CHASE Fund invests $3.3 b in health sector
THE CULTURE, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund has invested $3.3 billion in the development of the health sector over its 15 years of existence.
Chief executive officer of the Fund, William ‘Billy’ Heaven, said that the funds have been spent on the construction and upgrading of health facilities, promoting a healthy lifestyle, training of personnel, research, and cancer treatment, among other areas.
He said that the fund has established guidelines for assistance, with consideration given to how many people will benefit from the project, how the project will increase access to and impact the delivery of health care, how the project will improve the efficiency of the health system, how it will reduce patient wait time, and the affordability of the service to the end user.
He said that, overall, the fund has provided $17 billion for projects in the areas of earlychildhood education, arts and culture, health, and sports.
Heaven was speaking during a ceremony for the official handover of a new $4million anaesthetic machine at Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester on Tuesday.
CHASE’S SHARE OF THE FUNDING
CHASE provided $2.2 million towards the acquisition of the state-of-the-art equipment, with the remainder of the funds coming from the Rotary Club of Mandeville and students of the Church Teachers’ College, which contributed the $100,000 raised from its annual 5Krun/walk.
Heaven said that the fund has spent some $82 million at the Mandeville Regional Hospital to date.
Chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority, Wayne Chen, said that the anaesthetic machine will make a “significant difference”.