Derrick Scott/Gleaner Writer WASHINGTON, D.C.: JAMAICA’S AMBASSADOR to the United States, Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson, has unveiled a bold vision to harness the expertise and capital of Jamaica’s diaspora doctors in building a worldclass medical tourism industry that could generate over US$1.8 billion annually. Not a career diplomat schooled in cocktail-circuit pleasantries. Not a healthcare bureaucrat fluent in policy white papers. But Major General Anderson (ret’d.), the man who commanded Jamaica’s military, overhauled its police force, and whispered strategy into the prime minister’s ear, now tasked with perhaps his most audacious mission yet: convincing diaspora doctors that their exodus from Jamaica wasn’t abandonment but preparation. Standing before a room packed with Jamaican professionals including educators, doctors, lawyers, engineers and other diaspora-based professionals, Anderson delivered an unconventional diplomatic pitch to the doctors in particular. Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by the RalRosa Foundation in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., on October 1, Ambassador Anderson challenged Jamaican medical professionals in the United States to see their migration not as abandonment but as preparation for a new phase of national service through investment and collaboration. “If I was going to get sick, here’s the place to do it,” Anderson joked to a room filled with doctors, educators, and other professionals. Then, in a tone that shifted from humour to urgency, he added: “Imagine if those same skills and expertise could generate billions while fixing the very healthcare system you left behind.” The ambassador’s call is grounded in lessons drawn from his study of Turkey and Thailand, two countries that have successfully turned their health sectors into global medical tourism destinations. Turkey alone earns over US$1.8 billion each year from patients, many from the United States, who travel abroad for affordable, high-quality treatment. “Those countries didn’t just build facilities for foreigners,” Anderson explained. “Their investments lifted the quality of care for everyone. Jamaica can do the same.” He noted that Jamaica’s geographic proximity to the United States, Englishspeaking workforce, and pool of diaspora physicians provide a natural competitive advantage. A NEW INVESTMENT MODEL Ambassador Anderson’s proposal reimagines the role of diaspora healthcare professionals. Rather than competing with US hospital salaries, Jamaica would offer them equity partnerships in medical-tourism facilities, allowing rotational practice and knowledge transfer without requiring full relocation. He stated his intention to enter discussion with Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton to establish the necessary regulatory framework, including international accreditation, malpractice protections, and investment incentives. “When supply meets demand, it’s no longer a problem. It’s an industry,” Anderson told the audience. “We can transform our brain drain into a business model that strengthens the healthcare system at home.” At the heart of the ambassador’s vision is a plan to channel private-sector earnings from medical tourism into Jamaica’s public healthcare system, creating a self-sustaining cycle of improvement. “Can you imagine if Minister Tufton had an inflow of private healthcare revenue to reinvest in public hospitals?” Anderson asked. “That’s how we turn a challenge into a solution.” The approach, he said, would create “a virtuous circle”, international earnings raise local standards, which, in turn, attract more patients and practitioners, including diaspora doctors seeking meaningful engagement with their homeland. HONOURING DIASPORA PHILANTHROPY Ambassador Anderson’s remarks also paid tribute to the RalRosa Foundation, whose work he described as “a lighthouse of love”, Named after Keith Ralston and Phyllis Rosa Watson, the foundation has adopted the Golden Spring Health Centre in St Andrew, providing vital diagnostic equipment and committing J$3 million over three years to improve services. “Keith Ralston and Phyllis Rosa Watson planted seeds of service that have grown into this magnificent tree under which we gather tonight,” Anderson said. “Let us water it with our commitment and ensure its branches provide shade for generations of Jamaicans yet unborn.” Dr Jacqueline Watson, president of the foundation, announced that the organisation would extend its adoption of the Golden Spring Health Centre for another three years, continuing its mission to uplift healthcare in underserved communities. With characteristic military clarity, Anderson urged Jamaican professionals abroad to seize the opportunity before foreign investors did. “Non-Jamaicans already see the potential,” he warned. “I’m saying to us, get in on the ground floor.” For Anderson, Jamaica’s medical-tourism ambition is not only about attracting foreign patients, but about re-enlisting its diaspora in the national project of transformation. “Every dollar doesn’t just buy equipment. It purchases hope,”he concluded. “Together, we can turn charitable intention into sustainable solutions.” From brain drain to economic gain Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Major General (Ret’d) Antony Anderson, Centre delivers remarks at a reception hosted in his honour by the RalRosa Foundation at their headquarters in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., on October 1. PHOTO BY DERRICK SCOTT Envoy calls for strategic investment to transform Jamaica’s healthcare system Lester Hinds/Gleaner Writer JAMAICA’S CONSUL General to New York, Alsion Wilson, and Jamaican US businesswoman Dr Trisha Bailey head the list of some six persons from across the diaspora who are named to this year’s national honours list. Both Dr Bailey and Consul General Wilson were named in the Commander of Distinction (CD) category. Others from the diaspora receiving national honours are Dennis Hawthorne, Dr Trevor Dixon, George Willie and Dr Maurice Miles. They will all receive the Order of Distinction (OD). They are among the 141 persons named to receive national honours in the list made public earlier this month. They will be invested on National Heroes Day, October 20 at a ceremony on the lawns of King’s House. Dr Trisha Bailey is recognised for her contribution in entrepreneurship, philanthropy and community service. She is the founder of Bailey’s Pharmacy and Medical Equipment Supplies. She is also invested in real estate development in Florida and Jamaica. Consul General Wilson receives the CD for contribution to national development in the social and economic sectors, particularly in the areas of education, technology and healthcare capacity building. Consul General Wilson is a member of the board of the Rose Town Development Committee and has awarded a number of scholarships through proceeds from the Jamaica Independence gala to students pursuing higher education in Jamaica and the United States. Dennis Hawthorne, who heads Dennis Shipping, the largest Jamaicanowned shipping company out of the diaspora with outlets in Brooklyn, Florida and London, receives the OD for services to the Jamaica diaspora, philanthropy and community development Dr Trevor Dixon, founder of Jah Jah Foundation, which carries out medical missions to Jamaica, is recognised with an OD for contribution to healthcare and education through the Jamaicans Abroad Helping Jamaicans at Home Foundation (Jah Jah). Dr Maurice Miles, a dentist out of Maryland, is recognised with an OD for service to dental care and other charitable causes in Jamaica. George Willie, who heads a major Jamaican-owned accounting firm in Washington DC and who is active in many charitable causes put on by the Jamaican Embassy in Washington DC, is recognised with an OD for contribution to education and other charitable causes in Jamaica and the diaspora. Willie also sits on the board of the American Foundation for the University of the West Indies (AFUWI). Six persons from the diaspora named for national honours Dennis Hawthorne Dr Trevor Dixon Dr Maurice Miles Alsion Wilson George S. Willie Dr Trisha Bailey THE WEEKLY GLEANER | OCTOBER 16 - NOVEMBER 13, 2025 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS
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