Health Ministry Allocates $500 Million to Each RHA

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has allocated $500 million to each of the four Regional Health Authorities (RHAs), for infrastructure improvement and equipment replacement.

Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, who made the disclosure on August 15, at a Service Level Agreement and Medical Equipment Maintenance Policy signing ceremony, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in New Kingston, said the funds are earmarked for two health facilities per Region, one primary and one secondary.

“We are not only giving you a policy; we are giving you the resources to start the process, signalling our intention to ensure that with the agreement comes resources to act deliberately for the maintenance of the equipment,” the Minister said.

Dr. Tufton said the maintenance agreement, which was signed by the Heads of the four RHAs and the Ministry, is part of measures to minimise the downtime of operations in the public health system, due to defective machines and air-conditioning units.

He emphasised that as the Government expands health facilities, this must be accompanied with what is necessary to ensure “a total life-cycle philosophy,” where “everything that we put in place for public health, it must have an expected lifecycle performance, and it must be maintained, and this is what the policy is”.

Dr. Tufton added that this development is significant, as it will allow each Region the ability to jump-start the implementation of the policy, which will then aid in further improving health service delivery, which is at the core of everything that the Ministry does.

The aim of the agreement is to ensure a balanced provision of quality services within the context of available resources to the residents and referred population in each Region.

The policy for the maintenance of medical equipment at all health facilities across the island is now with the Regions.

It was developed in accordance with the Strategic outcomes of Goal 6 of the Ministry’s Vision for Health 2030 Plan, which outlines the provision of the overarching framework for the development of operating/preventive maintenance/replacement procedures, which, when implemented, will ensure that the established equipment performance standards are consistently achieved.

The four RHAs have responsibility for the operations of the parish health departments, hospitals, and health centres across the island.