Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Fenton Ferguson, has instructed the island’s regional health authorities to put measures in place to improve communication and consultation with their staff. The development came out of discussions with the heads of the four regional boards of health on Saturday, July 5, at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St. James. The talks came against the...

The expanded Haemodialysis Unit at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, will be up and running by September. The $38 million project is being funded by the National Health Fund (NHF). The contract for the works was signed almost a year ago. Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, who toured the hospital on Friday, July 5, said the...

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...