MINISTER SPENCER CALLS ON JAMAICA DIASPORA TO INCREASE ITS SUPPORT OF THE JAMAICAN HEALTH SYSTEM

February 23, 2008 (MOH&E):

The Minister of Health and Environment, Honourable Rudyard Spencer, last night called on the Jamaican Diaspora to increase its financial and technical support of Jamaica’s health system in light of the pending abolition of health care fees.

The Minister was speaking at the Reception Dinner for the 2 nd Annual Medical Conference - Advancement in Medicine 2008: A U.S. and Caribbean Perspective, held in Ohio Rios.

In sharing the government’s commitment to removing the financial barriers that restricts individuals from getting the desired care, Minister Spencer was clear in outlining that the rehabilitation of Jamaica’s health plants was critical to the improved access sought. Rehabilitating the health plants he said has been estimated at approximately $6 billion.

Minister Spencer also informed the gathering that the Ministry has increased its focus on quality improvement and the repositioning of Jamaica’s primary health care system.

“A critical linchpin of our strategic interventions is the repositioning of primary healthcare. We want more than just quality, we want quality services that are close to communities.”

Citing that “a poor and unhealthy country anywhere threatens human security everywhere”, Minister Spencer implored the gathering to use their positions of influence to advocate for improved systems in developing countries.

“ You have an influential voice that can join with policymakers in advocating for a more structured and integrated approach to health financing and technology transfer from developed to developing countries, he said.

Over 400 local and international delegates are this year participating in the 2 nd Annual Medical Conference organized by the Ministry of Health and Environment, Jamaica in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the West Indies; Univeristy of Minnesota; Baylor College of Medicine; Organization for Strategic Development in Jamaica (OSDJ); University of Vanderbilt in Minneapolis, among others.

The three-day event will end on February 24.