Jamaica and other Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) member countries will benefit from the entity’s acquisition of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies, valued at more than US$100 million, to bolster the response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the Americas. PAHO Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, said the provisions, which were sourced from suppliers in Asia, include gloves,...

The Ministry of Health will be increasing the deployment of health personnel across the island, in preparation for the reopening of the country’s borders to international travellers on June 15. “We are now employing another 1,000 community health aides across the country, and that will bolster the number of persons we have,” said portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton....

Consultant Anaesthesiologist at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, Dr. Peter Scarlett, says the new Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building has proven to be timely as the country deals with the COVID-19 outbreak. The building, which was erected under the EU-funded PROMAC at a cost of $329 million, was officially opened...

Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, says the entity is working with member countries to bolster their preparedness to effectively deal with potential challenges from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the Americas. This focus is particularly significant during the upcoming seasonal weather conditions and onset of respiratory illnesses. Dr. Etienne said this intervention includes securing 24 million...

William Knibb Memorial and Muschette High Schools in Trelawny have put several measures in place to protect their staff and students from the coronavirus (COVID-19) as the schools reopen for students sitting the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE). Schools across the island were closed in late March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary...

Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Dr. Andrew Spencer, says sensitisation sessions for the COVID-19 Health and Safety Protocols that will be implemented for the reopening of the tourism sector have begun. The sessions started yesterday (June 8) with hotels in Negril and St. Ann and will run until June 15, when the sector reopens. “We had...

The maternal and neonatal High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building that was officially opened at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St. Ann on June 5 is expected to significantly improve maternal outcomes across the northern belt of the island. The facility, which was opened by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, was built under the European Union...