May 10, 2012.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FAMILY PLANNING’S DIRECTOR ASSESSES MAJESTY GARDEN DILEMMA

Executive Director of the National Family Planning Board, Dr. Olivia McDonald

visited Majesty Gardens Monday May 7 following a television news report wherein a

mother of nine (9) bashed the use of contraceptives. The visit was to assess the

availability of family planning services within the area and to see whether the

people in the community have access to the services offered there. Having never

been to the area before, Dr. McDonald wanted firsthand view of the issue,

“Because I didn’t know the area, I really wanted to see how the community was

structured and exactly where the location was. I wanted to get a feel of what the

family planning service was like in the community.” the NFPB Executive Director said.

It was found that The Majesty Garden community is currently being offered family

planning services and on a very regular basis. The Hagley Park Health Center which

is Government run, serves that community; but in addition to that, there is also the

centralized St Andrew Settlement Heath Center that offers Maternal and Child

Health and Family Planning Services on the first four Mondays in each month.

On the day of her visit, Dr. McDonald observed a scant turn out of community

members to the clinic even though the nurse was present. “I didn’t see a lot of

people on the road which would suggest to me that perhaps they are otherwise

occupied; either within the homes or outside the community. And so, an

unanswered question for me is, are the hours of the family planning service

appropriate for the community?”

Based on observation, a main challenge faced by the health centre, is the timely

availability of supplies. The NFPB Executive Director, after replenishing their supply of

condoms had some Depo Provera, the injectable contraceptive, and Pills delivered

the same day. The National Family Planning Board will be assisting the Health

Centre by doing periodic checks to ensure there is supply, but, it was clear from the

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news report that there are citizens who actually benefit from the services offered

and are receptive, while others choose to do otherwise. There is need for

intervention says Dr. McDonald who believes that this news report can serve as a

tool to help. “Supplies by themselves don’t recruit acceptors,” she stated. “There

must be an IE (information and education) programme to motivate the women to

want to accept family planning and based on the clips that I saw on TV, I think that

a lot of work needs to be done. We need to use the ones with positive views as

champions and work with the ones who have negative views.”

Dr. McDonald concluded by noting the evident need for educational outreach

activities to change the behaviours of persons with negative views of family

planning. As well as ensuring that the nurse that currently works with the St Andrew

Settlement Health Centre receives the benefits of the continuing medical

education programmes that are available.

The family planning nurse at the centre, Nurse Charmaine Bennett-Bailey explained

that sometimes the turnout of community members goes up to 50 persons for family

planning services. However, one of the main challenges faced, is their inability to

purchase the contraceptives; therefore, this visit from the NFPB’s head and the

contribution of contraceptives was not only timely but a huge relief. “That (the visit)

was wonderful, because we have a lot of patients that can’t afford it. It’s a very

poor community. So it came at the right time. It was wonderful.” Nurse Bennett-

Bailey commented. They received 200 vials of Depo Provera with syringes, 1200

cycles of pills and 8 boxes of condoms.

The Board’s Director of Outreach, Dianne Thomas noted the NFPB’s plans for that

community. “We’ll be having a community outreach activity soon.”

-End-

Contact: Racquel Reece,

Communications Officer (Writer) (NFPB)

Telephone: (876)968-1632-3 and Facsimile: (876) 968-1626.

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