The Government is intensifying efforts to modernise primary healthcare facilities across western Jamaica, through the continued rollout of its Operation Refresh programme. The initiative aims to enhance the look, feel and utility of selected health centres across the country. Speaking at a press briefing held at S Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James, on October 9, Health and Wellness Minister,...

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, is appealing to family members not to abandon their homeless relatives on the streets. “We can build more Desmond McKenzie Transitional Centres, we can build more night shelters, but we have to start now to build a culture of personal responsibility where people take responsibility for their loved ones and...

Homeless persons in Clarendon were treated to meals, care packages, health screenings and other social services by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, in collaboration with the Clarendon Municipal Corporation, in observance of World Homeless Day. World Homeless Day (October 10) was observed in Jamaica under the theme ‘Bridging Gaps in Homelessness: Connecting Persons to Services and Community...

The Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Adopt-a-Clinic Programme recently received a renewed boost with the announcement by President of the RalRosa Foundation, Dr. Jacqueline Watson, that her organisation would extend its adoption of the Golden Spring Health Centre in St. Andrew for an additional three years. Speaking during a reception hosted by the Foundation in honour of Jamaica’s Ambassador to...

Due to stigma surrounding mental health challenges, men often wait to seek help until their situation gets critical, a delay that sometimes has tragic consequences. Consultant Psychiatrist at Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Bridget Opiavbe, is encouraging men that they do not have to suffer in silence. “The general truth is men tend to have poorer health-seeking behaviours. They have the belief...

School children who might be experiencing distress and suicidal feelings are being urged to seek help, as resource persons are available to assist them. According to National Tourism Champion, Kayda Lee McLean, a student at the St. Catherine-based Charlemont High School, responsible adults are in the communities and at schools, and “when young people reach that limit, they can go...

Consultant Psychiatrist at Bellevue Hospital in Kingston, Dr. Bridget Opiavbe, is reminding the public that individuals struggling with suicidal thoughts can receive effective treatment and that recovery is possible. She further emphasises that seeking help for suicidal ideation – defined as thoughts of death or suicide, or suicidal intent, which involves a desire or plan to act on those thoughts,...