Six months after Hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica with Category 5 winds, heavy rain and destructive storm surge, Americares continues to support repair of hospitals and health centers and increase capacity for mental health services in the affected area.
In Haiti, which saw extensive flooding, Americares is providing medicine and medical supplies—including water purification supplies—to protect the health of survivors.
Within days of the storm, Americares sent an emergency team and an EMT Type 1 Mobile clinic to Jamaica.
The 16-person clinic team included physicians, nurses and mental health professionals. They provided free primary care and mental health support to survivors in Chester Castle, Jamaica, about 25 miles from where Melissa made landfall. Storm survivors from across the region sought care at the center.
In coordination with local staff, the team cared for survivors during 826 consultations. They treated everything from chronic disease to urgent conditions, including infections and injuries.
Americares also:
The Americares medical team is certified by the World Health Organization as an Emergency Medical Team Type 1 Mobile provider. This means we’ve met the highest standards for health care providers responding to emergencies.
The clinic was critical for patients who needed treatment for storm injuries or chronic health conditions.
For years, Janet had depended on the health center in Ramble to care for high blood pressure and other health issues. But Hurricane Melissa destroyed the clinic—and damaged Janet’s home. When she learned that an Americares clinic was set up in nearby Chester Castle, Janet made the trip.
At the Americares EMT clinic, Janet was examined by a doctor. She received medications to manage her health conditions, restoring care that had been interrupted by Hurricane Melissa.
“We need help to get back on our feet again,” says Janet. “To start life over again. Without your assistance, we wouldn’t be here.”
Urgent shipments of medicine and supplies
Americares also provided six emergency shipments of medicine and medical supplies. We sent 19 tons in all. The shipment contained enough medicine to fill 76,000 prescriptions and help people like Janet protect and improve their health.
Repairs for hospitals and clinics in Jamaica
Six months after Melissa’s landfall, many communities across western Jamaica are still dealing with displacement, infrastructure damage and economic losses.
Our response team is working alongside the local and national government to:
Americares is also providing funding for mental health services and water and sanitation projects.
Repairs complete: At Falmouth Hospital, the new water tanks and structural repairs we funded are complete. We’re now planning repairs to water and sanitation infrastructure and improvements to its offices. Americares also provided critical funds for repairs to the region’s largest health center that sits beside Falmouth Hospital.
Health projects in process: For survivors in hard-hit St. Elizabeth Parish, Americares is funding:
At schools in St. Elizabeth Parish, Americares is funding mental health and psychosocial support and supporting two more mental health programs in the wider hurricane-affected area. Americares is also funding the installation of water tanks at schools to supply clean water. We’re supporting a local organization in their efforts to control mosquitoes, which can carry disease.
To restore access to health care, Americares is funding repairs to health centers in Trelawny Parish. In Kingston, we’re providing materials for repairs to the outpatient facility at the University of the West Indies Medical Hospital.
Looking ahead: Americares is collaborating with local partners and health authorities to plan repairs and reconstruction of more health facilities, including those that provide specialty care. These projects will help restore and strengthen health services, contributing to resilient communities for years to come.
Hurricane Melissa response in Haiti
In storm-affected communities across Southern Haiti, Americares provided critical medicines and medical supplies to partner health facilities. This included 681,120 water purification sachets—enough to make more than 180,000 gallons of water safe to drink.
This support is helping protect tens of thousands of people from waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever.