Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jacquiline A. Bisasor-McKenzie says the Ministry is investigating reports of a shortage of drugs affecting private pharmacies. “Based on the media reports, we are investigating, and have contacted some of the distributors and are awaiting the reports to see if there are drug shortages and exactly what those shortages are,” Dr....

A cohort of 18 nurses and five educators/supervisors will depart for the People’s Republic of China later this month to participate in a Nurses Training Exchange Programme. Another group is slated to travel to the United Kingdom (UK) to participate in a training programme in that country early next year. This was disclosed by Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher...

The number of entities participating in the Government’s Public-Private Sector Pharmacy Programme is being increased. Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said 35 pharmacies will be added to the initiative’s current participants to bring the number to 52, pointing out that contracts to expand the complement have been signed. He was speaking in the 2018/19 Sectoral Debate in the...

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says the Reduced Waiting Time Initiative that was implemented last year in 15 health facilities islandwide, will be expanded during the 2018/19 fiscal year, after recording positive results in those institutions. Speaking in the 2018/19 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 5), Dr. Tufton said the Government remains committed...

The Government will be intensifying the implementation of provisions under the Public Health (Tobacco Control) Regulations, 2013. Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said this undertaking will include mandatory prohibition of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, including a ban on point-of-sale tobacco displays; prohibiting the sale of all forms of tobacco products to and by minors; and regulating price...

More Jamaicans are seeking healthcare at clinics, with statistics showing an increase in visits to such facilities last year while hospital visits decreased. Of the 2,971,271 visits made to public health facilities between January and December 2017, a total of 1,724,859 were made to public health centres, representing a 10 per cent increase over 2016. This is according to information...

The Ministry of Health is in the process of finalising a report from a review of the four regional health authorities, which will be the subject of stakeholder consultations during the 2018/19 fiscal year. The review, which was led by a team from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), looked at the authorities’ structure and performance, and proposes specific reforms...