Dr. James Carney working in conjunction with the Christian Dental Society based in America has been coming to Jamaica offering free dental clinics for the past 17 years. He started in Kingston, has spread out to Mavis Bank, Dallas, three different locations in Kingston and for the last eight years South St. Elizabeth. He and his crew of volunteers come to Jamaica an average of four times a year, twice to the Kingston side and twice to St. Elizabeth.

Eight years ago Dr. Carney joined forces with Pastor and Mr. Rowe of the St. John CME Church located in Pondside. They have set up quite an impressive clinic there including eight dental stations, compressors, etc. for running the equipment, and lots of patients! Yesterday alone they saw just under 60 persons and performed over 100 extractions. They will do cleanings, fillings, extractions and examinations. The cost is $500 JA which goes towards paying the utility bills for the clinic, etc.

The number of volunteers in the team vary but there are always at least 8 persons and this week there are 18! Included in this group are several dentists, dental assistants, an oral surgeon, and even family and friends coming to do whatever they can to offer a helping hand.

We applaud Dr. Carney and his inexhaustible team for their continued support given to us! His plans are now extending to the possibility of starting clinics in Haiti.




You can view more photos of the clinic here or by the link in the Photo Gallery

That's a very good thing that all these generous people and their foundation's do. Bless You.
So why is the Government not doing more to help all, [edited by TB.Net].

I'll go one step further Nigel. I have heard repeatedly from many of the volunteer organizations of the horror stories of how they are delayed in Customs with agents trying to decide what duty tax to put on some of the medical items - even with all the proper paperwork filled out, which is a nightmare in itself. Dr. Carney was delayed for 3 hours this time and that is routine.

I've had folks not come as volunteers because they were so daunted by the bureaucracy. I have other volunteers hide things in their luggage and pretend to be tourists to avoid all the hassle.

This is where the change should start. Make it easier to donate.

These people are true samaritans but why must the officials be so uncooperative? Their attitude is similar to the red tape in the Hiatian Customs that's preventing volunteers from getting supplies to the needy.
Keep up the great work Dr Carney and team.