• Category

  • Content Type

Advertisement

Audit of Security Protocols at Health Facilities

By: , July 23, 2017

The Key Point:

An audit of the security protocols at select public health facilities is to be carried out by the Government.
Audit of Security Protocols at Health Facilities
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

The Facts

  • The Minister said that while there are ongoing discussions at the policy level to resolve this issue, the audit is one of the initial measures being undertaken to ensure the safety of health workers in these facilities.
  • “The reality is some locations are riskier than others, so we have to assess what we already have in place and what we need to put in place to enhance the sense of personal security of the individuals who work in these institutions as well as the security of the infrastructure that is so critical to the citizens of the community,” he said.

The Full Story

An audit of the security protocols at select public health facilities is to be carried out by the Government.

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the announcement at the St. John’s Methodist Church Hall in Montego Bay, St. James, on July 20, where he addressed health care workers.

Under the theme: ‘Protecting the Environment…Promoting Health’, the review aims to assess the activities of the regional health services and discuss the issues that they face.

Dr. Tufton said the audit, which is to be conducted shortly, will be done at several centres that are located in communities where there are incidents of gang-related violence.

The Minister said that while there are ongoing discussions at the policy level to resolve this issue, the audit is one of the initial measures being undertaken to ensure the safety of health workers in these facilities.

“At the health care level, we have to do more to reassure our workers and to ensure that you feel safe in carrying out your duties,” he told the gathering.

Noting that the State currently spends over $700 million annually on contracting private security for public health facilities, Dr. Tufton said the audit will seek to provide a tailored ‘needs assessment’ for these public facilities.

“The reality is some locations are riskier than others, so we have to assess what we already have in place and what we need to put in place to enhance the sense of personal security of the individuals who work in these institutions as well as the security of the infrastructure that is so critical to the citizens of the community,” he said.

Last Updated: July 24, 2017

Skip to content