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Ground has been broken for a new accident and emergency ward at the Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth. Minister of Health, John Junor, speaking recently at the official ceremony, noted that the project was expected to cost some $39 million. He pointed out that the Health Support Fund (HSF), in collaboration with the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), would...

Acting Director of Nutrition in the Ministry of Health, Sharmaine Edwards, has urged parents to foster healthy eating habits in their children, to encourage them to practice good nutrition as they grow older and avoid the hazards of unhealthy eating such as obesity. "Obesity will cause a child to become lethargic, develop a negative body image, low self-esteem and it...

As the start of the 2004/05 school year approaches, the Ministry of Health has stepped up its immunization drive and is encouraging parents to ensure that their children are fully immunized before sending them out to school. In an interview with JIS News, Dr. Christine Hammond-Gabbadon, Acting Director of the Family Health Services Unit in the Ministry, explained that under...

As the 2004 hurricane season progresses, the Ministry of Health is advising persons who store water for domestic use, to ensure that supplies are safe for drinking and preparing food. The caution is especially directed at residents of the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Manchester, who experienced flooding during the recent passing of Hurricane Charley. The Ministry's Environmental Health Unit...

Hospital administrators are encouraging members of the public to pay user fees for services provided, noting that the charges were important in maintaining the network of public health facilities across the island. Everton Anderson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St. James, told JIS News that user fees have become a critical part of the...

A mobile wellness clinic, which was implemented by the Clarendon Health Department as part of its wellness programme, has now extended its services to the parish of St. Catherine. Parish Manager for the Clarendon Health Department, Michael Bent, told JIS News that the clinic began visiting St. Catherine in April this year, and to date at least six visits have...

The Clarendon Health Department has undertaken a fee collection drive for all the health facilities in the parish, in an effort to recover outstanding amounts for services offered. Michael Bent, Parish Manager for the Department told JIS News that the collected funds would be used to offset the expenses of the health services as well as to improve the quality...

The Ministry of Health has received a donation of supplies from the National Health Fund (NHF) to support its annual 'Back to School Immunization' campaign. The donation comprises 60 new igloos to store vaccines and 10,000 pens and 20,000 pencils as promotional items for children who receive vaccination during the one-week immunization drive from August 16 to 20. Chairman of...

Come either October or November of this year, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus is all set to offer a telemedicine certification programme for persons working in the country's health and allied sectors. It is expected that 2,000 persons will register for this newly introduced course of study, and according to Dr. Winston Davidson, Head of the...

A paediatric patient in Mandeville is being examined by a doctor who is in Montego Bay. Meanwhile, in upper St. Andrew, a 76-year old hypertensive man is receiving his monthly check-up at home. But, his doctor is in an office somewhere downtown Kingston. These cases, though fictitious, offer examples of telemedicine, which has emerged as the new paradigm in health...

When the legislative process is completed and the Pesticides (Amendment) Regulation 2004 takes effect, the legislation is expected to provide strong support for the activities of the committee established by the Pesticide Control Authority (PCA). The newly formed committee will monitor the levels of pesticide residue on local foods as well as the environment and its effect on human health....

The Pesticides Control Authority (PCA) in its thrust to promote the proper use of pesticides on agricultural produce is currently targeting farmers, in order to reduce the level of pesticide residue on food. In a presentation at the weekly JIS Think Tank, Hyacinth Chin Sue, Registrar of the PCA said that the time had come when farmers needed to understand...