JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation Gives Computers to Haemodialysis Unit at UHWI to Assist in Patient Care
The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation recently donated two computers to the Haemodialysis Unit of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in response to social media calls for the technology to assist the hospital to improve its patient care and management. The Haemodialysis Unit has been without a computer for almost a year, instead, relying on the support of other Units within the UHWI, or paper-based results, which can be delayed.
The call came from a patient of the unit, Sheila Barrett, who in her appeal explained the dire need for computers, to easily assess patients’ blood results, in order to determine the treatment course. An elated Barret, who was present for the handover of the computers, lauded the Foundation for its life-changing donation.
Having received the firsthand inconvenience of not being able to easily access her results to further inform her medical care, Barrett said, “I was very grateful (when I heard JMMB) made direct contact with the Unit to make a donation. (As) this will help to provide real-time results and updated records, which helps to make diagnosis more accurate.” Adding that this donation is two-fold as it benefits patients and the caring medical team in making their job more seamless.
Chief of nephrology at the UHWI, Dr. Adedamola Soyibo, also added his own commendation to the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation for the generous donation, which he noted will aid the nursing team in particular, in being more efficient in carrying out their administrative functions. The computers will also help the team to access patients’ lab and clinic notes, in a timely manner. Additionally, “This will allow for ease of communication of information and results between local and overseas medical teams as they jointly manage the patients’ treatment.” Kaydeen Wright-Williams, charge nurse at the Haemodialysis Unit underscored Dr. Soyibo’s statement, “The donation will have a valuable impact as the unit seeks to utilize more technology, in keeping with the digital approach taken by medical services providers such as labs. It will (also) be a big boost for patient care and the overall management of the unit, and just enhance our working environment.”
In keeping with the Foundation's mandate to impact change in Jamaica, and to assist capacity strengthening in institutions, "We are proud to support an institution like UHWI in this way, because we believe that with the necessary equipment, resources and tools, the expert medical team that we have locally can provide our fellow Jamaicans with high quality, affordable health care that is world-class," said Kim Mair, CEO of the JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation.
Need for Additional Support & Lifestyle Change
While giving kudos to JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation for support the unit, Soyibo noted that with a prevalence rate of approximately 500 in every 100,000 Jamaicans, which is thought to be underestimated, the unit is in need of additional support to bolster its capacity and improve its patient care. The unit caters to more than 90 patients who receive vital dialysis treatment at least three times per week, in addition to emergency cases.
The nephrologist encouraged Jamaicans to pay keener attention to maintaining good health in order to reduce the risk of chronic kidney disease and therefore the reliance on dialysis. “Look after your kidneys and they will look after you,” was his word of advice. Adding, “engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours that will reduce the risk of having non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases and high cholesterol, which are major contributors to chronic kidney diseases.”
Other simple but effective ways to reduce the risk of chronic kidney diseases include: drinking adequate amounts of water, maintaining a healthy diet, having a regular exercise routine, reducing salt intake, avoiding drugs that cause kidney problems, and if persons have any predisposing risk factors, getting regular medical checkups.
The JMMB Joan Duncan Foundation has also made donations of medical equipment to Kingston Public Hospital and other departments at the UHWI.