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When Dr Matthew O'Connor went to Cuba to study medicine, he experienced a culture of giving back that he believed Jamaica need.

Adopting their way of life, he said when he started working in the medical field at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in 2013, he decided to start a charity called 'Oncallink' which is aimed at targeting communities without health facilities.

Born and raised in Lilliput, St James, O'Connor said his community lacked a formal health centre and so when he targeted that area, he began to see people who many believed could afford health care, were actually battling with some serious illnesses.

Because of this, he said he dedicated some days out of his work schedule to ensure that these people get medical assistance.

"Many times, I see persons with health conditions that should be dealt with but we presume that because (public) health care is free in Jamaica, they can access it. But that is not the reality, so me taking health care to these people is very important," he said.

Last year, O'Connor went to 12 of the 14 parishes targeting students over the summer holidays, to ensure that they are medically sound for the start of the school year.

This time, he said that he is planning to start his country medical tour in June, targeting older persons because many of them are plagued with hereditary issues for which they do not seek medical attention.

PASSIONATE

"We choose communities that are not frequently visited by charitable groups. This year, I want to visit every parish and at least one community. The aim is to focus on screening for chronic, non-infectious conditions. The main two in Jamaica are diabetes and hypertension. I am passionate about sharing knowledge on these health issues because I realise how ignorant the population is when it comes to certain conditions and the mindset that people have," he said.

While admitting that his venture is not cheap to finance, O'Connor said that is worth it and he is seeking sponsors to make his visits worthwhile.

He said he thinks the Government needs to invest more in community health and medicine because many times, people have misconceptions about how to treat certain health issues.

He said he intends to present his findings to the health ministry when he has completed this year's tour.