Jamaicans Must Understand the Primary Healthcare System – Dr. Tufton

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says it is important for Jamaicans to understand the primary healthcare system and use it correctly.

Speaking at a ceremony on June 17 marking the adoption of the Seaforth Health Centre in St. Thomas by the Seprod Foundation and Canco Ltd., which operates under the Linstead Market brand, the Minister said that persons should ensure that they utilise the services of health centres and do their check-ups once per year, to make sure that things are in order.

“We only go to doctor when we are sick, and although that’s our tradition, that’s not really how it’s supposed to go. You must go to the doctor to get a status report,” he emphasised.

The Minister argued that too often “when we talk about healthcare, we only focus on the big buildings and the big hospitals… not enough times do we talk about the importance of community-based healthcare and it is perhaps the most fundamental healthcare, because that’s where it all starts”.

Dr. Tufton pointed out that by the time someone gets to the hospital, it is about curing, adding that community healthcare is about prevention for the most part.

He said that shortly after becoming Minister he began looking at the landscape at some of the policy decisions that needed to support the public health buildout.

The Minister pointed out that it is key for the Jamaican public to have an appreciation for primary healthcare and that the Adopt-a-Clinic programme is helpful in this regard.

“These ceremonies bring to communities across Jamaica the importance of primary healthcare, people-centred healthcare, when you take your best practices, using the public health nurse, the supporting cast, the doctors, into the communities and really integrate yourselves into the communities in a way that helps to promote health-seeking behaviour,” he said.

“We need to lend greater recognition and importance to our community health services… so we use these gatherings to say we appreciate those who make the sacrifices each day at the level of the health centres, going out into the communities, visiting the people at their homes, responding to them when they come in on clinic days,” the Minister added.

He said that the Adopt-a-Clinic programme is also intended to mobilise community participation and engagement in primary healthcare administration.

Dr.  Tufton stressed that persons should see the health centre in their area as an important part of the fabric of the community and not just a place to go to when they are in a crisis.