needs to get there quickly - by the end of February towards March. He has to get there quickly so that he does not have to spend all that money again to go over the evaluation. We are appealing to the public to just help us to sort him out."

Having recovered use of his hands following his treatment in Cuba, Constable Bond was confident that he would regain use of his legs after his second batch of therapy.

"The doctors in Cuba said everything is back in place all I need therapy," he said. "At this moment I think I need about J$700,000. I need to receive some more medical treatment inclusive of injections, oral medication and electric therapy, is not available in the island."

Pleased with the assistance that he received thus far, the policeman thanked God and his colleagues, who he said continue to keep him going during this trying time.

Persons who would like to make donations can do so at any branch of Jamaica National Building Society, account number 10463595.