Private sector urged to help Ja'sailing health sector

The Medical Association of Jamaica (MAJ) has called on businesses to chip in and inject much-needed funds into the island's health facilities.

Speaking at a press conference Thursday at the MAJ office to announce the association's annual symposium, which will run from June 10-13, MAJ President Winston De La Haye urged all stakeholders to start the "healing of the nation".

De La Haye said efficient health-care delivery was being compromised by funding shortages and that his association would aggressively lobby the Government and private sector for more help.

He said the symposium would provide opportunities to identify challenges that health professionals faced daily and craft solutions.

Dr Shane Alexis, president of the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association which represents junior physicians, outlined the connection between a poor health-care system and increased delinquency.

"We need to start challenging the private sector to get on board with health-care programmes in the same way that they assist in intervention programmes like Crime Stop," he said.

"The connection between drug abuse and delinquent behaviour is undeniable. We have to look at how health care contributes to positive lifestyle decisions, as only in those positive decisions can we reduce delinquent behaviour."

In outlining some of the problems affecting public-health facilities, Alexis said the increased number of patients - attributable to the abandonment of user fees - and staff and resource limitations have placed extra burden on the system.

The symposium will comprise an ethics seminar and interactive workshops.