A total of 60 Jamaicans will have a second chance at mobility through prosthetic devices under the ‘New Limb, New Life initiative’ a joint Programme with the Jamaica Council of Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) and the Health and Wellness Ministry.

According to the Southern Regional Health Authority, on Thursday (February 15) the ‘New Limb, New Life’ initiative “Is geared towards providing support for physically disabled Jamaicans requiring limbs.”

On February 13, 2024, at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre in St. Andrew cheques totalling $6,261,400 were handed over to two suppliers under the New Limb, New Life initiative –Surgix Jamaica Limited and Tutu Prosthetics.

Both will provide prostheses for the first set of beneficiaries.

For Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, the promotion of healthy lifestyles is a pivotal component of the initiative, highlighting that 80 per cent of amputations in Jamaica are linked to diabetes, and that highlights there is an urgent need for preventative care and rehabilitative interventions.

Tufton was speaking at the handing-over ceremony where he also said “Everyone who we restore, we hope that they become an ambassador for a very important cause [to encourage others not to] play around with your lifestyle.”

The Health Ministry has allocated $50 million for the programme that is administered through the Compassionate Fund Programme, from which resources are allocated to eligible amputees who have lost limbs due to diabetes, arterial disease, trauma, and cancer, with grants of up to $500,000 per person.

To date, the Ministry has approved 16 applications and is processing another 44.