More NHF subsidy for cancer, other diseases
Published:Tuesday | October 24, 2023 | 5:30 PM
More Jamaicans with cancer, Parkinson's disease, and thyroid disease are to benefit from help from the Government to pay for prescription drugs through the National Health Fund (NHF).
Beginning today, the NHF is providing increased support for colorectal cancer, lung cancer, multiple myeloma, Parkinson's disease, and thyroid disease.
Some 47,000 Jamaicans are to benefit.
It will cost the government an estimated $450 million in additional subsidy, said Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, who was speaking during a press conference on October 24 at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston, where the increased support was announced.
The NHF provides, through its Individual Benefits Programme, subsidies for three main categories of benefits for Jamaican residents who are enrolled in the programme, where they obtain medications to treat and manage 17 chronic diseases, medical supplies and devices for diabetes and asthma, and diagnostic tests for three conditions.
More than 350,000 persons actively rely on the programme for care.
The additional benefits result from beneficiaries' feedback, after the NHF embarked on a review.
With the addition of the five conditions, 10 new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are now available to the NHF to provide coverage for persons under the Benefits Programme.
Meanwhile, Tufton noted that cancer is a major health concern in Jamaica and that screening must become a norm for the population.
He pointed out that among the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the illness is the second leading cause of death in Jamaica.
“We have to get Jamaicans to recognise that… going to the doctor to get a 'check-up' is not to be feared. It is supposed to be viewed as a lifesaving activity, because early detection means longevity of life,” the health minister said.
- JIS News
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