NewzKINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has emphasised the importance of continued investment in both healthcare infrastructure and the professionals who deliver care across the health sector. “There is obviously a lot to do in healthcare in Jamaica,” Holness said. “It’s one of the, what you call, the pain points that the Government has to pay critical attention to.
“I track all the issues in healthcare, and the Government of Jamaica… for more than 30 years, was not able to invest in the infrastructure of health and, indeed, the human resources of healthcare.” “That meant that this significant disinvestment led to a falloff in the capability and quality of service that is being delivered,” he added. “So, you would hear now quite a bit of complaints of, not just the capacity to treat…; you’re also now hearing about the care in healthcare, and that is a big issue. “So, there are a lot of complaints about waiting time, how patients are treated by health professionals, and it is a reflection of many decades of disinvestment in healthcare.” The prime minister was speaking on September 2 during a courtesy call with two perfusionists, Faith Johnson and Moses Linton, who received scholarships from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund to pursue Master of Science degrees in Cardiovascular Perfusion at the University of Bristol in England.
Holness pointed out that the Government is now in a position to make significant investments in healthcare, citing the redevelopment of Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine as one example of its commitment to strengthening the sector. “Spanish Town Hospital… built many decades ago… simply cannot carry the load that it is being required to carry now; so, we’re building a new wing there,” he said. “But it’s not just the Spanish Town Hospital… .
We’re making capital investment in healthcare right across Jamaica.” “CHASE has been a solid partner in this investment in the capital of health,” Holness added. “So, I know they have invested in an oncology suite, they have invested in eyecare and in other areas of healthcare. “But now we are guiding them through policy to focus on supporting the development of the human resources in health so that the care in healthcare can be returned.” The prime minister further noted that “within the next two to three years, you're going to see a change in the delivery an…
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