Health Ministry Developing New Primary Care Model

The Ministry of Health and Wellness is developing a new Primary Care Model that will address the inadequate integration and standardisation of primary and secondary health services delivery within all four health regions.

This was disclosed by Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, during his contribution to the 2019/20 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 7.

The Primary Care Model establishes three levels of health centres – community, district and comprehensive – and defines the scope of services that will be provided in each.

“Phase one will see the redesignation of 127 health centres into the three named categories and the expansion of services islandwide,” Dr. Tufton said.

He noted that there are plans, too, to increase the number of doctors in primary care.

“The expansion of the Senior House Officer programme is being investigated to retain the additional physicians for an additional year, post internship. This would ensure that we would be able to add an additional 100 doctors to primary healthcare,” Dr. Tufton noted.

Primary care or care through clinics and community health centres is the first point of contact with citizens seeking medical care.

Based on the existing structure, 52 per cent of existing primary care facilities provide treatment or curative services, and only 18 per cent offer this service daily.