Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton - file photo
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Dr. Christopher Tufton
By Warren Bertram
Health and Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says the government will consider leasing major medical equipment to reduce downtime and unavailability.
Dr. Tufton says to address the recurring issue of equipment at hospitals being unusable or malfunctioning due to lack of maintenance or depreciation, the government is looking at leasing instead of purchasing.
He says during a lease, there is an agreed maintenance schedule arrangement by the supplier.
"There's some value in leasing; it may appear expensive in the first instance, but overtime what you get is the equipment plus maintenance plus the depreciation schedule that would see the replacement of the equipment once it's used its useful life. So it works out over the long term in terms of patient care, reliability and consistency," he explained.
Dr. Tufton added that some of the existing equipment at public hospitals requires the sourcing of maintenance people from overseas.
"Even with the new ones we buy and extended service warranties that we purchased, people have to fly from as far as Germany in order to service them. So if they have downtime, you have to wait a week before someone comes in," he complained.
In addition to leasing new equipment, Dr. Tufton suggested training for local personnel is being considered to reduce the cost and need for maintenance experts from abroad.
He was speaking Wednesday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.
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