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It is costing the Jamaican health sector a staggering $12.6 billion per year on average to cover medical care for persons needing treatment for violence-related injuries and road traffic crashes.
The figure represents 36 per cent of the annual national hospital budget, according to the latest findings of a cost of care study.
The study – consisting of data, collected during the period April-May 2014, which investigated the effect of VRIs and RTCs on the health sector – revealed that in that single year, hospitals across the country managed more than 25,000 cases of violence-related injuries, 13,000 road traffic crashes, and 500 cases of attempted suicide.
The direct medical cost associated with suicide and attempted suicide was $0.4 billion, and the productivity cost was $0.4 billion, resulting in a total direct and indirect medical cost of $0.8 billion.
In addition, it also pointed out that the direct medical cost associated with violence-related injuries stood at $3.6 billion and the indirect cost at $5 billion, while the total medical cost linked with such violence-related injuries was $8.6 billion.
Health minister Christopher Tufton stated that there was no way the health sector would be able to sustain the high level of financing for such care given the insufficient funding of his ministry.
“Public health is underfunded. We have not been able to keep up with the pace of the demands on our public-health system. I don’t think anybody can argue otherwise. I do think it’s important to be truthful and sincere about it,” he said.
“But when you place in context the preventable issues that the public-health sector has to deal with, and according to the study, total estimated cost of violence-related injuries was some 59 per cent of the total ministry of health goods and services, it again brings into sharp focus why issues of prevention, as opposed to curative issues, are key,” Tufton reasoned.
High school students tinker with suicide to solve problems
A cost of care study conducted from April-May 2014 shows that it costs on average $400,000 to treat a gunshot victim, and $190,000, a victim of stab wounds and lacerations. An injury to someone from a blunt object carries with it a cost of $120,000 to access treatment per year.
Seven hospitals were covered in the study: the Kingston Public Hospital, the Bustamante Hospital for Children, the Spanish Town Public Hospital, the University Hospital of the West Indies, the Cornwall Regional Hospital, the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, and the May Pen Hospital.
The study was conducted by the Violence Prevention Alliance, the University of the West Indies, the University Hospital of the West Indies, and the Mona GeoInformatics Institute and was funded by the Jamaica National Foundation and the National Health Fund.
Tufton also noted that while injuries associated with violence and motor vehicle crashes provided a strain on the finances of his ministry, it was telling that there could be another challenge in the form of attempted suicide.
 
Suicidal solution
 
Another disturbing element having an impact on public health care delivery in Jamaica, Tufton said, is the issue of attempted suicide, which was underlined by a national survey undertaken recently by the National Council on Drug Abuse.
This study, Tufton said, revealed that children of high school age tinker with the idea of committing suicide as a mechanism to deal with their problems.
JN Foundation director Parris Lyew-Ayee said that it was important to co-fund the research given its importance to the Jamaican society, as well as the fact that it was in line with one of the long-term objectives of the foundation, which is to enhance health and safety for all Jamaicans.

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Thirty-five Social Enterprises, which have been nurtured by the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI) both as members of the SEBI incubator and the SEBI open network, have received their official “Buy Social” trademark, to assist prospective consumers in identifying their products, services and social missions.

The objective is to increase consumer demand; and enhance the management of their enterprises. The “Buy Social” trade mark and advertising campaign were launched at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel in Kingston on Thursday, November 30, 2017.

Saffrey Brown, General Manager, JN Foundation , said that the unique mark will signal to consumers that the business bearing it is a social enterprise.

“When you buy from a social enterprise, you are choosing to spend your money with a business that is giving something back,” Ms. Brown explained. “They reinvest their profits to address the most pressing social issues in their community, such as unemployment.”

The project manager said that the four-month campaign, to commence in December, will include advertising on television, radio and newspapers; as well as, on buses and digital bill boards.

Scheed Cole, manager of 360 Recycle Manufacturing, one of the social enterprises which will benefit from the initiative, said “we are working with grass roots people, so that they can earn sustainable income. We need all the help we can get and so I am in full support of Buy Social campaign.”

Located on Rousseau Road in the western zone of Kingston, 360 Recycle Manufacturing, uses plastic bottles, Styrofoam and paper to create construction materials such as blocks, flower pots and sculptures.

“Once the “Buy Social” promotion starts, we will get in line with it, and as more people come to know the brand, we expect it to create more business for us,” Mr. Cole said.

Charles Arumiselvam of Alpha Wear JA, a unique fashion venture created by the Alpha Boys School in Kingston, pointed out that he expect the “Buy Social” campaign to help the venture.

“Alpha Institute is known as a having social mission; but, what the Institute is not well known for is the business side of its operation; therefore, the “Buy Social” Campaign will put us on the map of Jamaica,” he declared.

“This is a great campaign,” Mr. Arumiselvam said. “It is an important moment for Alpha Institute to be identified as place where people can come and buy interesting products, and we are grateful to JN Foundation and SEBI to help promote us into the market place.”

To be used by the social enterprise practitioners initially in Jamaica, the trade mark will be  subsequently promoted across the wider Caribbean Region. The Buy Social Trade Mark and Social Advertising Campaign comprise the second phase of the SEBI project.
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Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.coml

Some 150 volunteers, comprising of students, community groups, government and private sector organisations,have been trained to support the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) Global Conference, which will take place from November 27 to 29 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James.
Joy Roberts, co-chair of the Volunteers Committee for the UNWTO Conference,said the volunteers were integral to the success of the Conference, which is the first for the Caribbean and Jamaica.
“Undoubtedly, the volunteers will be a key part of the experience of delegates attending the Conference. They will be the first to meet the delegates when they arrive at the airport and they are assigned to every area of the Conference,” she pointed out.
The volunteers were trained in customer service, protocol, team building, registration and logistics. The volunteers are pulled from tertiary institutions such as the University of the West Indies; the University of Technology, the Caribbean Maritime University and the Spot Valley High School in St. James.Others are from community groups, the public and private sectors and the combined Cadet Group.
Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation, which is also involved in the training of the volunteers,underscored the value of the volunteers to the upcoming Conference.
“This is a very important Conference with a large contingency of delegates from more than 100 countries who are expected to be in attendance. Our volunteers are trained to provide information and guidance, they will be the first point of contact and it is critical that they are well trained as they will contribute to the success of this Conference,” she pointed out.
D’ Andre Collinder, who has volunteered to work at the Conference, said that she was elated to participate as a volunteer.
“I have just completed my Masters Degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management and I felt that volunteering for the upcoming UNWTO Conference would have been good experience for me since it is directly related to the Ministry of Tourism and something that is looking at sustainable tourism on a global scale,” she informed.
Collinder said she is looking forward to the exposure in areas of logistics and what involves putting on a Conference of this magnitude.
The Conference is being held under the theme “Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnership for Sustainable Tourism” and is being staged within the framework of the declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.
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Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.coml

The JN Foundation, an arm of the Jamaica National Group, has been supporting sustainable tourism through many projects it has undertaken during its almost three decades of operation.

“Guided by the ethos of the Jamaica National Group and using business as a force for good, we seek the most innovative and sustainable solutions to address the nation’s major social needs,” explained Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation.

“Consequently, when we partner with communities and citizens to solve problems, we hold true to the fact that we are part of the solution the country seeks. But, most significantly, success, for us, is a model in which we strengthen and empower community members, so they can build and sustain their communities themselves,” she added.

Key among this sustainability is the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative (SEBI), a project of the JN Foundation, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Through SEBI, the foundation worked with 21 entities to build capacity and customise their business development services, designed to improve their profitability.

Brown pointed out that three of these entities – Montego Bay Marine Park in St James, Bunkers Hill Cultural Xperience in Trelawny and EducaTours JA in Kingston – were focused on sustainable tourism.

She also noted that prior to SEBI, the JN Foundation worked with the Junitavan Lagoon, an ecotourism attraction in Accompong, St Elizabeth.

RESTORED LAGOON

“In recognition of its integral role in environmental sustainability and preserving the culture of the Accompong Maroons, the JN Foundation undertook a project to restore the lagoon to its former glory,” Brown pointed out.

The first phase of the restoration project, an excavation exercise, was aimed at bringing ecotourism and aquaculture to Accompong.

Other successful tourism projects, she said, included work done with the Beeston Spring Community Group in Westmoreland. Under that project, which was administered by the Member Advisory Councils (MAC) set up across the JN branch network, MACs select and advise about projects worthy of funding under the foundation’s mantra of innovating, inspiring and impacting.

The Beeston Spring community members were trained in culinary arts, sewing and housekeeping from a partnership with the HEART Trust/NTA. After graduation, several persons were employed in hotels and restaurants; and some started their own businesses.

Committed to building Ja
It was a natural progression when The Jamaica National Group signed an agreement with the Government of Jamaica to provide planning, management and execution services to mount the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Government of Jamaica, World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, to take place November 27 to 29 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

Onika Miller, managing director of the MCS Group, the non-financial holding company of the Jamaica National Group, said that the partnership with the Government is a testament of the group’s commitment to nation building.

“We welcome the opportunity to forge this partnership with the Government to support this significant conference, which will benefit Jamaica and other Caribbean states,” she pointed out.

At the signing of the contact in July, Earl Jarrett, chief executive officer, the Jamaica National Group, underscored confidence in the JN team and the Government to stage a successful conference.

“Our team of professionals have the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver a successful conference. We are proud to have been selected by the ministry and are confident that our team will be equal to the task,” he said at the time.

The conference is a part of activities to mark the UN General Assembly’s declaration of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism. This declaration recognises the importance of tourism and the need to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, social inclusiveness, and employment and poverty reduction.

The conference, a first for Jamaica and the Caribbean, is expected to attract local, regional and international delegates.

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The capacity of the Traffic and Highway Division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has been bolstered with a new state-of –the-art Road Safety Management Facility and Community Resource Centre, or Road Safety Hub.
The 1,200 square feet Road Safety Hub was officially opened today (Wednesday, November 15, 2017) by the Most Hon. Prime Minister Andrew Holness at 16 Elleston Road in Kingston.
The Prime Minister commended the public-private sector partnership, of the JCF, in concert with JN General Insurance Company Limited; the Jamaica Automobile Association; and the JN Foundation, which made the Road Safety Hub possible.
He also noted that the facility will provide real-time road crash and network data by the Mona Geoinformatics Institute; and serve as a homework and resource centre for residents in and around Central Kingston.
Chris Hind, general manager of JN General Insurance, said the launch of the Road Safety Hub was a significant marker for the organisation and the wider Jamaica.
“We have been strong supporters of the Traffic and Highway Division in meeting its goal of reducing traffic fatalities. We see this as helping to meet our own goal of providing peace of mind to Jamaican motorists, homeowners and others with their general insurance needs,” he said.
He indicated that despite Jamaica’s grim road death statistics, he was heartened by what he observed, in terms of the strategic placement of police resources on our roadways, which he said is where the Traffic and Highway Division’s Road Safety Hub will make a difference.
“One of its key resources will come online from the Mona Geoinformatics Institute displaying the JNGI Fatal Crash Map with real-time road crash and network data,” he pointed out.

Calvin Allen, senior superintendent of police at the JCF said his organisation was grateful for the facility; and will make use of the real time data, which will be provided to enhance its strategic planning and policing of the country’s road network.
In reference to the United Nation’s Decade of Action for Road Safety goals; and the JAA’s membership of the Federation Internationale del l’Automobile (FIA), Duane Ellis, general manager of the JAA, said that he welcomed the role that FIA has played through its contribution to the Hub.
“The FIA’s support for our current road safety undertaking will not only support the provision of crash data; but, will also serve as a sustainable resource centre for residents in the surrounding communities,” he affirmed.
Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation said that The Jamaica National Group was happy to have partnered with the JCF in such a tangible manner.
“The JN Group’s chief executive officer and chairman of the JN Foundation, Mr Earl Jarrett, has ensured that we don’t simply provide services around road use; such as, road side recovery and insurance; but that, as a group, we combine to provide realistic solutions to the dangers that our citizens face on the roads, daily,” she said.

The country experienced a decline in road crashes and fatalities in 2016. Last year it recorded some 320 crashes in which 377 people were killed. In 2015, the country recorded 382 road fatalities.
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Contact:  Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.com

Prime Minister Andrew Holness cuts the ribbon to officially open the Road Safety Hub at the Traffic and Highway Division at the Elletson Road Police Station in Kingston on Wednesday, November 15. Sharing in the moment are (from right): Senior Superintendent of Police, Calvin Allen; Chris Hind, general manager, JN General Insurance (JNGI); Kathleen Moss, chairman of the JNGI Board and Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation. The Road Safety Hub will provide real-time road crash and network data and serve as a homework and resource centre for residents in and around Central Kingston.

Some 200 students from two Kingston-based high schools recently benefitted from sensitisation sessions about financial literacy. The outreach briefings were organised by the JN Foundation, in observation of “World Savings Day” on Tuesday, October 31.

The savings briefings were delivered at Jamaica College and Calabar High Schools, under the foundation’s Be Wi$e Financial Empowerment Project, with students being informed about budgeting, the importance of savings, credit and insurance, the four tools of financial independence ,

Rose Miller, grants manager at JN Foundation, who delivered the presentations, urged students to make saving a daily practice; and pointed out that it was ideal to save a minimum of 10 per cent of one’s monthly income; or monetary gifts received.

“Saving is critical to achieving financial independence and, believe it or not, saving is only the beginning. After you have saved, then you can move on to making investments, because it is through investing that one can gain financial freedom. However, if we have nothing saved, then we will have nothing to invest,” she informed.

In explaining the process of budgeting, Mrs. Miller told students that they should be able to differentiate between “needs and wants,” and she pointed out to the surprise of many of the students that “a cellular phone was not a need.”

“You may ask me to leave when I tell you this: A cell phone, especially a high-end phone, is not a need, it is a want and, part of being financially literate is that you need to recognize ‘what is a need and what is a want’,” she advised.

She further explained that ones budget  should be realistic and flexible. “Write down the elements of your budget beginning with the most important expenses; those classified as needs; revise it, as necessary.  Successful budgeting requires   discipline, so stick to your budget.”

Raheem Campbell, an eighth grader at Calabar High School, said the session was most informative. “I learned that financial freedom is the best way that you can be free from financial problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, sixth former, Dajanae Edge, said that the information about budgeting was very useful to him. “I learned that budgeting is critical to financial independence; and that saving is also a form of financial empowerment,” he related.

World Savings Day was observed under the theme “Our Future Starts With Savings.”JN Bank, a member of The Jamaica National Group, also rolled out a series of activities on the day, including: launching the #findaway Savings Campaign, in which the bank seeks to further educate its members and the public about the value of thrift.

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Contact: Dionne Rose l JN Corporate Communications l JN Bank l Tel: 936-3367 l Email: drose@JNGroup.com l

Ninety year-old Roy Thomas, was the oldest participant in the Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk, which was held in Falmouth, Trelawny on October 15. Thomas came in third in the 4K Run in the male category’s Super Masters Age Group 60-99, clocking a time of 42:31.

Usain Bolt (second left) contributes to the Trelawny Infirmary at the Heroes in Act!on Run/Walk. Sharing in the moment are (from left) Winsome Wilkins, chairman of the Usain Bolt Foundation, Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JN Foundation and Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager.

Usain Bolt (right), presents 77 year-old Gerline Nelson, who came first in the female category in the 4K Run for the female 60-99 age category with her trophy. Looking on is another participant in the race.