From left: Senior Clerk at the Maurice Byer Polyclinic, Sherry Corbin; Member of Parliament for St. Peter, the Hon. Colin Jordan; Medical Officer of Health in charge of the polyclinic, Dr. Cheryl McCollin; Vallis Jemmott and Jacqueline Gill.
THE Maurice Byer Polyclinic is now visible within the Douglas, St. Peter community thanks to brand new signage donated by a local group.
Recognising that the health care facility remained sign less for many years, the St. Peter Give Thanks Committee stepped up to the plate.
Yesterday, Member of Parliament for St. Peter and Minister of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector, Colin Jordan, and Chairman of the St. Peter Give Thanks Gospel Committee, Ricardo Leacock and other members, officially made the presentation of the signage to Medical Officer of Health in charge of the polyclinic, Dr. Cheryl McCollin and Senior Clerk, Sherry Corbin.
“St. Peter Give Thanks was born out of an understanding that we needed to give back. And as far back as 2015, long before
the pandemic, we made a decision to support health care in St. Peter, so we adopted back then the Maurice Byer Polyclinic because it is our health care institution,” Minister Jordan told the gathering.
“We recognise that the state; the country is not able to do everything in every area of activity – they’re always limiting factors, particularly money. We know that from our own personal economies, the same holds true for Government. And so, we decided back then that we would support this polyclinic and I am happy that we have been able to be relatively consistent in our support.”
On behalf of the polyclinic, Dr. McCollin thanked the St. Peter Give Thanks Committee for the much-needed signage as well as commended their vigilance.
“The pandemic showed us one thing, and that is that the polyclinic setup of services is not merely for persons who as people would have said in the past ‘can’t afford to pay for health care’. Persons come for testing; persons come for vaccines from all sectors of the society. And so, at this time, what was important for me is the provision of the signage which we are eternally grateful, because a lot of people came up and down the hill and thought this was a plantation house – they didn’t know this was a polyclinic because there was no sign to direct them to the location.
“The St. Peter Give Thanks Committee, we are eternally grateful, they continue giving us things that are required. I guess they walk around and observe what is missing or what is needed. And they come up at the right time, with the right things
that we require and so we are really eternally grateful for this,” Dr. McCollin further expressed.
The committee chairman revealed that the signage was made possible by the kind assistance of the Speightstown Nazarene Church, St. Peter Parish Organising Committee, Black Bess SDA Church, and Sign Up Inc.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic we were unable to have a gospel concert, so we decided to make good of our promise in providing the signage, thanks to those who donated. In the past we were able also to provide the clinic with a television, outdoor benches, and a podium. We therefore pledge our continued support to this clinic, which provides various medical services to over 2,500 persons on a monthly basis for the past 44 years,” Leacock said.
