Minister of Health and the Environment Ruddy Spencer says there are plans to rehabilitate 152 health facilities, as 62 per cent of the cases that went to the hospitals could be dealt with by these centres.

Difficult circumstances

Spencer said health-care personnel were working in extremely difficult circumstances, adding that it was imperative to boost staff complement.

Dr Grace Allen-Young, permanent secretary in the health ministry, echoed Spencer's views.

She said nursing, radiology and pharmacy were among the staff-strapped fields in the health sector, particularly in rural Jamaica.

Allen-Young said a recent survey conducted indicated that 86 per cent of hospital patients were satisfied, but extended waiting periods before receiving medical attention is a long-standing problem.

Free up A&E

Another prong of the ministry's proposed strategy is to deploy specialists to health centres.

The aim is to free up the accident and emergency (A&E) department at the hospitals, thus reducing waiting periods.

There were 1.2 billion visits to health facilities during the first 12 months of the free health-care programme.

rasbert.turner@gleanerjm.com