Consultant Psychiatrist at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), Dr. Kunal Lalwani, is calling for the development of a policy geared at early marijuana interventions. Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on Tuesday (March 1), Dr. Lalwani reported that findings from a study he conducted on persons using multiple drugs in Jamaica, showed that the average age of...

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says the country’s fuel arrangements are not in jeopardy, despite the instability in Eastern Europe. He gave the assurance while providing an update on energy security and oil prices during Thursday’s (March 3) meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives. “I want to categorically state to the...

The University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) will be observing its 17th Annual Quality Assurance in Higher Education Week from March 7 to 11, under the theme ‘Maintaining Quality in Higher Education in a Digital Environment’. Executive Director of the UCJ, Althea Heron, told JIS News that the week is the UCJ’s flagship event, where it focuses on raising awareness about...

Work is progressing on amendments to legislation governing the Jamaica Special Economic Zone Authority (JaSEZA) and the Jamaica International Financial Services Authority (JIFSA), says Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator the Hon. Aubyn Hill. He was responding to questions during Thursday’s (March 3) meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives, whose members are deliberating the...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is aiming to enact the Occupational Safety and Health Act this year. “That’s a long outstanding matter that I have already taken up with the Minister of Legal and Constitutional Affairs,” said Portfolio Minister, Hon. Karl Samuda, during the sitting of the Standing Finance Committee on March 3. The legislation aims to protect...

Interim Executive Director of the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD), Dr. Christine Hendricks, says the process has started to establish the Council as a corporate body. The transition is part of provisions under the Disabilities Act, which came into effect on February 14, 2022. The important piece of legislation is designed to protect and promote the equal rights...

The Government has boosted the project management capacity of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, where hospital rehabilitation works will now be managed with more efficiency. Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, was addressing the works being carried out at Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St James, during the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives on Tuesday...