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MONTEGO BAY - The Ministry of Health is on a drive to improve oral health services across the island especially in underserved rural communities. Among the plans are the development of a relevant and modern legal framework to govern and regulate oral health care, and the creation of partnerships to enhance service delivery, said portfolio Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson....

Some 10,000 residents from 27 districts in east rural St. Andrew are benefitting from the recent upgrading and equipping of the Mavis Bank Health Centre. The facility was refurbished at a cost of $20 million by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), with financial support from the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF), a project of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)....

The complement of ambulances in the public health system is being boosted by the provision of US$884,323 by the National Health Fund (NHF), to purchase 17 additional units. A contract for the allocation was signed by Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, NHF executives, and representatives of Toyota Jamaica Limited, during a brief ceremony on Wednesday, March 20, at the...

A number of emergency personnel, who respond to traumatic situations, particularly major disasters, on Tuesday, March 19, benefited from training in Psychological First Aid (PFA). The workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), examined practical ways in which responders can provide emotional and...

The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) has injected funds into the upgrading and improvement of equipment and infrastructure at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), to improve the level of service provided to the hundreds of thousands of persons, who seek healthcare at the institution. SERHA Chairman, Lyttleton Shirley, said the minor operating rooms in the Accident and Emergency Department...

Health Minister, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says the Ministry welcomes all partnerships that seek to improve health care delivery and provision of services to the people of Jamaica. “This is an indication that we are all taking responsibility for health care in this country and we see the value of partnerships and participation to move the health sector forward,” he...

The functions of the Regional Health Authorities will be among the issues put under the microscope, when the Ministry of Health begins discussions on health care reform. Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, told members of the Jamaica Association of Health Service Executives (JAHSE) on Wednesday, March 13, that he intends to undertake the process of health care reform...

Regulations seeking to establish a Tribunal to which any person aggrieved by the decisions of the National Health Fund (NHF) Board, may appeal, were passed in the House of Representatives on March 12. In his remarks, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, explained that the Regulations provide for the constitutional, proper administration and overall function of the tribunal. “In...

Patients who use the physiotherapy department at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) will soon have better facilities to assist with their recovery. Hospital staff will also benefit from improved and additional facilities from which to provide the services. This is being provided for under a contract of $93.6 million, to extend and renovate the department, in order...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says the development of a National Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy will assist in reducing mortality and morbidity of infants and children by addressing their nutritional needs. Speaking at a validation workshop for the policy at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on Thursday, March 6, Dr. Ferguson said it will...

The country’s cancer control programme is expected to be strengthened following an assessment by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Since Monday, March 4, a high-level team from IAEA has been carrying out a comprehensive evaluation of the country’s cancer control capacity in the areas of cancer planning, cancer information, prevention, diagnosis and treatment, palliative care, and training. Coming out...

Medical practitioners will benefit from training in colon cancer treatment and prevention at the 2013 Colon Cancer Medical Symposium on Sunday, March 10. The session will take place at the Basic Medical Sciences Building in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of the West Indies’ Mona campus, and will get underway at 8:30 a.m. It is being organised by...