Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, said that despite the need for cost efficiency in the health sector, there must be consultations with the critical stakeholders before coming to a particular position. He made the comment as he addressed journalists on Friday, July 4, following a marathon meeting with the leadership of the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) and health...

The Ministry of Health remains on high alert for the Chikungunya virus, with a committee monitoring the situation. Speaking at a recent post-Sectoral debate press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Ferguson, informed that the committee, headed by Director, Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse, meets weekly...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson says plans to merge aspects of the National HIV/STI Programme with the National Family Planning Board (NFPB) are far advanced. Making his contribution to the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July 1, Dr. Ferguson said the Ministry is moving to address integration at the level of service delivery to...

The Government will be spending millions of dollars this year to continue improvements to the country’s primary health care system. This was disclosed by Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for the primary health care infrastructure, Hon. Luther Buchanan, during his contribution to the 2014/15 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on July...

The creation of a 10-year Strategic Development Plan forms part of recommendations outlined in an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded technical study conducted on Jamaica’s health care system. The study, which focused on the ‘Reform and Financing of Jamaica’s Health System’, aims to assist the Health Ministry to provide increased access by persons to affordable and quality health care. This was...

The National Health Fund (NHF) is reporting that since it began the phased management of public pharmacies at the nation’s hospitals, the waiting time for patients has been reduced. As of Monday, June 30, the management of the pharmacy at the Percy Junor Hospital in Clarendon has been turned over to the NHF. The pharmacies at the Bustamante Hospital for...

A new female medical ward, built at a cost of over $136 million, was officially opened at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital on Friday, June 27. In declaring the facility open, Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, said the ward is a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to strengthening the secondary care infrastructure, as part of an overall drive...

The National Health Fund (NHF) has acted to ensure that there is normality in the supply of intravenous (IV) fluid in the public health sector. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHF, Everton Anderson, said a shipment of 120,000 units of IV fluid will arrive in the island this week, which should normalise the situation in the sector. Speaking at...