KINGSTON, Jamaica — As the island prepares for festivities filled with laughter, food, and family, Bellevue Hospital has issued a heartfelt plea to Jamaicans: don’t forget those waiting quietly in its halls for a place at the table.
With the Christmas spirit sweeping across the country, the hospital is spotlighting a sobering reality—dozens of patients, though medically cleared and emotionally ready, remain at Bellevue not for health reasons, but because no one has come to take them home.
“This time of year magnifies absence,” said Bellevue’s Chief Executive Officer, Suzette Buchanan. “We see men and women dressed and waiting with hope in their eyes, not for medicine, but for their families. They’ve been discharged. What they need now isn’t treatment—it’s love, presence, and a place to belong.”
Many of these individuals, stable and prepared to reintegrate into family life, continue to spend their days behind institutional walls. Some haven’t had a single visitor in months. For them, Christmas is marked not by joy, but by waiting—bags packed, eyes fixed on the gate, hearts straining toward the outside world.
In response, the hospital has deepened its efforts to make reconnecting easier for families who may feel uncertain or overwhelmed. Newly refurbished areas, such as the Leon Bailey Family Room, now provide warm, welcoming spaces designed to encourage visits, reconnection, and healing.
“These are not cold wards—they’re places of grace and renewal,” Buchanan added. “A simple visit could turn someone’s entire season around. And for those already discharged, bringing them home may be the most powerful act of compassion you give this year.”
Bellevue’s appeal isn’t rooted in obligation—it’s an invitation. To look past the clinical and see the personal. To choose connection. To remember that, for some, the best Christmas gift isn’t under a tree—it’s a knock at the door.
