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Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton is hoping the problem-plagued Cornwall Regional Hospital will be able to accept patients, on a limited basis, by December.

HE Government has announced changes to the National Health Fund's (NHF) Individual Benefits Programme which will see higher subsidies, an increase to the Jamaica Drug for the Elderly Programme (JADEP) drug list, and the addition of the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test.

Wednesday, 14 December 2022 14:14

WHO eyes end to COVID and Mpox emergencies in 2023

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GENEVA, Switzerland, (AFP) — The World Health Organization said Wednesday it hopes that COVID-19 and Mpox will no longer be public health emergencies in 2023 as both diseases end their most dangerous phase.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by the Hartford Healthcare Corporation (HHC) and the Government of Jamaica, through the Ministry of Health and Wellness, to promote academic and professional exchanges for the improvement of healthcare on the island. Hartford has agreed to host a team from The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus Faculty of Medical Sciences on December 6 and 7 in part due to this and its collaboration with the Jamaican Consulate General, New York.

 

The UWI team will have the chance to tour the institution's Centre for Education, Simulation, and Innovation during their visit. This cutting-edge medical training facility offers medical students, faculty, and other healthcare professionals remote access, in-person capacity building, as well as ongoing education. HHC will livestream a session to Jamaica as a unique feature of this trip where UWI's medical staff and students will be able to take part in a demonstration.

According to Consul General Alison Wilson, "This is unquestionably a significant step in the right direction. I am exceedingly pleased with the immediate response from my dear friends and partners at Hartford Healthcare, including the CEO Mr. Jeffery Flaks and his Vice President of Operations, Mr. Keith Grant, which started with our call for action in support of our Jamaican medical students". 

The Consul General also took advantage of the occasion to express her appreciation to Hartford Healthcare once more for upholding their end of the bargain. This occurs soon after the institution helped fund the purchase of 26 oxygen concentrators that were sent to Jamaica last month.

 

The opposition People’s National Party, PNP, is expressing concern about what they say is the deteriorating infrastructure and patient care services at the nation’s public health facilities.

Thursday, 01 December 2022 13:32

Long way to go for Jamaica to end AIDS discrimination

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Much progress has been made towards the goal of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030, but the virus remains an epidemic made worse by the many gaps, such as social barriers created as a result of stigma and discrimination against persons living with and affected by HIV.

Wednesday, 30 November 2022 13:26

Concern over slow take-up of HIV pre-exposure drug

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As the world celebrates World AIDS Day, concerns are growing over the slow take-up rate of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) HIV drug in Jamaica.  

Monday, 28 November 2022 12:58

WHO renames monkeypox as 'mpox'

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The World Health Organization (WHO) has renamed monkeypox as 'mpox', citing concerns the original name of the decades-old animal disease could be construed as discriminatory and racist.
 
In a statement Monday, the UN health agency said 'mpox' was its new preferred name for monkeypox, saying both names would be used for the next year while the old name is phased out.
 
WHO said it was concerned by the racist and stigmatizing language that arose after monkeypox spread to more than 100 countries.
 
It said numerous individuals and countries asked the organization to propose a way forward to change the name.
 
In August, WHO began consulting experts about renaming the disease, shortly after the UN agency declared monkeypox's spread to be a global emergency.
 
To date, there have been more than 80,000 cases identified in dozens of countries that had not previously reported the smallpox-related disease.
 
Until May, monkeypox, a disease that is thought to originate in animals, was not known to trigger large outbreaks beyond central and west Africa.
 
 
Monday, 28 November 2022 12:51

Jamaica's monkeypox cases now at 18

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Jamaica has recorded a total 18 monkeypox cases as at Sunday, November 20.
Wednesday, 16 November 2022 17:28

Surgery backlog to be cut by 500

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HOPE is on the horizon for 500 out of 7,000 people who have been on elective surgery wait lists up to four years and longer, to finally access those procedures over the next 10 months.

The People’s National Party is calling for the immediate resignation of the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, and a comprehensive probe into the deaths of 43% of the neonates in the nursery at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH). 

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