As Jamaica observes Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Awareness Week (June 17-23), Consultant, Emergency Health and Director at the Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), Dr. Hugh Wong, is reminding school administrators to ensure that active students, such as athletes, are screened to ascertain risk for sudden cardiac arrest. Speaking at a recently held JIS ‘Think Tank’, Dr. Wong highlighted the importance of...

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) will be hosting a series of registration fairs across the island over the next 18 months to facilitate persons who are without a birth certificate or those who may need to complete the process. The first in the series of fairs will be held on Wednesday (June 20) from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at...

Director at the Heart Foundation and Consultant Emergency Physician, Dr. Hugh Wong, has appealed to Jamaicans to do something to help if someone is having a cardiac arrest. “Don’t just stand by and look, do something to assist,” he urged, as he addressed a Jamaica Information Service ‘Think Tank’, recently. “Oxygen-starved brain cells begin to die and the individual can...

The Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ) will be observing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Awareness week from June 17 to 23 under the theme ‘Every Second Counts: CPR Saves Lives!. Activities get under way with a live CPR demonstration at the ‘Everyone’s a Winner’ Father’s Day race at Hope Gardens, St. Andrew, on Sunday. CPR demonstrations will continue at Emancipation Park on...

Coverage of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) 2 vaccination has increased, reaching the 95 per cent target in 2017. The information is contained in the Ministry of Health’s quarterly report ‘Vitals’, which was tabled by Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton in Parliament recently. The report said it was the first time since MMR was introduced to the...

The National Blood Transfusion Centre is imploring all eligible individuals to support World Blood Donor Day collections on Thursday, June 14. The theme for this year’s observance is ‘Be There for Someone Else. Give Blood. Share Life’. It is recognised as a day to honour voluntary blood donors for their generosity and sacrifice as well as raise awareness surrounding the...

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....