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Volunteers Bring US$5 Million In Medical Care to Jamaica.
Date Posted: April 29, 2008.
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica - Some US$5 million worth of medical
equipment, supplies and health care will be delivered free
of charge to the people of Jamaica this week by 80 medical
volunteers from the San Diego-based Miles Ahead organization
who arrived in Montego Bay on Saturday.
Miles Ahead volunteers in
Jamaica. From left: Surgeon Dr. John Clifford, former NBA
player Zach Jones, Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Paul
Wagner and Miles Ahead Medical Director Sean Burgess.
The medical team of specialist doctors, pediatricians,
surgeons and dentists will donate their services to local
communities, in close collaboration with Jamaica's Ministry
of Health, at four mobile clinics as 200 more volunteers, in
conjunction with local churches and community organizations,
conduct sports clinics, deaf education workshops, school
assemblies and rebuild local elementary schools.
The volunteers are part of Miles Ahead, an outreach
organization founded in 1992 by Pastor Miles McPherson, a
former NFL professional football player who has family ties
to the island.
Miles Ahead is currently on island as part of Jamaica
Broilers Group's 50th anniversary celebrations and three
major family-oriented festivals, under the Best Dressed 50
Fest banner, presented in Mandeville, Montego Bay and
Kingston through May 4.
The medical team reports that the clinics are stocked with
state-of-the-art equipment and supplies. They will deliver
dental care and equipment, pharmaceuticals, eye glasses,
orthopedics, and general health care. A unique feature of
the outreach is the team's mobile pathology laboratory,
which can test a tissue sample for cancer and return results
in 24 hours.
"We're excited to join with our local partners to serve
anyone who needs medical attention. We believe God is the
Great Physician, and we love being used by Him to heal,"
said Sean Burgess, the project's medical director.
Prior to this weekend's festivals and crusades, the American
medical volunteers will set up four clinics from Tuesday
April 29 through Thursday May 1, staffed with physicians,
nurses, counselors and other support staff. St. John's
Methodist Church, Flankers Open Bible, and Farm Heights
United will host clinics on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
A roving clinic will be at Webster Memorial Church on
Tuesday; at Salt Spring Baptist on Wednesday; and at Family
Church on the Rock on Thursday. In addition to the medical
team, former professional players from both the NBA and NFL
have joined the development efforts conducting sports
clinics targeting the youth.
Miles McPherson will deliver timely messages at Montego
Bay's Dump Up Beach on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3;
while Luis Palau will present on the King's House grounds in
Kingston on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4.
The Miles Ahead organization has plans for additional
outreach activities throughout the Caribbean region.
McPherson, known for encouraging people of faith to "DO
Something" (www.therocksandiego.org/dosomething), stands at
the forefront of "transformation evangelism" and "ministry
mobilization." In addition to leading the 10,000-strong Rock
Church and Academy in San Diego, McPherson is the President
of Miles Ahead which has organized events in 18 cities,
including Canada and Africa. Besides being an author,
McPherson also is an Emmy Award winning producer for the
documentary Master Meth, which examines the abuse of crystal
methamphetamine.
