Ten Children Benefited from Corrective Spinal Surgery at the Bustamante Hospital for Children

Image showing the local and international medical team of experts performing corrective scoliosis surgery during the medical mission at the Bustamante Hospital for Children on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, inside the Operating Theatre.

Ten children who suffer from scoliosis benefited extensively from corrective surgeries at the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) thanks to the generosity of the Straight Caribbean Spine Foundation (SCSF). The surgeries were performed at the hospital last Wednesday and Thursday (November 8-9, 2023).

SCSF is a United States-based charitable organization founded by Dr. Robert Lee Brady, an Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon in Connecticut and Jamaica.

“The Foundation started in April 2006 to help children in Jamaica with complex spinal conditions. We performed our first mission at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Kingston Public Hospital,” said Dr. Brady. He added that his team visits BHC twice a year to perform surgeries.

The Foundation’s remarkable contribution to BHC over the last 20 years has proven immeasurable. SCSF has provided specialized personnel and instruments. The SCSF team has strengthened the efforts of the health team at BHC to perform more scoliosis surgeries.

Additionally, the Foundation has played a pivotal role in shaping and improving the lives of approximately 250 patients whose parents would not have been able to afford this type of surgery. This indicates SCSF's commitment to the people of Jamaica and their unwavering support for creating a healthier and more productive nation.

Dr. Dayanand Sawh, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon of BHC, said that the surgeries are free and the instruments used for surgeries are worth hundreds of thousands of US dollars sponsored by SCSF. “I would like to thank not just the surgeons but also the Blood Bank, the Radiology Department, the Dietary Department, and the Nursing staff who have to do double shifts both in the operating theatres and on the wards to assist with carrying out the surgeries.”

By extension, the Board and Management of SERHA and BHC are expressing profound appreciation to the Straight Caribbean Spine Foundation and its medical mission team for providing life-saving scoliosis surgeries to the patients.

Image showing both the local and international medical team who performed life-saving scoliosis surgery after the completion of the medical mission on Thursday, November 9, 2023.