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Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right), speaks with Maria Wheatle (left), a patient at the Greater Portmore Health Centre in St. Catherine, prior to her eyes being tested for diabetic retinopathy in the facility’s newly opened screening room. Looking on (from second left) are Chief Executive of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Dr. Astrid Bonfield; and Regional Director, South East Regional Health Authority, Maureen Golding. The screening room for diabetic retinopathy was opened during a ceremony on Wednesday (November 28), at which the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme was officially launched.

Persons with Diabetes Urged to Get Screened for Diabetic Retinopathy

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is encouraging persons with diabetes to get screened for eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, to prevent vision loss. Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness, resulting from damage of the blood...

International Spinal Symposium Chairman and Head of the Kingston Public Hospital’s Orthopaedic Department, Dr. Ian Neil.

Jamaica to Host Inaugural International Spinal Injury Symposium

The new $860-million National Linear Cancer Treatment Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kingston.

Health Ministry to Finalise 10-Year Strategic Plan in a Few Months

Executive Director of the National Council on Drug Abuse, Michael Tucker, addressing a recent JIS Think Tank.

NCDA Calls for Interventions to Discourage Cananbis Use by Youth

Chair, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Canon Garth Minott (second right), and Japan's Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Hiromasa Yamazaki (third left), cut the ribbon symbolising the official opening of Jamaica AIDS Support for Life's renovated wellness centre in Kingston on Monday (November 26). Others (from left) are Executive Director, Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Kandasi Levermore; Senior Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health's HIV/STI/TB Unit, Dr. Nicola Skyers; and Regional Director, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Dr. Kevin Harvey.

Jamaica Aids Support for Life Opens Renovated Wellness Centre

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (2nd right), examines the Linear cancer radiation therapy treatment machine installed at the newly built National Cancer Treatment Centre at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kingston, following the facility’s official opening on Monday (Nov. 26). Also looking on (from left) are: Consultant at the Centre, Dr. Misledy Morales; Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund Board Member and Chair of the entity’s Health Committee, Merle Donaldson; Member of Parliament for South East St. Andrew, where the centre is located, Julian Robinson; National Health Fund (NHF) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Everton Anderson; CHASE Fund CEO, Billy Heaven; and the Centre’s Head Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Praveen Sharma.

7 years ago Health & Wellness

Linear Cancer Treatment Centre Opens in Kingston

Cancer care delivery in the public health system has been further boosted with Monday’s (Nov. 26) opening of Jamaica’s second National Linear Cancer Treatment Centre. The $860 million facility, constructed at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kingston, was formally opened by Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. Financing was provided by the National Health Fund (NHF); Culture, Health, Arts, Sports...

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, interacts with a patient at the launch of the Public-Private Sector Pharmacy Partner Programme at the Camdex Pharmacy in Green Island, Hanover, recently.

7 years ago Health & Wellness

Nearly 100,000 Prescriptions Filled Under Public-Private Pharmacy Programme

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, is hailing the success of the Public-Private Sector Pharmacy Partner Programme, under which nearly 100,000 prescriptions have already been processed. The Minister said the Government is satisfied that the programme is working and that the public is being served in an efficient manner where “the benefits are tremendous.” “Gone are the days...

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), addresses the ninth annual staging of the National Health Research Conference, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston on November 22.

7 years ago Health & Wellness

Final Draft of National Health Insurance Plan Being Prepared for Cabinet

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the final draft of the National Health Insurance Plan is being prepared for submission to Cabinet. “We held a series of consultations with a range of stakeholders. We still may do a few more, but ultimately, Cabinet will have to approve it; then there is the matter of how you operationalise it....

Senior Medical Officer at the National Chest Hospital (NCH), Dr. Terry Baker, addresses a JIS Think Tank, where she provides details about the Lung Cancer Symposium to be held at the National Chest Hospital on Thursday (November 22).

7 years ago Health & Wellness

Lung Cancer Medical Symposium Today

The Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) in association with the National Chest Hospital (NCH) will host a Lung Cancer Medical Symposium on Thursday (November 22). The event is scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm at the NCH on Barbican Road, St. Andrew. Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, NCH Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Terry Baker, explained that the symposium aims...

State Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Floyd Green, addresses the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 20).

7 years ago EducationHealth & Wellness

Ministries Working Together to Promote Healthy Eating in Schools

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information has been working with the Ministry of Health to develop standards for schools, to encourage healthy eating. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (November 20), State Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, said this has caused the Ministry to do a comprehensive review of the items that it provides to the school system....

Director of Policy and Research, Bureau of Gender Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Sharon Coburn-Robinson, addresses recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’.

7 years ago Gender AffairsHealth & Wellness

Ministry Promotes Healthy Gender Relations

The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport will again promote healthy gender relations, through the staging of the annual International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW) 2018, on November 25. This year, it is being held globally under the theme ‘#HearMeToo: End Violence Against Women and Girls’. IDEVAW aims to raise public awareness of violence against...

Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Jacqueline Bisasor-McKenzie, speaking at a JIS Think Tank on November 16.

7 years ago CommerceHealth & WellnessIndustry

Health Ministry Supports Conditional Use of Cannabis for Research and Medicinal Purposes

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 16, Dr. Bisasor-McKenzie said the Ministry is prepared to accept...