Guy calls for greater collaboration between ministry and private doctors who administer COVID-19 vaccine

 

Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Morais Guy is pushing for more collaboration between the Health Ministry and private doctors for more efficient administration of COVID-19 vaccines at private facilities. 

 

The issue is expected to be discussed on Thursday at a meeting involving the Health Minister and private doctors who have been cleared to administer the jab.

 

Dr. Guy believes that with Jamaica now facing the full onslaught of the fourth COVID-19 wave, the arrangement with private doctors is critical. 

 

"Vaccination at this point in time will not help us during the fourth wave. That's established. However, I think vaccination ought to proceed, vaccination ought to be part of what we should try to ramp up as a country, which we're not doing," he argued.  

 

The opposition spokesman said he is hoping "new strategies" will be employed arising from Thursday's meeting. 

 

These specific outcomes, he suggested, should include a focus on dealing with supply and storage concerns raised by private doctors. 

 

"The MAJ complained that some of its members were having challenges going for its vaccines and taking to their offices, so I'm hoping that the minister or the ministry now will have a better plan to...strategise how you are going to get the numbers any particular day [and] make available resources to the doctors who would want to have those resources done."

 

"And of course, I'm always of the view, as I've said repeatedly, that you need to take the vaccines to the people as opposed to [taking] the people to the vaccines," he reasoned.