Jamaicans urged to take personal responsibility for health and wellness

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said discussions surrounding the challenges impacting personal health and wellness must focus on the root cause with a view to decisively addressing these factors.

"It must be about how we take responsibility for ourselves, our brothers, sisters, communities and our families," he emphasised.

The minister was speaking at last Thursday's presentation of medical equipment and supplies, valued US$40,000, to the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon by bauxite company JAMALCO.

Tufton noted that last year, there was a seven per cent decline in accident and emergency ward admissions and a 20 per cent increase in the number of individuals visiting health centres, citing this as a shift in persons' focus from curative to preventative healthcare.

The minister said he is encouraged by this as such a shift would mean that Jamaicans are recognising their role in the general thrust of safeguarding their health and wellness as also opting for preventative measures, which he contended would yield significant long-term dividends.

Against this background, Tufton encouraged persons to take responsibility for their personal health and well-being.

Speak out against negative behaviour

He also urged well-thinking Jamaicans to speak out against pervasive negative behaviour impacting the society that continues to result in tragedies that place a heavy toll on the country's health resources.

"If we ignore the consequences of our aggression as a society, there is no minister or government that is going to be in a position to [effectively] respond to a situation [like] that," Dr Tufton contended.

Meanwhile, JAMALCO's managing director, Austin Mooney, welcomed the opportunity afforded the company to partner with the health ministry, the Southern Regional Health Authority, and associated stakeholders in Manchester and Clarendon which, among other things, facilitated the firm's donation to the May Pen Hospital.

The provisions included hand drills, emergency patient stretcher trolleys, four orthopaedic beds and mattresses, 31 pieces of orthopaedic equipment and accompanying accessories, and two pelvic-reduction clamps.

These are among expenditure totalling US$80,000 made since 2016 to provide the hospital with wide-ranging inputs.

The Noble Foundation has, over the past four years, provided approximately J$28 million in funding support to help strengthen the healthcare system and raise the operational standards of several medical facilities across central Jamaica.