- Government invests in upgrade of primary care facilities
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Tuesday, June 10, 2025: The Government of Jamaica, through the Regional Health Authorities, has, in the last five years, invested more than $3.88 billion into the upgrade of primary care facilities, delivering on the vision to bring more accessible, integrated and patient-centred care to communities islandwide.
The investment has benefitted some 138 facilities across the four health regions – Southern (Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth); South East (Kingston, St. Thomas and St. Catherine); Western (Westmoreland, Trelawny, St. James and Hanover) and North East (St. Mary, Portland and St. Ann).
This is in addition to the investments made through the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP) and the Operation Refresh initiative that has seen more than $100 million pumped into similar facilities in the last financial year alone.
“With the addition of services and improved infrastructure, we are making available more points of care for the people of Jamaica, even as we adopt the life course approach, which accounts for, among other things, the factors – biological, behavioural, and social – that influence a person’s health and well-being, from birth to old age,” said Dr. Christopher Tufton, MP, Minister of Health & Wellness.
The Minister was addressing Parliament during his Sectoral Presentation earlier today (Tuesday, June 10, 2025).
Jamaica has embarked on a reform of primary health care, in keeping with its 10-year Strategic Plan, Vision for Health 2030, which is seeing the expansion of the
scope of services as well as an enhancement of existing services in keeping with the evolutions that have occurred in the health needs of the population.
In 2021, the country published the Primary Health Care Reform for Jamaica 2021-2030 strategy. The strategy details the vision for a reimagined, comprehensive approach to improving primary care services across facilities.
This includes not only upgrading the physical infrastructure but also making available human resources that are sufficient in number and competencies together with the introduction of an information systems for health that supports the delivery of care.
For more information on the Primary Care Reform Strategy, visit www.moh.gov.jm.