MINISTRY OF HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

Government Chemist

This department provides laboratory services for the examination of food, pharmaceutical and toxic substances/materials.

National Public Health Laboratory

The National Public Health Laboratory Services provide laboratory services for medical diagnosis and public health surveillance. In addition to the main or National Laboratory on Slipe Pen Road in Kingston, there are 14 other laboratories islandwide, which serve public hospitals and Type Three to Five health centres. The level of services provided at these laboratories is linked to the health facility they serve. The Cornwall Regional Hospital Laboratory and the National Laboratory are the two main laboratories performing the most complex and comprehensive range of tests. They provide services in haematology, clinical chemistry, histology and cytology as well as microbiology.

The National Laboratory co-ordinates the work of all the laboratories - providing leadership and a monitoring role in quality assurance. It is the referral laboratory for tests that cannot be performed by the other laboratories in the service. It is also the reference laboratory for special tests only available there, for the public and private sectors, for example tuberculosis and malaria tests. The National Laboratory also provides clinical services for Kingston Public Hospital and also 24 hour, 365 day, emergency services for all public hospitals in Kingston and St. Andrew.

The Cornwall Regional Hospital Laboratory and the National Laboratory are also training sites for medical technology interns.

National Blood Transfusion ServiceNBTS

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) has an outstanding record of providing good quality blood and blood products to the health sector. On average 24,000 units of blood are collected annually by the National Blood Transfusion Service. However the national need is approximately 50,000- 75,000 units.

In an attempt to augment the blood supply, mobile sessions are organised targeting uniformed groups, schools, churches, workers, service clubs and other organizations.

The NBTS has embarked on a programme to convert from replacement to voluntary blood donations.

There are ten collection centres island-wide:

• Blood Bank
• National Chest Hospital
• University Hospital
• Cornwall Regional Hospital
• Spanish Town Hospital
• Mandeville Hospital
• Savanna-la-Mar Hospital
• May Pen Hospital

History of Blood BankHBB

The Blood Bank was started in December 1948 as a unit of the Government Laboratory Service. During its first year of operation it collected and distributed 139 units of blood.

Then bottles were used for the collection of blood and these were returned from hospitals for sterilisation and reuse. Disposable equipment was introduced in 1957 and the service expanded.

In 1952 with the opening of the University Teaching Hospital it was expected that the demand for blood would increase and a Committee was formed under the auspices of the Red Cross to try to establish a roster of voluntary donors. By the end of the first year of operation of the committee, there were over one thousand donors.

The service expanded further when a mobile unit was obtained in 1956 and put into use collecting blood at various places across the island.

In 1958 the Transfusion Service was removed to its present location in order to meet growing demands. It also began to operate as a separate department from the National Public Health Laboratory.

Voluntary organizations have played an important role in the Transfusion Service from the original Red Cross Committee to Friends of the Blood Bank and Voluntary Blood Bank Committees that existed in each parish. The most active voluntary group at present is the Blood Bank Association who raise funds for the NBTS, and aid in the collection of blood.

National Registration UnitNRU

The need for a national registration system has arisen because of the increasing demand for a secure form of national identification, which can be accepted by public and private agencies in their varying activities. It is expected that the sharing of common national identification card will enhance the efficiency of services rendered by these agencies to their users.

The basic objective of the NRS will be to provide each Jamaican citizen or long term permanent resident with a unique lifetime national identification number and a national identity card.

The National Registration Unit was established to carry out the preliminary activities for implementing the National Registration System while the legislative process takes place for the establishment of the National Registration Commission. The Commission is expected to be the policy making body and the NRU will continue to operate as the implementing agency with direct responsibility for the day to day operation of the National Registration System.

STANDARDS & REGULATION DIVISION PHARMACEUTICAL & REGULATORY AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT - Registration of New Drugs

Right to Receive Appropriate Treatment and Care