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Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. (FILE)
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton. (FILE)

Health Ministry to Start Administering Second HPV Dose April

The Ministry of Health will begin dispensing the second dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to grade-seven girls by April. In October 2017, the Ministry began administering the vaccine and, to date, 5,009 girls or 22 per cent of...
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Professor Gordon Shirley, addresses stakeholders and business interests at the Falmouth cruise ship pier, Falmouth, on January 19.
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica, Professor Gordon Shirley, addresses stakeholders and business interests at the Falmouth cruise ship pier, Falmouth, on January 19.

Port Authority of Jamaica to Assist With Upgrade of Falmouth Hospital
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer (left), addresses the recent launch of a standard operating procedures (SOP) manual on human trafficking for healthcare workers. She is joined by Director, Organised Crime and Defence Unit in the Ministry of National Security, Captain Steve Bachelor.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Carol Palmer (left), addresses the recent launch of a standard operating procedures (SOP) manual on human trafficking for healthcare workers. She is joined by Director, Organised Crime and Defence Unit in the Ministry of National Security, Captain Steve Bachelor.

Health Workers Can Help Fight Human Trafficking
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (right), holds a canister of sugar during discussion with Executive Director, Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), Deborah Chen, about the nutritional content of sugar-sweetened beverages. Occasion was an obesity-prevention programme stakeholder meeting at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on January 16. The session was hosted by the HFJ under its Global Health Advocacy Project.
Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (right), holds a canister of sugar during discussion with Executive Director, Heart Foundation of Jamaica (HFJ), Deborah Chen, about the nutritional content of sugar-sweetened beverages. Occasion was an obesity-prevention programme stakeholder meeting at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on January 16. The session was hosted by the HFJ under its Global Health Advocacy Project.

Jamaicans Urged to Make Healthier Food Choices
Executive Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Deborah Chen.
Executive Director of the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Deborah Chen.

Heart Foundation Targets 2,000 Participants for 5k Run

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Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second right), displays a symbolic cheque that was handed to him by Japanese Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Hiromasa Yamazaki (right), at the signing of a grant agreement for the procurement of an ultrasound machine for the Spanish Town Hospital, at the New Kingston offices of the Health Ministry on January 15. Others (from left) are Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. Catherine-based hospital, Dwayne Francis; and Parish Manager of the St. Catherine Health Services, Beverley Needham.
Health & Wellness

Spanish Town Hospital to Be Upgraded

Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says a pre-construction technical assessment is being undertaken at the Spanish Town Hospital as part of plans to upgrade the Type B facility to a Type A. “Upgrading from a (Type) B to an A means more services, more facilities, more beds and, as a consequence, being better able to respond to the...
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Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (JIS File Photo).
Health & Wellness

Obesity Can Erode Health and Economic Gains – Dr. Tufton

Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says obesity among adults in Jamaica is increasing by one per cent every year, contributing to illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. He said if left unchecked, obesity and its consequences can retard and erode health and economic advances made over the last decade. It is for this reason, he noted, that...
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Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Fund (NHF), Everton Anderson.
Health & Wellness

Over 248,000 NHF Cardholders Accessed Benefits in 2017

More than 248,000 Jamaicans accessed benefits using their National Health Fund (NHF) cards at participating pharmacies across the island in 2017. Chief Executive Officer at the NHF, Everton Anderson, said that approximately 4.11 million claims were submitted in comparison to 4.10 million by over 239,000 individuals in 2016. “Arising from these claims, NHF spent just over $4.3 billion in subsidy...
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Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Sancia Bennett Templer. (FILE)
Health & Wellness

Health Ministry Moving Towards Electronic Storage of Patients’ Records

The Ministry of Health will be moving towards the electronic storage of patients’ health records this year. This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sancia Bennett Templer, at the recent launch of the trafficking in persons Standard Operating Procedures for health officials at the Ministry of Justice on Constant Spring Road, St. Andrew. She was responding to a...
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Health Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (right), views mosquito larvae under a microscope during a tour of the Mosquito Control and Research Unit (MCRU) Insectary at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona campus, which was officially opened on Tuesday (January 9). Others (from left) are: Chargé d’Affaires at the United States Embassy in Jamaica, Eric Khant; Chief Medical Officer in the Health Ministry, Dr. Winston De La Haye; UWI Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Mona campus Principal, Professor Archibald McDonald; and MCRU Head, Dr. Marcia Mundle.
Health & Wellness

Mosquito Control Programme Strengthened

The country’s vector management programme has been strengthened with the opening of the Mosquito Control and Research Unit (MCRU) Insectary at the University of West Indies (UWI) Mona campus in St. Andrew. A joint initiative of the Ministry of Health and UWI through support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the facility will provide for entomological study...
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Regional Director for the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Maureen Golding hands over keys for an ambulance to Chairman of the Princess Margaret Hospital, Michael McLeod, during a ceremony on January 3 at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston. At right is Chief Executive Officer for the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Anthony Wood.
Health & WellnessYouth

Princess Margaret Hospital Gets Ambulance

Two ambulances, valued at $15.8 million, have been handed over to the Princess Margaret Hospital in St. Thomas and the Kingston and St. Andrew Health Services to cover the Bustamante Hospital for Children, National Chest Hospital, Hope Institute and the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre. The ambulances were presented by the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) at a ceremony...
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