Jamaicans can, over the next few years, expect to see changes in the way primary or community health care is delivered on the island, as the Ministry of Health & Wellness embarks on reform in this area.
Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton made the revelation in his Sectoral presentation earlier today (May 3, 2022).
“I am happy to announce that we have started to embark on the most comprehensive reform of primary or community health care in 44 years, since 1978,” the Minister told Parliament.
“This will include an upgrading and networking for telehealth services of over 130 health centres (that has started), to include telemedicine and electronic records capabilities and the use of digital technologies to support continued education and review of clinical guidelines as well as enhanced diagnostics services,” Dr. Tufton explained.
Those changes are reflected in the ‘Primary Health Care: Reform for Jamaica, 2021 – 2030’ plan that was tabled in Parliament, also earlier today. The plan reflects the revised and situational-appropriate primary health care model that is to be implemented.
“This comprehensive plan for primary health care shows this Government’s commitment to the health of the Jamaican people and to achieving the 2030 target of Jamaica being the place to live, work, raise families, and do business,” the Minister said.
Also on the agenda this year is the continued build out of health care infrastructure to maximise service delivery, including the more than J$2-billion rehabilitation of the Cornwall Regional Hospital; the construction of the Western Children & Adolescent Hospital and the start of implementation of the estimated US$31-million redevelopment project at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Attention is also being given to ensure that the health system has the required manpower to meet the needs of the population.
“As we build out infrastructure to improve the work environment and offer security of tenure to replace contract employment, Jamaica must also provide global leadership on this issue of the scarcity of labour and the need for global collaboration around training and flexible contracts to promote cross-border service delivery of healthcare services,” the Minister said.
Dr. Tufton added that as chair of the Commonwealth Health Ministers meeting set for London later this month and through his attendance at the World Health Assembly that is to follow in Switzerland, he will “lobby for greater attention to be placed on the Future of Work in the healthcare space”.
“Developing countries like Jamaica will continue to lose skilled health care workers to the developed world and so we have to find new ways to collaborate to find solutions,” the Minister noted.
“While I support the mobility of labour, we must also respond to the challenges we face with shortages of skilled workers with out-of-the-box thinking around training, flexible contracts and the use of technology,” he added.