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JHTA satisfied with level of healthcare provided locally to tourists

JHTA President Robin Russell
By Halshane Burke   
 
President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Robin Russell, has expressed satisfaction with the level of healthcare being provided to visitors to the island.
 
Mr. Russell says a task force was established to examine the offerings in both the public and private sectors following concerns raised by the United States. 
 
"At the end of both, what you would say, investigations, we were reasonably satisfied that we were doing the best with what we could at the time. We are encouraged though that the Cornwall Regional Hospital will be coming on stream, the children's hospital will be coming on stream, which will add support to what we already have," he suggested. 
 
Mr. Russell underscored the importance of visitors having travel insurance, noting that many of the incidents that came up for investigation involved people who did not have this insurance.  
 
"We have to accept that health care is not free unless you are coming from Canada or one of those socialised countries, and a lot of the care in Jamaica for foreigners is at private institutions. So travellers should come to Jamaica or the recommendation is, as we go away, to buy travel insurance."
 
He argued that while health care is free to Jamaicans in the public sector, this benefit cannot be afforded to foreigners who do not pay taxes on the island. 
 


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