Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie, says the Ministry of Health supports the use of cannabis and products derived from the plant for research and medicinal purposes, where scientific evidence validates their benefits and effectiveness in treating specific conditions. Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank on November…
The St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital has received a major boost with the donation of a new state-of-the-art ultrasound machine, valued approximately $8.2 million, by the Embassy of Japan in Jamaica. The machine, which was provided under the Government of Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grass-Roots Human Security Projects initiative, was…
Head of the Microbiology Department, University of the West Indies (UWI), Dr. Alison Nicholson, says overuse and misuse of antibiotics is affecting their effectiveness in treating infections, resulting in a rapid emergence of resistant bacteria worldwide. She noted that “bacteria have learned the secrets of how antibiotics work and are…
With more bacteria demonstrating full or partial resistance to antimicrobial agents in recent years, Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, and Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, are calling on Jamaicans to take disease prevention more seriously. During the launch of World Antibiotic Awareness…
The Kingston Public, Victoria Jubilee, Mandeville and Falmouth hospitals are to benefit from a project aimed at improving the energy efficiency of the institutions. This follows Cabinet’s approval of the award of a US$5.35-million contract to Power Services Company Ltd to design, supply, install, commission and maintain energy-efficient and renewable-energy…
Work to transform five health centres across the island into greener, safer and climate-smart institutions under the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Smart Health Care Facilities Project, is slated to get under way in mid-2019. The facilities are Stony Hill Health Centre in St. Andrew, Port Antonio Health Centre in…
The Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) and its partner, the Jamaica Coalition for Tobacco Control, have welcomed the efforts by the Government to enact comprehensive legislation in 2019 to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorships. Executive Director of the JCS, Yulit Gordon, said that the long-awaited law would boost the country’s…
Health Minister, Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton, says the two pronged approach being employed to rehabilitate the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), in St. James, “is on in earnest.” Speaking at a ceremony on November 9 to officially hand over 44 new beds to the hospital, Dr. Tufton said the approach…
A consultation on paternity leave and other best practices towards parental leave for fathers will be the main event to celebrate International Men’s Day (IMD) on November 19. An annual global event, IMD focuses on men’s and boys’ health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role…
Government Senator, Dr. Saphire Longmore, is suggesting that intervention programmes be introduced at antenatal clinics to support pregnant women who are experiencing physical abuse at the hands of their partners. “Pregnancy is a celebration life…but we also recognise that it is a significant time of stress. It is a time…
The Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay, St. James, will now be able to accommodate more inpatients, with the addition of 44 new beds. The 44 beds were officially handed over by Health Minister, Dr. the Hon Christopher Tufton, at a ceremony on the grounds of the hospital on…
The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) is celebrating its 35th anniversary under the theme ‘It Takes a Village…It Starts with Me’. The agency is committed to lowering risk factors and increasing protective measures for substance use among individuals, families, communities, educational institutions and public- and private-sector entities, through public…
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says greater focus needs to be placed on the prevention of tooth decay, and dental professionals are well qualified to spread the message. Delivering the main address at the University of Technology (UTech) 7th Annual White Coat Ceremony at the institution in…
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says that comprehensive tobacco legislation is coming next year. He said that the law will, among other things, restrict tobacco companies from advertising in certain settings. “(It) will require greater warning labels, which will do a number of things to get consumers…
The Back Pasture to Brown’s Hall main road in St. Catherine is to be rehabilitated at a cost of $98 million. Member of Parliament for West Central St. Catherine, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said bushing of the roadway has started, and pedestrians and motorists traversing the area will soon…
Residents of Brown’s Hall in St. Catherine and surrounding communities will be getting free health services at the soon-to-be-established Friends of the Brown’s Hall Health Centre. Chairman and Managing Director of Kemteck Development and Construction Limited, Sylvester Tulloch, who is co-financing the $25-million health centre, said persons will receive optical…
Cervical cancer survivor, Juliet Davis, is in support of the Health Ministry’s introduction of the bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine being administered to thousands of grade-seven students across the island. Mrs. Davis, who was first diagnosed with the cancer in 2009 at the age of 49, says the vaccine would…
The Caribbean Poison Information Network (CarPIN) is reporting that Jamaican decorative paints have been found to be virtually lead-free. Speaking in an interview with JIS News, Poison Information Coordinator at CarPIN, Sherika Whitelocke-Ballingsingh, said that this was one of the findings of a recent Lead in Paint Study that was…
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is urging all Jamaicans to get regular health checks to facilitate early detection of diseases that may lay dormant in the body. “Do your health checks regularly, Jamaicans tend to go to the doctor only when they are sick, but taking responsibility means…
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