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Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer said that poor Jamaicans who use the public health facilities have saved over $1 billion since the abolition of user fees. "This policy has increased the disposable income of Jamaicans and has removed a major impediment to access to health care for poor people", Minister Spencer noted. He was responding to statements carried in the...

The St. Ann Health Department will be conducting a comprehensive Rodent Control Programme, in several communities in St. Ann's Bay, St. Ann, due to rat infestation. Public Health Inspector in charge of Vector Control Programmes in the parish, Mark Miller, told JIS News, that the programme would seek to complement the routine vector control services that are currently being carried...

The local health care sector is set to benefit from donations of hospital supplies, as well as opportunities for training medical personnel, as a result of the Third Annual Advancements in Medicine Conference, which opens at the University of the West Indies(UWI), Mona, on Monday(Feb 23). Dr. Sonia Copeland, Acting Director, Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health and a...

Over 300 participants are expected to attend the Third Annual Advancements in Medicine Conference, which will bring together health care professionals from the Caribbean, Canada, the United States of America and the wider Diaspora, as they seek to discuss cutting edge research findings and changes in the medical field. Under the theme: 'Transforming Research into Policy and Practice', the six-day...

Chief Justice Zaila McCalla was released from the Tony Thwaites Wing of the University Hospital of the West Indies, yesterday, after completing a series of tests. Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports(MICYS), the Hon. Olivia Grange, confirmed last night that the Chief Justice had completed the tests and was discharged from the hospital. The Minister had reported Wednesday that...

Residents of Spanish Town and surrounding communities are to benefit from the newly refurbished 'King of Spain Wing' at the Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine. His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain unveiled a plaque to officially open the wing during a tour of the facility today (Feb.18). The facility was rehabilitated through a grant assistance of US$500,000...

Residents of the fishing community along Port Henderson Road in Portmore, popularly called 'Back Road', recently benefited from a family life education seminar, where they were sensitised about the Child Care and Protection Act and how to prevent the spread of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. The seminar, held at the Port Henderson Church of God, was organised by...

A healthy lifestyles programme, titled 'Live Life', which seeks to promote the increased intake of fruits and vegetables in one's diet, was officially launched today (February 18), at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus. The programme, designed by the Master of Public Health (MPH) Class of 2009, will last for three months, and is an adaptation of...

Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Environment, Dr. Sheila Campbell-Forrester, has said that the Schools Blood Drive Competition will be a critical component in promoting the habit of voluntary blood donation among persons aged 17 years and older. "In targeting young people, we are trying to have a consistent source of blood donors," Dr. Campbell-Forrester said during...

The National Chest Hospital in Kingston has benefitted from some $60 million in equipment and renovations, said Health and Environment Minister, Rudyard Spencer. Speaking at a media briefing at the Ministry's downtown Kingston offices on February 13, Mr. Spencer informed that the improvements to the building and the procurement of equipment were consequent on recommendations made by a special committee,...

Minister of Health and Environment, Rudyard Spencer, has announced the suspension of the Geographical Private Practice Privilege(GPPP) for consultant medical doctors at the National Chest Hospital, in Kingston. This provision allows consultant medical practitioners, engaged in both public and private practice, to utilize the hospital's equipment to administer health care to their private patients, for fees separate from those charged...

A Schools Blood Drive Competition was officially launched yesterday (Feb. 11) at the Ministry of Health and Environment, King Street, downtown Kingston. The competition is aimed at the development of a culture of voluntary blood donation, by promoting the practice among young people, and is open to all schools in Jamaica. The theme is, 'Students Save Lives Too...As Voluntary Blood...