MPs to Get $189 Million for Health Screenings, Improvement to Clinics

Members of Parliament (MPs) are to benefit from a $189-million allocation to undertake health screenings and to carry out improvements at a health centre in their constituencies.

Of the sum, they will receive $1 million each to host at least two health fairs over the next two to three months.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, made the announcement in the House of Representatives on July 4.

The initiative is part of the Ministry’s national health-screening intervention, #KnowYourNumbers.

The four critical tests to be undertaken at the health fairs include blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, and blood-sugar checks.

“One could be a back-to-school health fair, but the other we would want to see addressing the older, post high-school population. Once persons have been tested… we will take additional steps to provide counselling and support to these persons,” Dr. Tufton said.

“If [persons) are in good stead, encouragement will be provided for them to stay that way, and if they are not, they will receive support through the health system starting with the health centres in the community, and if necessary, elevate to hospital care to allow persons the opportunity to correct any challenges that they face,” he noted.

Based on statistics, one in three Jamaicans has hypertension and one in eight has diabetes. In addition, one in two persons is overweight or obese, which is a modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The Government is also providing MPs with an additional $2 million each to see to improvements at one of their local health centres.

“We have 325 community healthcare centres throughout the country. One of the challenges is that people bypass our health centres and go to the hospitals because they perceive rightfully or wrongly that they will get more attention in the hospitals, and a result of that is overcrowding,” Dr. Tufton said.

He encouraged the MPs to work with the regional health authorities to identify, based on a needs assessment, that primary healthcare facility that is most in need of basic support.

The Minister further urged MPs to allocate $500,000 (of the $2 million) “to doing a third #KnowYourNumbers activity around that particular heath centre during that period of three months”.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has already made #KnowYourNumbers stops in Clarendon and St. Mary to benefit more than 400 individuals.

Some 320 persons were reached in Clarendon where, overall, 600 blood pressure, body mass index and blood sugar checks were done, with more than 80 dental exams and 85 HIV tests.

Dr. Tufton said that approximately 38 eye exams were also done in the parish.