Seventy-eight retirees were honoured by the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) at its annual retirement luncheon, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James, on March 16. Guest Speaker and former Director of Human Resources, Coleen Ricketts-Evans, told the retirees not to look at life as an end-of-the road ordeal but rather to take pride in the rich legacies...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has received sanitisation and personal protective equipment, valued more than $8.6 million, from the Jamaica Red Cross. The items include 16 sanitiser stations for distribution across the regional health authorities, more than 13,000 surgical gowns, and 6,000 face shields along with facial masks. The provision was facilitated through the International Federation of the Red...

The St. James Health Department has extended its ‘mop up/catch up’ campaign until August 2023 as the Ministry of Health and Wellness moves to get more children immunised. Addressing the regular monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation on March 9, Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for the parish, Dr. Tanique Bailey-Small, said the campaign aims to get children...

Persons with a family history of glaucoma are at high risk for the condition and should prioritise early screening, says Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St. James, Dr. Valence Jordan. Speaking during a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’, Dr. Jordan said these persons should, ideally, get screened five to 10 years before the age...

Citizens of Westmoreland are being encouraged to take the COVID-19 shot as unvaccinated persons are still being hospitalised with the illness. The advice came from Medical Officer of Health for the parish, Dr. Marcia Graham, during the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation held in Savanna-la-Mar on March 9. “Since February 1, we have had 10 suspected deaths that...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness’ ‘Adopt-a-Clinic’ initiative continues to expand in St. James, with the Montego Bay Comprehensive Health Centre (Type Five) next in line for the philanthropic programme. The Adopt-a-Clinic programme seeks to proactively leverage the support of the Jamaican private sector and diaspora to play a more critical role in improving the primary healthcare system. Health and...

A new $29 million energy-efficient boiler system has been installed at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital in Westmoreland. The new Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)-powered facility and boiler room were officially commissioned into service by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, during a ceremony on Friday (March 10). The project was funded by the Ministry in collaboration with...