Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton
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Dr. Christopher Tufton
By Clinton McGregor
Despite growing criticisms of the country's health services, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton is insisting that the government is focused on modernising and upgrading the public health care service.
Speaking Friday at the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship Presentation Ceremony, Dr. Tufton argued that the government has spent billions of dollars to upgrade public hospitals and health centres as part of its plan to improve patient care.
Dr. Tufton also outlined a number of upgrading programmes that are in the pipeline.
"We are digitising patient records, never before happened, first in the Caribbean. May Pen is fully digitised. Spanish Town is coming online in another few weeks. Actually it's online, we're officially launching that in another few weeks."
In addition, the Health Minister said a number of other health centres will come online soon.
"It means one patient, one record. Whether you're in a health centre or hospital, that record is transmitted electronically, doctors bring it up on the computer, they know exactly what the problem is, what your history is, treat you in a much more efficient way. Never before happened. Part of the upgrading," he touted.
Dr. Tufton said the Health Ministry plans to enter into a lease arrangement with providers of medical equipment as part of its efforts to improve service delivery in public hospitals.
"We have gone into for the first time the leasing of diagnostic equipment. Why? Because in the past when we bought these things we couldn't service them and the first little problem they end up in a corner, and so what we are doing now is leasing."
He said the successful bidder will be announced after the completion of a public tender process. The supplier will provide CT scans and MRI machines for hospitals and be responsible for servicing them. The machines will be replaced when they have completed their useful life.
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