Dr Charles Morgan listens for vital sounds as he examines this elderly patient in rural Jamaica, during an annual health fair held by the US-based Physicians Residents and Nurses (PRN) International. PRN International has been administering free health care to thousands of people in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Sri Lanka and more recently, Liberia, for more than 10 years. - Noel Thompson/Freelance Photographer

MONTEGO BAY, ST JAMES

A group of Jamaican-born medical professionals and their American colleagues are urging Jamaicans to curtail the excessive use of salt in their diet to prevent some of the common diseases associated with hypertension.

The call came after the group, Physicians Residents and Nurses (PRN) International, comprising 21 doctors, nurses and anaesthetists recently journeyed from Bridge-port, Connecticut, United States, to hold a week-long health clinic across the island.

Approximately 30 persons benefited from free surgeries, including hysterectomies, hernia repairs, thyroid removals, while another 800 were treated for various conditions and were given medication that should last a year, when the group expects to return.

A startling discovery unfolded, with the majority of adult patients showing a level of hypertensive and diabetic conditions, while children were treated for high levels of acid reflux, ringworm, worms and gut problems, among other conditions.

Free health care

PRN International has been administering free health care to thousands of people in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Sri Lanka and more recently, Liberia for more than 10 years. All missions are financed through fund-raising events with donations from United States pharmaceutical companies.