Healing little hearts in Jamaica
Gift of Life International has partnered with Chain of Hope UK in Jamaica since 2011, when this became a Core Program and resources and strategies were focused on the creation of a sustainable pediatric cardiac program. The state-of-the-art pediatric cardiac unit at Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) was built and equipped in a collaborative effort between like-minded partners, The Digicel Foundation, Rotary partners, BHC administration and the Jamaican government, allowing for Jamaican children with heart disease to be treated in their country of birth. Gift of Life International and Chain of Hope UK continue to regularly send surgical, catheterization and aftercare teams to BHC to provide mentorship and skills transfer to the local team. These visits also help to work down the lengthy waiting list, which grew substantially during the global pandemic. We remain optimistic that a sustainable pediatric cardiac program will be established by the end of 2026 at Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston. Although there have been many unforeseen challenges, the Jamaican pediatric cardiac program is strong and has committed leadership which will ultimately prevail.
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Jamaica Program Development
2011 – Jamaica becomes the 3rd Gift of Life International Core Program
The Our Hearts are in Jamaica program saw 18 Jamaican children travel to various Gift of Life International affiliated hospitals in the USA for treatment and to raise awareness of the need for pediatric cardiac care in Jamaica. Together with like-minded partner Chain of Hope UK, Gift of Life International created and began to implement aggressive training programs for nurses, anesthesiologists, biomedical engineers, perfusionists and intensive care doctors.
2016 – Jamaican Ministry of Health Signs MOU
In the midst of strategic development of the pediatric cardiac program which included training of the local team, construction of a new pediatric cardiac unit at Bustamante Hospital for Children and upgrade of equipment for the new unit, the Jamaican Ministry of Health demonstrated their commitment to Jamaican children with heart disease by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Gift of Life International and Chain of Hope UK.
2017 – Pediatric Cardiac Center Opens at BHC
The celebration of life begins! After many long years of challenges and construction, Jamaican children with heart disease and their parents have hope for a second chance at life in their country of birth. The state-of-the-art pediatric cardiac unit at Bustamante Hospital for Children opens and begins treating children in need. The new unit includes an operating theater, catheterization lab and intensive care unit dedicated to pediatric cardiac patients.
2025 – A Year of Transition
Challenges remain surrounding our work at Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC). This year saw Chain of Hope UK and Gift of Life International partner in our support for training visits to be implemented at BHC. A Rotary Global Grant provided significant funding for surgical and catheterization visits, which helped to empower the local Jamaican team. By year’s end, we saw the program positioned to move towards greater independence in 2026.
Building a Core Program in Jamaica
Learn more about our work in Jamaica
Reports of Children Treated in Jamaica
GOLI Visit Report Jamaica March 2025
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GOLI_VisitReport_Jamaica_Sept2024
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GOLI_VisitReport_Jamaica_Mar2023
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GOLI_VisitReport_Jamaica_Sept-Nov2022
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GOLI_VisitReport_Jamaica_Nov2021
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“The support from Gift of Life International, Chain of Hope and Rotary is essential to our program. Visiting teams provide the resources we lack such as disposables. They also provide us with the transfer of information to help our team grow in knowledge and skills so that we can be sustainable in the future. With each training visit, we affect the lives of more children and their families.”
Dr. Sharonne Forrester, Head of Cardiology, Bustamante Hospital for Children
Our Impact in Jamaica since 2011.
1,271
Jamaican Children Treated
32
Training Visits
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