Jamaica’s sports medicine rehab programme to provide high-quality care to athletes

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local and overseas partners to advance the programme.

Partners are the Montefiore University Hospital/Albert Einstein Medical School, a public organisation with headquarters in New York, United States of America (USA), and the Zion Care International, a non-profit organisation in New York, and a local office operating in Jamaica.

Another partner, the Jamaica Medical Foundation, will facilitate and promote the work of the overseas partners as well as provide logistic support.

The MOU, which was signed on November 25, 2021, will strengthen relevant institutions to provide high-quality sports/rehabilitation/medical care to Jamaicans. It also involves data collection, sports and general rehabilitation medicine that provide mutual benefits to athletes and other parties.

Additionally, the programme will encourage exchange research scholars and students conducting educational initiatives, training and other collaborative activities.

Consultant, Sport Policy Development and Innovation, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Florette Blackwood, told JIS News that the MOU was signed following discussions between the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, and the overseas partners.

“The Memorandum of Understanding focuses mainly on advancing sports medicine rehabilitation in Jamaica. We are aware that we have excellent skill and core competencies in the area of sport medicine rehabilitation. However, what this MOU does is that it provides for the first time, a coordinated approach in the area of sport medicine rehabilitation,” she said.

Mrs. Blackwood pointed out that one of the key factors of the MOU is that it will initially provide access to all athletes and then eventually to the entire Jamaica.

“It will provide access to athletes who, over the years, might have been unable to finance medical services overseas when they have specialised issues. A part of the process is to ensure that this core competences and skills are also available to provide services in the area of prevention, as well,” she added.

Mrs. Blackwood said that the programme, which is in its planning and preparatory stage, will initially involve two institutions, the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, St. Catherine, and University of Technology (UTech), Kingston.

“G.C. Foster has presented a proposal looking more so to the performance side of sports, enhancing and expanding a high-performance centre with all of the necessary skillsets that are required, while UTech will focus on the skill building,” she said.

“Both institutions will have to work together to collaborate, because each one may look basically at their experiences and core competences but will work together in this project,” she added.

Mrs. Blackwood said that representatives of the two institutions as well as the Medical Association of Jamaica have had “exploratory discussions” with Chairperson and Head of the Montefiore Health System, Dr. Matthew Bartels, when he visited Jamaica from March 27 to 30, to assess the needs of the institutions.

The sport policy consultant said that the overseas-based partners have worked for many years with the Mona Rehab Foundation and are currently involved in the establishment of a Burn Unit at the Kingston Public Hospital.

“They have been involved in the establishment of a dental clinic in Jamaica and other services. They visit Jamaica every year, except since the COVID pandemic, where they offer services to the community in the area of rehabilitation and persons with physical disabilities,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, in a statement welcomed the expected outcome of the partnership.

She said there was “potential for greater longevity and endurance of the career of sport persons and the ability of our entire sport community to benefit from these programmes, irrespective of the economic circumstances”.

“With the improved skills and facilities, our managers, coaches and other sport personnel can attract more clients from outside of Jamaica and also promote increased sport tourism, as Jamaica positions itself as a sport medicine hub in the Caribbean region,” she argued.