Mary Issa Paediatric and Adolescent Health Centre nears completion
Issa Trust Foundation seeks additional funding
Published:Monday | September 29, 2025 | 12:06 AMCarl Gilchrist/Gleaner Writer
The Issa Trust Foundation (ITF) says the construction of the building to house the Mary Issa Paediatric and Adolescent Health Centre in Richmond, St Ann, is almost done.
However, the ITF says it needs more funding in order to open the ground floor of the centre and get it operational and serving children.
The foundation has actively been raising funds over the past few years to complete the multi-million dollar project that will provide world-class health for Jamaican children. The efforts included the For The Children Concert in May 2023 that featured Michael Bolton, Ky-mani Marley and Tarrus Riley and raised US$350,000, and a gala in New York in May 2024 that featured Third World, Luciano, and Gramps Morgan.
In a message earlier this month, ITF Chairman Paul Issa urged continued support, saying the foundation is seeking US$800,000 to complete and open the ground floor of the 900 sq ft facility. A Founders Circle initiative has been launched to help raise these funds.
“Completing this phase will allow us to begin serving children immediately, while continuing to raise funds to finish the first floor in the months ahead,” Issa said.
“To help make this possible, we are launching the Founders’ Circle initiative. We are inviting individuals, organisations, and companies to join with a gift of US$100,000. As a member of the Founders’ Circle, your generosity will be honoured in lasting and visible ways.”
Among those honours will be permanent recognition, with members’ names engraved on a Founders’ Plaque prominently displayed within the Mary Issa Paediatric and Adolescent Health Centre; as well as digital presence, where founders will be highlighted on the Issa Trust Foundation’s website, showcasing their enduring commitment to children’s health in Jamaica.
Issa said members’ support will also be acknowledged in press releases and communications, “ensuring your legacy of compassion is shared with the wider community”.
The chairman added: “Your investment will not only open doors, but will transform health outcomes for generations of Jamaican children”.
The health centre is the latest and biggest project by the ITF, which, for two decades, has served Jamaica’s health sector with distinction, with hundreds of thousands of persons and several health facilities across the island benefiting from their generosity.
For more information, email info@issatrustfoundation.com.