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Most of the island’s 25 hospitals have resumed full services, following the passage of Hurricane Sandy on October 24. This was disclosed by Director of Emergency Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Marion Bullock Ducasse, during an interview with JIS News, today (October  26), at the Bustamante Children’s Hospital, in Kingston. “All but two of...

  The Ministry of Health wishes to advise the public that all hospitals have resumed full operations with the exception of the Annotto Bay Hospital in St. Mary and the Port Antonio Hospital in Portland. The Annotto Bay Hospital is currently offering emergency services only, while the Port Antonio Hospital is now offering out-patient and emergency services. No elective surgeries...

  Director of Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services, Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse is urging individuals who may be experiencing severe symptoms of dengue fever or dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) to visit the nearest health facility immediately.  Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a severe form of dengue fever which often causes death. In such cases persons may experience symptoms of dengue...

The National Family Planning Board (NFPB) will be staging a series of events across the island from October 21-27, to mark National Family Planning Week 2012. The week, which will be observed under the theme: 'Children by Choice and NOT by Chance,' aims to bring national focus to the importance of sexual and reproductive health matters in national development. Communications...

The Jamaica Cancer Society (JCS) is inviting members of the medical fraternity to attend and support its Breast Cancer Medical Symposium, which takes place on Sunday, October 21. The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, and targets doctors, nurses, and medical students and students preparing for Caribbean Secondary...

Jamaica will join the rest of the world in observing World Mammography Day on Friday, October 19, under the theme: ‘Develop a Healthy Habit today… Make Screening a Habit for Life’. This forms part of the many observations and activities that are being held across the world and in Jamaica, in commemoration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed...

Director of Veterinary Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Lynette Peters, says the five-day meeting of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables (CCPFV) provides an opportunity for local processors to participate in the development of internationally accepted standards. She was speaking to journalists following Monday’s (Oct. 15) opening session of the five-day meeting at the Hilton...

Renowned obstetrician and gynaecologist, Professor Horace Fletcher, has been awarded the Gold Musgrave Medal for his revolutionary work in maternal health. He was one of two gold medalists recognised by the Institute of Jamaica on October 10 at its 2012 Musgrave Award ceremony held at the Institute's East Street headquarters, downtown Kingston. The other was retired University of the West...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, says the Government has committed an additional $14 million to tackle the dengue problem, of which $4 million is designed for the health regions, $4 million for public education and $6 million for vector control.  Dr. Ferguson, who was speaking  today  (October 11), during a press briefing at his downtown Kingston offices, informed...

The Government is seeking to equip and transform the Bellevue Hospital in Kingston and psychiatric wards of the country's hospitals into centres that can best care for the mentally ill. This was noted by Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, at the World Mental Health Day conference on October 10, at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston. The conference...

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, is urging Jamaicans to desist from stigmatising persons with mental illnesses and instead show them more care, love and respect. He noted that these attributes, along with proper treatment, are critical in the recovery process of the individual. "Here in Jamaica...there is a persistent stigma attached to mental illness, which needs to be...

The Government is taking measures to contain the number of dengue cases and to control the breeding of the disease-causing Aedes Aegypti mosquito. Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, told JIS News that a joined-up government approach is being employed involving several ministries. "I have brought together the Minister of Local Government (Hon. Noel Arscott), myself, State Minister Richard...