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More than 330 persons with serious eye conditions have received treatment at the Jamaica/Cuba Ophthalmology Centre in Kingston, since it started performing surgeries about a month ago. Among them is 19-year-old Okeilo Downing, who is eager to return to school after having cataract removed from his right eye this morning (April 14). Okeilo, who spoke to JIS News after the...

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Jean Dixon, has said that Government will be focusing on the renewal of the country's primary health care system this year, in order to relieve the strain on hospitals. "We are expecting to use the primary health care facilities to triage (prioritize) patients and only send to the tertiary institution those that...

A new health clinic has been opened in the East Queen Street area of downtown Kingston to cater to the needs of the inner-city residents. The building, situated at the corner of Higholborn Street once housed a similar facility. It was donated to the charity group, Missionaries of the Poor, and was subsequently renovated by the Brothers into a new...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has called on governments in the region to put measures in place to ensure that health care is more accessible to its citizens, particularly the less fortunate. "We must begin to view health as critical to the survival of the region's peoples. When placed within the context of a fundamental right, it becomes incumbent...

The Ministry of Health says that normality has returned to public hospitals, following an increase in the number of nurses on duty, since Friday (April 9). The Ministry of Health's National Emergency Operations Centre, activated on Friday, recorded a high turn out of registered nurses at 25 public hospitals islandwide, including the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston....

The Trelawny Public Health Department, through its vector control programme, carried out one fogging and 10 oiling operations throughout the parish during the month of March. Additionally, some 79 mosquito breeding sites were identified and treated. This was revealed by Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector, Mr. Delroy Mowatt, in a report tabled at the monthly meeting of the Trelawny Parish...

The Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ) has agreed to resume discussions at the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service next week, on public registered nurses claim for pay increases dating back to 2008. Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles, endorsed the decision at a meeting with the NAJ at his Ministry Friday (April 9). He emphasised,...

Ground was broken on April 6 for expansion of the Lionel Town Hospital's training facility, in Clarendon. Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, said that the facility, to be funded by the National Health Fund (NHF), at a cost of $69.7 million, would be able to train 60 students annually. It will comprise three lecture rooms, two laboratories, a staff...

Effectively treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol can be a financial burden for many Jamaicans. The National Health Fund (NHF), through its Individual Benefits Programme and the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP), has proven to be a lifeline for many Jamaicans living with these conditions. It has resulted in substantial savings on prescription medications...

Since the abolition of hospital user fees in April 2008, there has been a steady increase in the use of public health care services, ranging from 17 to 32 per cent. Drawing attention to this, in his opening presentation in the 2010/2011 budget debate in the House of Representatives today (April 8), Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Hon....

Minister of Labour and Social Security, the Hon Pearnel Charles, has said that if registered nurses employed at public institutions do not resume normality by Thursday morning (April 8), the Ministry will take the matter of their sick-out to the Supreme Court. "We will wait and see what happens Thursday morning, before we decide whether to proceed to the Court...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer has signaled his Ministry's commitment to rural development with the official start of work on the renovation and expansion of the Lionel Town Hospital Training and Accommodation Facility in Clarendon. The facility will be used to provide training for Dialysis and Pharmacy Technicians who will be placed in health facilities across the Regional Health...