Gov’t Ready to Partner with Private Interests in Cancer Care

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, said the Government is ready to partner with private interests to invest in secondary health care, particularly in the area of cancer treatment.

He stated that providing the best care for cancer patients is critical, and requires collaboration with Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and other interests.

“We are anxious to look at the areas of screening, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, and we are aware that this may require the state to seek to leverage private sector and NGO resources,” he stated in an address delivered by Acting Regional Chronic Disease Coordinator at the Western Regional Health Authority, Dr. Marcia Graham, at a Nephrology and Hypertension conference on January 26 in St. James.

Dr. Ferguson disclosed that he has already started dialogue with at least one international service organisation “but I am willing and ready to open that dialogue to our skilled practitioners, who are in the field, and who work in research and academia. I view this as an urgent matter given the gravity of the situation."

According to Dr. Ferguson, the investment at the secondary level will be undertaken even as the administration continues to place focus on the development of primary health care.  He noted that the priority of the Government is to create an efficient and active primary health care system “but I want to be clear that this does not mean that secondary care will be neglected.”

He added that Government “is unwavering in its commitment to equip the health system so that it can meet the needs of persons with complicated and severe conditions”.

He stated that given the existing fiscal constraints, the state will not be able to address all the needs within the short-term, but expressed confidence that the health service practitioners will be creative and responsive in dealing with the challenges.

“I intend to establish formal mechanics to allow health professionals the forum to voice their needs, share information and ensure accountability,” he stated.

The four-day conference, which opened yesterday at the Montego Conference Centre, is being staged jointly by the Caribbean Institute of Nephrology, Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies, and the University of Michigan in the United States.

The objective is to educate academia and civil society about kidney disease and prevention measures, including adopting a healthy lifestyle. Focus will also be placed on treatment strategies, and screening the at-risk population for the disease.

 Physicians and other professionals, who provide care for patients with kidney disease, will learn how to implement the knowledge gained and will be able to apply these competency skills in their clinical practice.

 There will also be presentations by experts in the field on topics such as:‘Burden of Chronic kidney disease in the Caribbean’; ‘Hypertension and the Metabolic Syndrome’; and ‘Overseas Transplantation Programme in the Caribbean/Transplantation for developing countries’.

Minister Ferguson commended the organisers, noting that the conference is “opportune as the health epistemic community seeks to develop a global strategy that is directed at reducing premature mortality and improving the quality of lives of the peoples of the world.”

By Garfield Angus, JIS Reporter