Jamaica"s health sector a national emergency, doctors say

Tuesday, January 06, 2015 | 10:29 AM    

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) says it is urging the ministries of Health and Finance to jointly consult with public and private stakeholders on how to effectively and sustainably address issues affecting the nation’s health sector.

“The provision of good health care should be viewed by the Government as an investment in our citizens towards increased productivity and not simply a cost to the country,” the MAJ said in a statement in reference to two articles published by the Jamaica Observer on the 4th and 5th of January 2015 regarding the continued depressed state of public hospitals in Jamaica.

“The Medical Association of Jamaica has again noted and remains extremely concerned with these reports on the state of the country’s public hospitals.

“These stories have once again highlighted the sad and unacceptable circumstances under which patients and their relatives must access their care. This is compounded by the frustrating and demoralising conditions in which Health Professionals often provide this essential service,” the statement read.

The MAJ described the state of the health sector as a “national emergency” and said that the chronic underfunding and delayed reform of the public health sector in Jamaica is negatively affecting the outcomes of patients.

The doctors added that the personal and financial costs to patients and their families for delays, complications, pain and suffering will soon be incalculable.

“We hope that some significant improvements in the budgetary allocation to the sector will be made for the upcoming financial year (2015/16). Jamaica’s budget for public health service must be based on the health realities facing the country at this time.”

The association said that hospitals and health centres cannot function effectively or efficiently without the concomitant investment in the sector.

“We believe that the country’s stakeholders must act together and quickly to safeguard the health of our citizens. A collective and collaborative approach in addressing this challenge is the first step of many in achieving health sector reform and the sustainable financing of public health services in Jamaica.”

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Jamaica"s health sector a national emergency, doctors say

NWC activates emergency measures

The National Water Commission (NWC) has activated what could be considered as emergency measures, to address the dwindling supplies in the corporate area catchment facilities.

The commission had previously stated that roughly one month’s supply of water is left in these facilities.
Corporate Public Relations Manager at the NWC Charles Buchanan says further restrictions are almost a certainty, but this will be combined with other strategies.

“We are going to be putting in place other measures for example to move water from other systems that are not being affected. Most of our underground water facilities are doing very well, so NWC is putting in place a number of different things  – in terms of transferring water among its systems,” Buchanan said.

The country has been facing severe drought conditions for the past several months and according to reports from the National Meteorological service, the situation could remain the same in the coming weeks.

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NWC activates emergency measures

Doctors performing only emergency procedures at Barbados public hospital

Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados (File photo)

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Tuesday July 8, 2014, CMC - Doctors at Barbados’ main public medical facility, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), are from Tuesday performing only emergency medical procedures, owing to a shortage of supplies.

Vice President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr Vikash Chatrani, said the decision to adopt the new working schedule at an emergency meeting of BAMP members on Monday.

He said that representatives of the QEH’s administration were in attendance and confirmed that the hospital was experiencing critical shortages in basic and essential supplies.

“As a result of these critical shortages BAMP was informed that the QEH would only be performing urgent and emergency surgical procedures.”

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Earlier this year, pharmaceutical providers to QEH had withdrawn their services, protesting overdue payment for goods delivered, and resumed supplies only after government paid BDS$20 million (One BDS$ = 50 US cents) into the debt account.

“It cannot be business as usual. We believe that the short-term financial injections (or) supplements have failed to rectify the serious situation that exists at the QEH, and we urge the government to immediately restore adequate levels of funding in order to prevent harm to our patients,” Dr. Chatrani said.

The government has not yet responded to the lastest action of the doctors.

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Doctors performing only emergency procedures at Barbados public hospital

Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:02 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has called an emergency stakeholders meeting for 3:00pm today (Monday, December 30) to discuss security arrangements at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). Dr Ferguson will meet with representatives of the Nurses Association (NAJ), the Medical Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association along with representatives of the South East Regional Health Authority, the ministry said in a ststement. This meeting follows recent reports of robberies and concerns about a lack of security at the Caribbean’s largest hospital. Dr Ferguson says he has already commenced discussions with Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and so far the response regarding improved security at the hospital has been favourableAccording to reports the KPH and its environs have seen an alarming rise in incidents of robbery of staff members, particularly nurses. The NAJ has condemned the attacks while urging all “well-thinking Jamaicans to join in the repudiation of that type of behaviour”.        

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Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

Latest News

Monday, December 30, 2013 | 3:02 PM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Health Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has called an emergency stakeholders meeting for 3:00pm today (Monday, December 30) to discuss security arrangements at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). Dr Ferguson will meet with representatives of the Nurses Association (NAJ), the Medical Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Medical Doctors Association along with representatives of the South East Regional Health Authority, the ministry said in a ststement. This meeting follows recent reports of robberies and concerns about a lack of security at the Caribbean’s largest hospital. Dr Ferguson says he has already commenced discussions with Police Commissioner Owen Ellington and so far the response regarding improved security at the hospital has been favourableAccording to reports the KPH and its environs have seen an alarming rise in incidents of robbery of staff members, particularly nurses. The NAJ has condemned the attacks while urging all “well-thinking Jamaicans to join in the repudiation of that type of behaviour”.        Like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserver

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2. Please understand that comments are moderated and it is not always possible to publish all that have been submitted. We will, however, try to publish comments that are representative of all received.

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Minister calls emergency security talks at KPH

Snow emergency extended in Peru

31 August 2013 Last updated at 20:16 ET An unusual cold spell has hit Peru and its neighbour Bolivia as well as Paraguay The Peruvian government has extended to nine more regions a state of emergency called to cope with unusually cold weather and heavy snowfall.

At least two people have died and 33,000 others have been affected by the cold spell, local officials say.

Tens of thousands of animals have frozen to death over the past week.

President Ollanta Humala has travelled to Apurimac, one of the worst-hit areas, to oversee the distribution of emergency aid.

The state of emergency would be in place for 20 days, an official statement said.

The heaviest snow fall to hit Peru in a decade has killed tens of thousands of llamas, alpacas, cattle and sheep, and left farmers destitute.

A man died when the roof of his hut caved in under the weight of the snow in southern Carabaya province but the circumstances of the second death were unclear.

Three people were rescued on Saturday from the same region after their home was cut off by snow.

Rescue workers said the three, two girls and an elderly woman, were suffering from frostbite and snow blindness.

The cold front has also hit Peru’s south-eastern neighbour, Bolivia, and Paraguay, where a combined total of five people have died.

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Snow emergency extended in Peru