HEALTH MINISTRY IMPLEMENTS CUSTOMER SERVICE PLAN

KINGSTON , June 20 (JIS):

The Ministry of Health has implemented a five-year customer service plan, which is designed to improve the quality of service provided at hospitals and other public health facilities islandwide.

Health Minister, Horace Dalley, in his contribution to the 2007/08 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday (June 19), said that the plan has started and is now being monitored and evaluated.

“Customer service training has already started and individuals have been recognised for good customer service as a means of promoting improved services; customer service representatives have been employed; we have provided alternative payment methods; and our complaints mechanism was updated,” he informed.

The objectives of the five-year plan are: to establish uniform customer care standards across all regional health authorities; improve access and care for special clients such as the disabled and the mentally ill; increase participation by volunteers in health facilities; reduce the number of complaints by more focused training; and strengthening the mechanism for the resolution of complaints.

The plan will also seek to implement ongoing improvement projects; improve timeliness and accuracy of information available to the public; and to consistently monitor and review the quality of services provided through the use of focus groups, surveys and other evaluation methods.