Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) has been added to the list of chronic conditions covered by the National Health Fund (NHF). A total of $211 million has been allocated for subsidies on medication for the treatment of the disease. This brings to 16, the number of illnesses covered under the Fund’s Individual Benefits Programme. The announcement was made at a ceremony...

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD) continues to encourage parents to ensure their children are fully registered, and a critical aspect of this is the Father’s name on the child’s birth certificate. Not only does the presence of a father’s name complete a child’s identity but it also helps in matters of immigration, settling of estates, among others. To promote the...

Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson says training and education are among the best and most valuable investments that can be made for the country and for each individual and family. Dr. Ferguson was speaking on Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at the graduation exercise for 30 Critical Care Nurses held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Kingston. The group represented...

Residents of Morant Bay and surrounding communities are to benefit from significant improvement in health services, through renovation of the health centre located in the St. Thomas capital. The $32.7 million project, which is being financed by the Sugar Transformation Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, is expected to be completed in another three to four months. To...

Executive Director of the National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA), Michael Tucker, is warning of the deleterious effects of drug use on the young brain, and the direct correlation between drug use, particularly ganja, and criminal behaviour. Speaking at a JIS ‘Think Tank’ on June 23, Mr. Tucker said it is important to note what drug use, and in particular...

“There will be a brighter future and hope for those born with sickle cell disease,”  stated Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson in making reference to research done by the Sickle Cell Unit showing a downward trend in mortality by 10 years of age in children diagnosed with sickle cell disease at the time of birth. Dr. Ferguson was speaking...

The Registrar General’s Department (RGD), is undergoing a transformation with a number of initiatives that has helped to improve service delivery and reduce the number of customer complaints. The entity, responsible for storing records of birth, marriage, still birth and death in Jamaica, began its service enhancement plan in 1999 when it became an Executive Agency of the government. A...