More

The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has embarked on a two-year Exclusive Breastfeeding Pilot project in St. Catherine and Clarendon. This follows a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) study conducted in the two parishes in June, to ascertain the knowledge, practice and attitude of health care workers, mothers and family members to breastfeeding....

The St. Mary Health Department recently concluded two weeks of activities aimed at highlighting HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, and sensitising the parish on the importance of preventing the spread of the diseases. Making the disclosure to the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) during a recent interview, Health Educator for the St. Mary Health Department, Rohema Robinson, said the activities...

Fifteen hospitals across Jamaica are to benefit from a donation of bed linen by Continental Baking Company Limited. The bed sheets, which are enough to cover 4,000 hospital beds, were handed over to Health Minister, Hon. Rudyard Spencer today (December 8), at the Ministry's downtown Kingston office. Mr. Spencer said the Ministry is grateful for the support as it will...

Eighty-one residents of Farm and surrounding communities in South Manchester on Friday (December 4) benefitted from a health fair and outreach programme organised by Jamalco. The bauxite/alumina company, which has mining operations in the area, partnered with the Child Development Agency (CDA), the National Council on Drug Abuse, and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) to provide health checks and...

Manchester resident, Miss Keino Ward, who suffers from sickle cell anemia, is appealing to Jamaicans to offer emotional and other support to persons with the disease. She made the plea at a brief ceremony held at Total Body Therapy Centre in Mandeville on Saturday (December 5) where she received a $15,000 donation from the Caribbean District of Optimists International towards...

The Ministry of Health intends to scale up its Antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for persons infected by the HIV virus, by providing access to updated treatment regimes. "Even in an environment of no user fees there is a gap between the number of persons who are in need of ARV which we estimate to be about 6,000-7000 persons and the number...

The final Adolescent Mental Health Training Seminar for Teachers and Mental Health Officers was held on Friday (December 4), in Ocho Rios, St. Ann. The workshop is the final in a series conducted this year by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. It was held at the Ruins at the Falls under the theme, "There...

The National Health Fund (NHF) has approved funding for the construction of a perimeter fence at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Morant Bay, St. Thomas to increase security at the facility. Health Minister, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, making the announcement yesterday (December 3) following a tour of the facility, said that the NHF will be sending a "team of experts out...

One of the pioneers of Jamaica's first hospice, Mrs. Monica Cousins, is to launch a book about the 25-year-old Consie Walters Cancer Hospice, which is located on the grounds of the St. Joseph's Hospital, on Deanery Road, in Kingston. The launch will take place at St. Peter and Paul Church Hall, 120 Old Hope Road, Kingston 6, on Sunday, December...

The Ministry of Health is reminding persons to avoid mass gatherings if they have flu-like symptoms such as such as fever, cough, sore throat, and runny nose. Even if the symptoms are mild these persons are strongly cautioned to avoid crowded areas and stay home until they are well. "As we enter into the regular flu season we will be...

A contract valued at $26 .7 million, for the construction of a new Type 3 health centre in Duncans, Trelawny, was signed on the grounds of the Duncans/Dewar Health Centre on Tuesday (December 1). The contract was signed by representatives of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) and the contractors, Sharecon Ltd. Work on the project will begin immediately, and...

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security has assured persons living with HIV/AIDS that the National HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy is expected o be debated in Parliament during the 2009/10 session, which ends next March. The draft policy was tabled in Parliament on November 11, following consideration of the Green Paper (preliminary report) by a Joint Select Committee of Parliament. The...