MobiCare joins relief efforts by providing medical aid

While the nation continues to recover from Hurricane Melissa, Dr Franz Collins and his dedicated team at MobiCare Medical Centre joined the relief efforts, providing medical assistance to those physically affected by the storm.

“After the hurricane, we received multiple reports that several western communities, especially inland areas, were severely affected and had limited access to medical support. Many people were cut off without medications, wound care, or even basic necessities. Once we understood the level of need, it was clear that MobiCare had to step in,” Dr Collins, the founder and medical director, told Lifestyle.

In identifying the communities most in need, Dr Collins reached out to trusted local contacts. This allowed him to secure technical and logistical support while assessing which services would be necessary for the trip. Support also came from Wisynco/Legend in the form of medical supplies for the mission, while Jamaica AIDS Support for Life assisted with sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and went into the field to assess shut-ins.

“We also conduct[ed] a site visit prior to the execution of the field operations,” Dr Collins added.

The team of volunteers, doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), pharmacists, and administrative support took on the journey of visiting Black River in St Elizabeth and Petersfield, Westmoreland.

“Getting there was challenging,” he explained, mainly due to several roads being damaged or partially blocked. Once they arrived, however, the reception and cooperation from the community made everything worth it.

“People were waiting from early in the morning, and the need was obvious. We saw individuals from surrounding districts as well, many of whom had no access to medication, wound care, or even basic health checks since the storm,” Dr Collins added.

The most common issues observed at the locations included cuts caused by debris, chronic wounds that had worsened due to a lack of dressings, and skin infections resulting from poor hygiene. Some patients were falling behind on hypertension, diabetes, and asthma medications, while others suffered general trauma from clean-up activities.

“Although we had to deal with limited access to certain areas, we treated wounds, provided dressing care, issued medications, delivered health checks, and offered counselling,” he revealed.

He described the experience as both humbling and life-changing, “These communities were deeply affected, yet incredibly welcoming and appreciative. Being able to bring relief, restore dignity, and support families who were struggling reminded me why this work is so important.”

Seeing the residents face difficulties in sourcing tarpaulin, receiving basic supplies for those who lost roofs, and accessing functioning pharmacies meant it was harder for them to maintain their mental and physical health. This didn’t sit well with Dr Collins, who believed he could do more.

“I would bring more tarpaulins, more wound care supplies, and a larger stock of chronic medications. The need was far greater than expected, especially in the hilly and inland communities that received little to no prior assistance. Police assistance to navigate the journey to and from our destination is also a necessity as well,” he said.

Since operating for approximately three years, MobiCare has doubled up on its efforts to significantly expand its outreach initiatives, especially in disaster response and community-based care. “Our goal has always been to bridge gaps in healthcare access, and recent events have pushed us to scale our efforts even further,” he shared.

The mobile medical company plans to keep the mission going by visiting Seaford Town in Westmoreland, before branching out to other communities in the parish, along with underserved areas in St Elizabeth.

With confirmed cases of leptospirosis and dengue on the island, the team will also be closely monitoring persons presenting fever, severe dehydration, skin rashes, muscle pain, signs of infection from contaminated water, gastrointestinal symptoms and mosquito-borne illness indicators.

“Our teams will be equipped to triage suspected cases early, provide treatment where possible, and make referrals for serious cases,” he added.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com