Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer
HAGLEY GAP, St Thomas:
WITH AN average attendance of 35 people per day, it is expected that some 350 residents of Hagley Gap and neighbouring communities in St Thomas would have received attention by the time a visiting medical team from the United States leaves this weekend.
Heading the team is Dr Sherieka Wright who was born and raised in Hagley Gap, ably assisted by emergency-room nurse Vela Watson, a colleague at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey, where they are based.
The team is completed by licensed practical nurses Edith Carson and Carma Messam, with Wright's cousin, Tashieka Kelliman who is visiting from Manchester, England, volunteering as a nursing assistant. The Jamaica-born Kelliman, who has applied to universities at home to pursue a course in midwifery, welcomes what she described as a valuable learning experience.
"I'm doing the register and keeping everybody busy and it's a good opportunity to see what happens in a clinic because I am going to be a midwife," she told The Gleaner.
Meanwhile, for Wright, who lived with her maternal grandparents (now deceased) in Hagley Gap until the age of nine, this is a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community she still calls home, despite living in the United States for many years.
"I've always wanted to come back here to work because there were no clinics here when I was going to medical school," she said during a break from seeing patients last week Wednesday.
Having completed her medical studies at Linda Loma University in the United States, where she was exposed to missionary work in the wake of the earthquake, which devastated Haiti, she yearned for the opportunity to do some of that at home.
"I was exposed to going to different developing countries to do work and everybody wants to go to Africa, Haiti or Mexico. Not that I have a problem with people going there, but knowing where I am coming from, I didn't want to volunteer elsewhere, knowing the needs of my people," she admitted.
Chance to give back to community
So when the Blue Mountain Project, which undertakes community-development work in Hagley Gap and neighbouring communities, built a health centre there, she jumped at the chance to realise that dream. Apprehensive at first about how she would be received by adults, especially many of whom had last seen her as a nine-year-old, these fears were soon eclipsed by the adoration and admiration of residents in the community where her roots run deep.
In addition to the satisfaction derived from the relief to people who might otherwise be denied medical attention because of the distance from clinics or cost, Wright is enjoying herself, connecting with relatives and friends of old and making, in some cases, that saving connection.
Two cases which stand out are that of a 21-year-old man who for some time has reportedly sought medical care at institutions such as the Kingston Public Hospital for fluid in the knee, which has severely hampered his movement, and a 12-year-old girl who 'buck off" her 'big toe'. Both were seen last week.
After draining most of the fluid from the knee and placing a bandage on it, the patient reported that he was feeling better, and lamented that over many months, he had only been given painkillers, with nothing substantive done to address the underlying problem, despite seeing a number of doctors.
In the case of the little girl, the toe was successfully reattached, with Wright explaining that as an emergency-room practitioner, she is exposed to this kind of injury.
For the girl from Hagley Gap who now lives in the United States of America, being there to make that kind of difference is gratifying and heart-warming. The bad road conditions have got worse and domestic water is still a pipe dream, but she hopes to be an inspiration for others who might be motivated by her success and underlying humility to do their small part in making a difference for Jamaica.