THE EDITOR, Sir:

I read with great interest the commitment of Dr Fenton Ferguson for the health ministry to build a children's hospital in western Jamaica. This is a most welcome project.

Also, in September 2012, the minister announced that $100 million was to be available from the National Health Fund to invest in two health centres in the western region. I immediately wrote to Dr Ferguson to congratulate him and to advise him that the medical centre at Young Street, Albion, in Montego Bay, has now become too small to handle the number of patients.

Because of this, some Montego-nians, including me, have ventured to build a larger medical centre to take care of the increased number of patients and to assist the poor.

In the letter sent to the minister in September, I asked if some financial assistance would be available for our new centre as, unfortunately, the speed which we had initially anticipated had to be curtailed considerably because of a lack of funds.

The minister should know that we are still desperately trying to raise some funds and that we have not yet given up waiting for his answer.

G. MAFFESSANTI

maffebuilders@maffessanti.com