Sickle Cell Trust Jamaica - SICKLECELL TRUST HISTORY

Sickle Cell Trust Jamaica

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SICKLECELL TRUST HISTORY

The Sickle Cell Trust was formed in 1986 to provide patient support and facilities complementary to the scientific programs of the Medical Research Council Laboratories at the University of the West Indies, a British Government funded organization.

Research programs started in 1967 with funding from the Wellcome Trust (supporting Dr. Graham Serjeant as Wellcome Research Fellow in the Dept. of Medicine) and then by the British Medical Research Council from 1972-1999. In October 1999 Professor Serjeant retired from the MRC, but continued activities as chairman of the Sickle Cell Trust.

The Trust has a history of successful fund raising for improving clinical services and now focuses on the development of services for sickle cell patients, promoting clinical research, and developing educational tools on the disease. Two major recent developments have been DISCUS software to improve comprehensive data collection documenting clinical features, growth, haematology and other data rendering it readily available for patient management and clinical research and the Manchester Project, a trial of preventive medicine to control a genetic disease.

Members of the Sickle Cell Trust have been requested to advise on the development of sickle cell services in the Caribbean, Brazil, Uganda, Cameroon, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and several parts of India. These overseas consultancies are usually funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), World Health Organisation (WHO), and private sources.

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First Project 1986 - An Ultrasound Instrument

Second Project 1987/8 - A dedicated Sickle Cell Clinic

Sited at the University of the West Indies, this provided 4 consulting rooms, an 8-bed day care centre, laboratory, and rooms for leg ulcer care and social workers. Patients histories and clinical examinations were entered at computer terminals and haematology was immediately available for patient management. The Clinic provided care for up to 120 patients daily and was an invaluable resource for clinical research. The distance from the hospital required patient transport (see below).


Donation of the first patient minibus by the Dutch Embassy	Perhaps the only Sickle Cell Clinic bus stop in the world

Third Project 1994 - An Education Centre

The Cable & Wireless Education Centre for Sickle Cell Disease was built on top of the Clinic and provided an 80 seat auditorium, offices for viewing and making videos, for research fellows, and for the Sickle Cell Support Club (a self-help organization run by patients).

Nursing School students after attending a lecture in the Centre.