The Westmoreland Public Health Department is urging residents to exercise caution when purchasing trucked water, particularly in communities experiencing shortages following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Health Promotion and Education Officer for the parish, Gerald Miller, said persons should ensure that water is being sourced only from the department’s three approved loading bays in the parish. The authorised locations are...

Expectant mothers are being encouraged to prioritise their mental health during and after pregnancy, especially in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. This urging came from Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Krystal Lee, who addressed mothers at the Grange Hill Health Centre in Westmoreland on Monday (November 24). She emphasised that pregnancy and the post-partum...

The Tropical Medicine Research Institute (TMRI), based at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, has been hailed as one of the most “effective research” facilities in the Caribbean. Former Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Dr. Rufus Ewing, said it also stands as an “example of research translated into clinical impact”. “Its introduction of penicillin...

Persons presenting with symptoms of leptospirosis are being urged to seek immediate medical attention. National Epidemiologist, Dr. Karen Webster Kerr, made the call as the country is seeing an uptick of cases of the illness in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, at a press conference on Friday (November 21), said that...

More than 60 pregnant women and new mothers received support on Friday, (November 21), as the Ministry of Health and Wellness rolled out a new maternal health initiative to assist families affected by Hurricane Melissa. State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Krystal Lee, led the intervention held at the Black River Health Centre in St. Elizabeth....

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the hospitals are equipped to deal with confirmed cases of leptospirosis. Addressing a virtual press briefing, on Friday (November 21), he said with an outbreak now confirmed, the public system is able to treat with it, because medicines, especially antibiotics, are in place. “Whether it is the public health...

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, has urged Jamaicans in communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa to remain vigilant against environmental health risks as they resume their daily lives. “We take note of the reports out of the Ministry of Health [and Wellness], where we have seen some cases [of] suspected leptospirosis, and other cases of waterborne diseases, or...