More than 371,000 Jamaicans will have access to expanded benefits, following changes to the national programmes administered by the National Health Fund (NHF). The changes, including the addition of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test to the NHF Card Programme, are estimated to cost approximately $516.59 million per annum and are scheduled to become effective by the end of February...

The St. James Public Health Department is imploring consumers to be extra careful when purchasing meat during the Christmas season. Addressing the monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation on December 8, Acting Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish, Sherika Lewis, said that shoppers should ensure that meats are purchased from a licensed butcher and are inspected and...

The National Council on Drug Abuse (NCDA) is warning of the adverse effects of drug use on the brain, especially in young people. Research Analyst at the NCDA, Uki Atkinson said global findings indicate that youth, who engage in substance abuse, develop several impairments including challenges with the brain, and other health issues. “That period of development is very special…brain...

Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, is reminding that persons are still being impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19), and caution and vaccination are crucial. The State Minister said since the virus was discovered in Jamaica in March 2020, 717,212 persons have received a first dose; 616,974 received a second dose; 124,397 received the...

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) will host the second in a series of workshops dealing with issues relating to bullying, on Monday, December 12. The theme of the workshop is ‘Victims to Systems, Consequences of Bullying and Cyberbullying’. Research and Development Manager at the CPFSA, Gleasia Reid Smith, told JIS News that the objective of this second...

Jamaicans are being encouraged to take the necessary safeguards to avoid contracting dengue fever. This urging comes from Medical Officer of Health, St. Elizabeth Health Services, Dr. Tonia Dawkins-Beharie, who implored persons not to become complacent in the fight against the disease. She was addressing the monthly meeting of the St. Elizabeth Municipal Corporation in Black River, on Thursday (December...

The Kingston Public and Annotto Bay Hospitals will be retrofitted with the infrastructure required to better support oxygen delivery to patients who use the facilities, through a US$2-million project. The project, which will provide lifesaving oxygen to the bedsides of patients in need of respiratory support, is being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented...