At the invitation of Ambassador Marjorie Grant-Fuller, nurses Julie Anderson RN, Paulina Andujo RN and I made a mission pre-trip to Jamaica in mid-January. Ambassador Grant learned about Operation Walk through our medical co-director, Dr. William Long. We were hosted by Mr. Courtney Cephas, who is the Executive Director of the Jamaican National Healthcare Enhancement Foundation. This foundation is charged with enlisting surgical missions to improve the health and well-being of the Jamaican people.
Our goal was to see if Kingston would be a suitable site for a mission in January of 2027. We toured three hospitals. Two looked appropriate and we are in talks with medical personnel on the ground to establish patient needs. Jamaica has a public health system that is fairly robust but lacks resources for many surgical needs, including hip and knee replacements. They have a long waiting list for patients in need of these surgeries.
Our team had the great pleasure of meeting with His Excellency Patrick Allen, who is the island nation’s Governor General. He shared how much he and the Ministry of Health would like to collaborate in this endeavor.
We will share more in upcoming editions of our newsletter as we learn more about Jamaica, its people, and a possible mission.
Paul K. Gilbert, MD
President, Operation Walk Los Angeles
