Richard Morais, Gleaner Writer

Guest speaker Health Minister Rudyard Spencer is presented with a plaque from Professor Denise Eldemire-Shearer at the third Hugh Lawson Shearer Memorial Lecture at the University Diabetes Outreach Programme dinner at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort last Saturday. - Photo by Richard Morais

WESTERN BUREAU:

Health Minister Rudyard Spencer issued a warning that the removal on April 1 of fees at state-owned health facilities will be no panacea.

He was delivering the third Hugh Lawson Shearer Memorial Lecture at the University Diabetes Outreach Programme dinner held at the Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort last Saturday.

The minister said, "It (April 1) cannot, on its own, guarantee sustainable access to quality health care."

Spencer appeared to have toned down the free health care rhetoric by saying, "As of April 1, 2008 we'll begin to absorb some of the expenditure that the Jamaican people are required to make at the point of service delivery."

He, however, pledged significantly more resources for the health-care industry.

More money

Spencer said, with the dawning of April 1, "It is going to require signifi-cantly more personnel, more sessions must be done, plants must and will be upgraded, you are going to need more money to purchase more pharmaceuticals."

Citing the burden of trauma cases on the public health sector, the minister said Jamaica could save $2 billion if there was a significant decline in the incidence of violent crime and road injuries.

The function was chaired by Dr Alverston Bailey, past president of the Medical Association of Jamaica. In attendance were Professor Denise Eldemire-Shearer, widow of Hugh Shearer; the recipient of the Sir Philip Sherlock Award for 2008, Dr Winston Mendez Davidson; and Professor Errol Morrison.