NHF Spends Close to $1B on new Health Projects

During the 2009/10 financial year, 44 new projects valued at just under $1 billion were approved by the National Health Fund (NHF), Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, told the House of Representatives, Tuesday (September 21).
Mr. Spencer said the total sum of approximately $921 million, included $127 million in assistance to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for 20 projects.
The Minister was opening the second segment of the 2010/11 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, Tuesday (September 21). The theme of his presentation was “Positioning for Growth: The National Health Agenda”.
He told the House that there was an overall 12 per cent increase, or 49,419 in enrolment of new beneficiaries with the NHF during the period. Thirty two thousand, three hundred and ninety enrolled for the NHF Card for all ages, and 17,029 for the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly (JADEP) Card, for persons 60 years and over.
He added that overall enrolment, since the inception of the NHF, now stands at 454,034 beneficiaries, and approximately 2.2 million claims were filled for NHF beneficiaries and $2 billion paid to participating pharmacies for these claims.
“We are exploring the addition of certain drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, because of the increasing number of our elderly who are presenting with this condition,” the Minister told the House.