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The Ministry of Health has confirmed three imported cases of malaria among members of the Haitian under 7 football1 team who are in the island to participate in CONCACAF. The persons are currently being treated. Other members are displaying symptoms of the illness and are also being treated. The Ministry has recommended that in the circumstances they do not participate in...

The Senate approved a Bill empowering the Minister of Health to increase penalties for breaching provisions of legislation relating to certain health and allied professions and services, on Friday February 11. The penalties have remained unchanged for decades, and are not considered serious deterrent to non-compliance with the provisions of the various Acts any more. The Bill,the Health and Allied...

Senior Medical Officer (SMO) at the St. Ann’s Bay Hospital, Nicole Dawkins, is commending the Ministry of Health for taking steps to repair biomedical equipment at the facility. She told JIS News that the hospital is heavily dependent on biomedical equipment to carry out a lot of its functions and when they malfunction, service delivery is affected. “One of the...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer is making an urgent appeal for persons to discontinue engaging in risky sexual behaviour and protect themselves and their partner at all times. Minister Spencer was speaking against the background of the observance of Safe Sex week from now until February 14, 2011 under the theme “Protect your love, use a glove”.   In...

“Protect Your Love, Use a Glove” “Protect your love, use a glove” is the theme for this year’s observance of Safer Sex Week. The number of HIV/AIDS cases reported per year increased by 21% between 1999 (1436 cases) and 2009 (1738 cases). This situation is exacerbated by high incidences of multiple partnerships and low condom usage.  Persons continue to engage...

Delivery of free eye care to the elderly in Portland and St. Thomas will be significantly enhanced, through eye screening clinics to be carried out by the Voluntary Optometric Services for Humanity (VOSH) in some communities. The first clinic will begin on Saturday (February 5) at the Anglican Church Christian Education Centre, Port Antonio, and will continue at the same...

The House of Representatives, on Tuesday February 1, passed the Health and Allied Professions and Services Miscellaneous Penalty Provisions Bill (2010), which, among other things, provides for an increase in fines for persons who provide medical and support services without proper registration. Health Minister, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, who piloted the bill, pointed out that the penalties for violating the provisions...

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)-supported 'Bashy Bus' HIV prevention project has been extended to  St. Ann, with the handing over of a mobile unit to the St. Ann Health Department on Thursday January 27. The project, which is being carried out by the St. Catherine-based non-governmental organization, Children First, with support from the Ministry of Health through the National...

As the Government expands facilities for renal dialysis, to make the service more accessible, focus is being placed on training in nephrology, with 13 nurses and three tutors already in Cuba. In addition, 22 dialysis technicians are also in training, as a result of a partnership between the Ministry of Health and the University of Technology (UTech). “During the period...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer has said that Government’s no user fee policy was a step in the right direction, as this was directly responsible for the increased access to health services for persons suffering from lifestyle and other illnesses “Since we abolished fees on April 1, 2008 visits to health centres increased by 16.3 per cent in the...

The National Works Agency (NWA) has commenced work on a protective wall in the vicinity of the Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth. The wall which is being built on the sea-side of the hospital, comes against the background of significant damage by wave action, resulting in the parish’s premier health facility being threatened. Manager of Communication and Customer Services...

Cabinet has approved two contracts valued at $222,653, 782.27 for the procurement of antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV. One contract in the sum of $174, 488,848 has been awarded to Matrix Laboratories Limited and the other,valued at $48,164,934. 27,to Ranbaxy Laboratory. Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon. Daryl Vaz, peaking at today’s (January 26)...