Steps being taken to enhance health sector resilience -Tufton

Two years to the date when the first COVID-19 case was recorded in Jamaica, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, on Thursday highlighted gains in the sector and the steps to be taken to make it more resilient. 

The health ministry made significant investment in GIS technology and are now able to chart and geo-locate the prevalence of disease in Jamaica as well as analyse real-time data on bed occupancy, among other things. 

Infrastructure was also improved with the construction of two wards at St Joseph's Hospital and the Falmouth Hospital. 

Several hospitals were also piped to ensure safe, efficient and reliable delivery of oxygen to patients.

The health ministry also established 230 new posts for medical officers and over 1,400 posts for community health aides.

“Over the two years of the pandemic, more than 700 nurses migrated for better-paying jobs abroad, and as the pandemic subsides and the short-term economic shock takes hold, we will have a stronger migration pull factor on nurses as well as other health professionals,” the health minister said in a statement to Parliament.

More than 2,800 Jamaicans have died from COVID-19. 

“It is to be noted also that there are others who now suffer the lingering effects of COVID-19. Persons who suffer from fatigue, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, persistent cough, memory loss, concentration challenges, sleep problems, depression, and anxiety. These clinical presentations of long COVID will occupy our efforts for some time to come,” Tufton said. 

Tufton outlined three main actions that must be taken to build resilience in health, the first being building a cadre of health workers that is customer-centric.

“We must find opportunities to inculcate more values and systems that allow our people to feel that they are being served in a manner that does not rob them of their humanity nor deprive them of decency,” he said. 

The health minister said significant improvements must also be made in all aspects of the health infrastructure. 

Within the Vision for Health 10-year strategic plan, the ministry will be rehabilitating, expanding and constructing facilities in all parishes across the island. 

Tufton said the experiences over the last few years have shown that without proper maintenance of infrastructure, these investments cannot be sustained or create the resilience required.

“Our new models must develop public-private partnerships that support leasing arrangements, build-own-and-operate arrangements, as well as partnerships that will allow cross transfer of technical skills and know-how to increase patient care and access to health services,” the health and wellness minister said. 

Tufton said investment in health promotion and prevention and improving health seeking behaviours to reduce the impact of non-communicable diseases is also key to resilience. 

The health minister said 75 percent of persons who were hospitalised with COVID-19 had comorbid conditions and over 80 percent of persons who died, suffered from these conditions.
“Preemptive action can not only save lives but can also increase the viability of the entire country and improve our resistance to future health shocks,” Tufton remarked. 

- Judana Murphy

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