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Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sheila Campbell Forrester, says the Ministry of Health's surveillance system has been on alert for respiratory illnesses for a number of years. She says the system has been heightened with the introduction of the new Influenza A(H1N1) virus and the Ministry has the experience and the capabilities to detect and treat cases early, through this heightened...

A commitment has been made to review customer service practices at the May Pen Hospital, Clarendon, after concerns were raised by Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, about how patients were being treated. Minister Spencer called a meeting with the staff and administrators at the hospital yesterday (Friday, June 26, 2009) and told the group that he had received a...

Ten Caribbean obstetricians and gynaecologists received training in the diagnosis of pre-cancerous and cancerous legions in women, through a colposcopy course at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus, Kingston, this week. Colposcopy is a way of looking at the cervix through a special magnifying device called a colposcope, which shines a light on the vagina and the...

The number of Influenza A (H1N1) cases in the island now stands at 21, after two more persons were confirmed with the virus in Kingston and St. Catherine. The Ministry of Health has informed that the infected person in St. Catherine had travelled recently and may have contracted the virus overseas. However, it is still carrying out investigations in relation...

Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has said that global occurrences, such as the spread of the Influenza A H1N1 and the current recession, are "threatening health gains and undermining future investments in health." The Minister was speaking on June 25 at the Ministry's first national performance review for 2009/2010, at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. The review is one of...

Many people owe their lives to some persons they know and some they will never meet, who have donated that precious gift of blood to save other people's lives. This is the story of well-known Constabulary Communications Network's (CCN) Liaison Officer for St. James, Corporal Peter Salkey, who was shot by thugs and left to die. On the night of...

The Government is to set up a multi-sectoral committee, to handle all issues related to the outbreak of the H1N1 virus in the island. The committee will comprise the Chief Technical Officers in the Ministries of Health, Education, Agriculture and Fisheries, Tourism, and Information. Making the announcement at Wednesday (June 24) the post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Minister without...

Minster of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has assured the nation that the Ministry is managing the Influenza A H1N1Virus situation, and there is no need for panic. He said that the Ministry will continue to release information on a timely basis, as it seeks to control the spread of the virus in Jamaica. "The virus is a public health threat...

The Ministry of Health is advising members of the public who have flu like symptoms to stay home and take regular influenza medication until they are well. If symptoms persist or get worse or if you are experiencing severe symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, or difficulty breathing, you should visit your doctor, health centre or hospital immediately. Persons are being advised...

Marketing and Planning Manager of the Registrar General's Department (RGD), Nicole Robinson, is commending responsible Jamaican fathers who ensure that their particulars are added to their children's birth certificates. "Up to 2006, only 35 per cent of the children being registered had their fathers' particulars added to their birth records. However, this figure has increased to 66 per cent since...

The Ministry of Health's store of anti-viral medication for the H1N1 Virus has been bolstered with the donation of 3,000 treatment courses of Tamiflu by the Mexican Government. Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, received the donation on Friday June 19, at his downtown Kingston office. Earlier this month, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) made a similar donation, providing...

American Internal Medicine Specialist, Dr. Dwight Blake, is praising the high quality of care being provided for patients suffering from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes. The doctor, who is part of a health mission from Atlanta to Montego Bay, St. James, said that the level and quality of treatment was "on par" and "comparable" with most international medical standards. He...