Roche donates to CRH cancer, kidney depts

Manager of Cornwall Regional Hospital’s Nephrology Department Leset Stephenson (left) accepts two Starlink Internet devices from Healthcare Ecosystem Partner at Roche Pharmaceuticals, Jermaine Spence during a ceremony at the hospital last Friday. (Photos: Anthony Lewis)

News, Western

Anthony Lewis | Observer Writer

March 29, 2026

Roche donates to CRH cancer, kidney depts

MOUNT SALEM, St James — A US$20,000 grant from Roche Pharmaceuticals is expected to be a significant boost to ongoing efforts to rebuild Cornwall Regional Hospital’s (CRH) oncology and nephrology departments which were damaged by Hurricane Melissa last October.

The funds were donated last Friday, along with two Starlink devices that will enhance Internet connectivity and support critical clinical digital operations.

Clinical Coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr Delroy Fray, noted that the grant would be used to improve the department’s aesthetics, ensuring patients can wait for treatment in a more comfortable environment.

“On behalf of the CEO and other members of the hospital team, we want to again thank you for this generous donation. I can assure you it’s going to be used for what it is intended for — the benefit of our patients,” he said.

Dr Fray was speaking during a handing over ceremony held at the radiotherapy department of the Type-A facility located in Mount Salem. He explained that the donation would be a significant help to the hospital, with a cancer department that sees more than 70 patients each day, with its 19 dialysis machines sometimes used up to 10:00 pm, and medication is provided, free of cost through the National Health Fund, to patients diagnosed with breast or colon cancer.

Roche Pharmaceutical’s Healthcare Ecosystem Partner, Jermaine Spence, said the donation being celebrated on Friday isn’t just about equipment or financial support.

“It’s about a shared vision. We believe that a patient’s geography or the impact of a hurricane should not determine their access to life-saving innovation,” he stated.

Spence also stressed the importance of Internet connectivity.

“In modern medicine, data is a lifeline. These tools will allow your medical teams to consult, coordinate, and deliver precision medicine with more efficiency than ever before. Our goal isn’t just to return things to how they were before Hurricane Melissa.

Our goal is to emerge stronger. We are building a more resilient, digitally enabled environment where no patient’s journey is interrupted by environmental adversity,” he explained.

“By restoring the connectivity, we are ensuring that dialysis patients or a cancer patient in Jamaica have the same quality of digital coordination as a patient anywhere else in the world. To the patients of Jamaica, we are here for the long haul. This donation is a symbol of our unwavering commitment and solidarity with the Jamaican people,” added Spence.

CRH’s Head of Oncology, Dr Harvey Crawford, expressed appreciation for the gifts and support Roche has provided over the years.

“The cheque, obviously, is going to be used to enhance the quality of patient care and, of course, the Starlinks are going to improve communication. With improved communication, the hospital functions far better down here, so that’s extremely important for everyone,” he said.

Roche is one of the world’s largest biotech companies, as well as a leading provider of in vitro diagnostics and a global supplier of transformative innovative solutions across major disease areas, with more than 130 years of service across the world. The company, which has its head office in Switzerland, also has a very strong presence in the Caribbean and Central America.

A damaged section of Cornwall Regional Hospital’s dialysis department