The Government has allocated $340 million towards the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality in Jamaica Project. This is contained in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, which is now before the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament. The objective of the project is to provide support to Jamaica in attaining its Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality and improving maternal...

The Ministry of Health is to spend $1.71 billion under the Health Services Improvement Project, so as to facilitate improved service delivery in the public health system. This is contained in the 2015/16 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled in the House of Representatives on February 19 by Minister of Finance and Planning, Dr. the Hon. Peter Phillips. The targets for the...

Approximately $700 million was spent to refurbish 128 health centres last year, under the Primary Health Care Infrastructure Renewal Programme. The programme is expected to pave the way for significant changes to the current system. This was disclosed by Governor-General, His Excellency the Most Hon. Sir Patrick Allen, while delivering the Throne Speech at Gordon House on February 19. “To...

The Grange Hill Health Centre in Westmoreland is to be renovated at a cost of $20 million. The six-month project, to be financed by the National Health Fund (NHF), will include: expansion of the dental clinic, examination areas, and public and staff sanitary facilities; creation of a pharmacy; patient curative/treatment areas; a triage station, where medical treatment priority will be...

The Government has spent more than $620 million to improve the infrastructure of health centres across the island over the period 2012 to 2014. To date, upgrading and expansion works have been completed on 128 facilities, while nine are in the process of being renovated. Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, said the refurbishing programme, being undertaken by the...

The National Family Planning Board (NFPB) is reporting an increase in contraceptive use among Jamaican women. The most recent statistics show that 85 per cent of women have used a contraceptive method and up to 88 per cent use it regardless of educational level. The data also show that 73 per cent of women in a union are using contraceptives....

The National Health Fund (NHF) provided $51.8 million in medication subsidy for persons with epilepsy during the period April 2014 to January 2015. There were 45,122 claims over the nine-month period and 6,195 claimants. NHF Chief Executive Officer, Everton Anderson, informed that the fund enrolls about 1,200 persons with epilepsy each year and the number stood at 13,059 as at...