In October 2015, Hospiten, a $2.3-billion state-of-the-art private hospital, opened its doors in Rose Hall, St. James. Government officials and a number of dignitaries were on hand to welcome what was described as an important addition to the health sector and a world-class facility that would significantly improve Jamaica’s chances of tapping into the lucrative wellness-tourism market. Only recently, Tourism...

Jamaicans are being warned about the dangers of third-hand smoke, which is an emerging concern in public health regarding tobacco use. Third-hand smoke is defined as residual tobacco smoke contamination that remains after the cigarette has been extinguished. In an interview with JIS News, Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at the National Chest Hospital, Dr. Terry Baker, said that third-hand smoke...

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Shahine Robinson, is appealing to residents of St. Ann to make greater use of the community health centres in order to reduce overcrowding at the hospitals. She noted that the clinics provide quality care, and doctors at the facilities will refer persons to a hospital for advanced treatment if needed. “There are times...

Alcohol continues to be the most widely used drug in Jamaica, with 40 per cent of the population or four out of every 10 people reporting that they currently use the substance. This is according to the most recent Household Drug Survey conducted by the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA). Seventy-five per cent of the population said that they...

There were a lot of happy faces and expressions of gratitude at the Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth on November 25, where 20 wheelchairs were presented to the management and staff at the facility. The donation was made possible through collaboration between Chairman of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association’s (JHTA) South Coast Chapter, Jason Henzell and Tankweld Metals....

The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA), the Health Education and Promotion Officers, and the Matrons and Assistant Matrons in Infirmaries are the latest public-sector groups to sign the Heads of Agreement for the 2015/17 contract period. The associations signed during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service on Thursday, November 24. State Minister, Hon. Rudyard...

The Government is implementing a policy to ease the long wait at public pharmacies by contracting private entities for the dispensing of drugs to persons who obtain prescriptions from State-run facilities. Minister of Health, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said starting next month, the National Health Fund (NHF), will be engaging private pharmacies, through a pilot project, where a person,...