Starting next week, contractors will begin renovation work on the Falmouth Public General Hospital in Trelawny, which was damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, in making the disclosure, said that the areas to be prioritised include the damaged COVID-19 ward to return 50 to 70 beds to service, the operating...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has developed a comprehensive Health, Nutrition, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Plan. Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the disclosure in a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 11). “The plan involves several key interventions, supporting the provision of...

Regional Clinical Psychologist at the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Alcon Barnett, is encouraging parents to create stable, nurturing environments to help their children recover emotionally and psychologically from the trauma of Hurricane Melissa and its aftermath. Speaking in a recent interview with JIS News, Dr. Barnett noted that many children have been affected psychologically, physically and behaviourally, with...

Jamaican conjoined twins, Azaria and Azora Elson, were successfully separated during a five-hour surgery at the King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on Thursday (November 13). The two-year-old twins, their mother, Iesha McMurray, and a team of medical professionals departed Jamaica on July 27 for the life-changing separation surgery. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is implementing an enhanced vector control programme across all parishes following the passage of Hurricane Melissa two weeks ago. The aim is to control the mosquito population, particularly the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the vector for dengue. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Christopher Tufton, in a statement to the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has developed its Hurricane Melissa Response Programme, which will be undertaken in three phases. Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says phase one, which is the relief phase, will focus on reinstating health services, saving lives, and preventing disease. “Phase one will occur over three months. Phase two of the programme has the...

The Jamaica Association of Public Health Inspectors (JAPHI) is urging citizens, particularly those living in western and southern parishes, to exercise extreme caution in the aftermath of Category Five Hurricane Melissa. JAPHI President, Michael Myers, has issued a stern warning against contact with floodwaters, emphasising that residents must not walk, wade, or swim through inundated areas under any circumstances. He...