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Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Health for Jamaica, Dr. Sheila Campbell-Forrester, has said that with chronic non-communicable diseases being major contributors to morbidity and mortality in Jamaica, the incidence of renal disease must be reduced at all cost. "With complications from hypertension and diabetes leading to end stage chronic renal failure , we must begin to consider how best to...

Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang, has said that the lifestyle disease, hypertension, is one of the major chronic disorders affecting persons in the country, which eventually leads to lower productivity at the workplace. "This is really one of our chronic problems, and as a country, we have to find a way, not only to treat it, but...

Minister of Health Hon. Rudyard Spencer, says a number of measures will be taken to strengthen the capacity of the National Blood Transfusion Service. Speaking at his monthly press briefing on Thursday (January 21), Minister Spencer said the finding of the audit report ordered by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Jean Dixon in November last year pointed to weak inventory systems and...

Director of Emergency, Disaster Management and Special Services in the Ministry of Health (MOH), Dr. Marion Bullock DuCasse (2nd left) examines nutritional powder donated by ViSalus, while ViSalus Ambassador, Gaudia Chevannes Aquart (2nd right) provides information on its use. Looking on is head of the second MOH team of health and medical professionals to Haiti, Dr. Mark Minott (left) and...

More than 1,000 Jamaicans, who are awaiting corrective eye surgeries, will finally have these operations performed at the new Ophthalmology Centre at the St. Joseph's Hospital in Kingston, which opens on Wednesday (Jan. 27). "Patients have been screened and selected for surgery, but for various reasons they have not had it done," said Director of Health Services, Planning, and Integration...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has called on Jamaicans to get activity involved in the abortion consultations now underway. He said that the public's views and recommendations will inform the deliberations of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament, which is considering the final report of the Abortion Policy Review Advisory Group. "I want you to be actively involved, I...

A medical team from the Ministry of Health left Jamaica on Friday (January 22), to relieve colleagues in Haiti who have been helping with relief efforts, following the January 12 earthquake. Jamaica currently has a 26-member health team stationed in Port-au-Prince, comprised of doctors, emergency medical technicians, public health inspectors, nurses and a health educator. Director of Emergency Disaster Management...

The 15-member Cuban health team which is here to work under the Jamaica/Cuba Eye Care Programme, met the Jamaican health team at the Ministry of Health in downtown Kingston on Thursday (January 21). The Cubans have been in Jamaica for the past two weeks, ahead of the official launch of the Ophthalmology Centre, at the St. Joseph's Hospital, Kingston, which...

Minister with responsibility for Information, Daryl Vaz has indicated that the team of medical personnel dispatched to Haiti on January 16 will not have a negative impact on Jamaica's health care services. "This is something that we have taken into consideration. What is going to happen is that they (medical team) are going to go and spend a few days,...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer says the team of medical and health volunteers has been able to immediately and successfully assist in the effort to provide much needed medical and health support to the people of Haiti. Since its arrival early Saturday morning (January 16, 2010), the team has conducted surgeries and other procedures as well as had numerous...

The Mandeville Regional Hospital awarded 34 persons for their contributions, at its 4th Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony on Wednesday (January 13) at Las Palmas in Mandeville, Manchester. Five persons received awards for over 22 years of service, and six retirees, who served from 1970 to 2009, were honoured. Five persons were given special awards. Nurse Allison Cassanova copped the...

The Trelawny Health Department has stepped up monitoring activities in order to maintain good health standards within the parish. In a report tabled at the regular monthly meeting of the Trelawny Parish Council held last Thursday (Jan. 14), Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish, Delroy Mowatt, informed that during the month of December, 191 food and beverage establishments...