Petersfield, Westmoreland, Jamaica • November 22nd, 2025
Mission Summary
CASSM Foundation Global funded and coordinated a clinical deployment to Petersfield High School, Westmoreland, joining a community relief operation already established and running at the site.
Petersfield High School was serving as a shelter for residents displaced by Hurricane Melissa. The operation there was run by Humanity Ova Vanity (HOV), a grassroots non-profit whose Jamaica program works with underserved and displaced communities, under its Executive Director, Donisha Prendergast.
Her team had solved a problem we would otherwise have arrived with. Flooding and debris had left stretches of road impassable to vehicles, cutting off the households that most needed contact. Riders on motorbikes carried medication and food to shut-ins along those routes, and where a resident was found to need clinical attention, they were transported to Petersfield, seen, and returned home afterward.
That return leg matters. A field clinic that treats whoever can reach it will systematically miss the people least able to travel, who are often the people in the worst condition. The arrangement at Petersfield closed that gap, and it was in place before we got there.
En Route to Petersfield
Travelling to the deployment, the team came upon a serious motor vehicle accident on the roadway. Traffic had slowed, and the scene was unsettled. Volunteers and healthcare professionals in the convoy stopped and moved from mission travel to emergency response.
The team assessed the scene and the condition of the injured. No ambulance was available. Three casualties were either trapped in the vehicle or had been ejected on impact. Under the direction of the healthcare professionals present, the group assisted in moving them clear of danger and onto a waiting police vehicle, which transported them to the nearest operating hospital.
Service is not confined to clinics, schools, or scheduled outreach. It sometimes appears without warning, and a team already en route to one commitment found itself called on before arriving. The response that morning reflected what the Foundation and its partners exist to do: show up where help is needed, whatever the circumstance or location.
How the Coordination Came About
Following communication with Dwayne Vaz MP (Westmoreland Central), the Foundation was advised that the most productive step would be to speak directly with Mrs. Prendergast rather than site an independent operation nearby. We met with her to agree how the two efforts could be coordinated for the day to the benefit of both teams and, more importantly, of the residents. The arrangement worked. MP Vaz was present on site during the deployment.
Site Management
The premises were secured, with entry confirmed by the HOV coordinator before anyone was admitted. For a shelter housing displaced residents and providing clinical services in an unsettled post-disaster environment, access control is a condition for safe practice and safeguarding the people living there. It was established practice at Petersfield before our arrival, and it is worth recording.
Mission Impact
CASSM's contribution on the day was to fund and coordinate clinical delivery, provided by MobiCare Medical Centre and Jamaica AIDS Support for Life under their respective scopes of practice. Across both services, a clinical and support team of 42 saw 114 patients at the site. Clinical decisions rested with attending practitioners. This counts patients seen at Petersfield and excludes households reached by HOV riders for medication and food delivery only.
Mission Partners
- Humanity Ova Vanity (HOV)
- MobiCare Medical Centre _Instagram
- Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) _Instagram
- Wisynco Group Limited
- Goshen Foods
- Made in 876
Field Highlights
Acknowledgements
CASSM Foundation Global extends appreciation to Mrs. Donisha Prendergast and the Humanity Ova Vanity team, who opened their site to our clinical partners and whose riders reached households the roads could not; to Dwayne Vaz MP for facilitating the introduction; and to the clinical teams from MobiCare Medical Centre and JASL.
Special thanks to Wisynco Group Limited, which purchased and donated medication and medical supplies that supported several missions, and to Mrs. Tracey Simpson of Goshen Foods for her contribution of hydration supplies.
The Foundation also thanks Birgitta "Gigi" Fontel of Made in 876, whose donation of medical disposables supported clinical work on the day. Ms. Fontel traveled and reported across affected communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, and her posts and contacts gave us insight into conditions and local nuances that shaped our understanding of the areas we served.
The Foundation is grateful to the residents of Petersfield and surrounding communities for their resilience and cooperation throughout the recovery process.
Photo Gallery
Route Assessment — November 6th, 2025
Route conditions recorded during the assessment run from Black River to Petersfield. Conditions were confirmed unchanged at the time of deployment.
Clinic Day — November 22nd, 2025
Team briefing and clinic operations at Petersfield High School, delivered by MobiCare Medical Centre with Jamaica AIDS Support for Life under the CASSM-funded deployment.
Photographs: CASSM Foundation Global and MobiCare Medical Center.