PM: Jamaica better able to respond to crises following COVID-19

By Nakinskie Robinson    

 

Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered businesses and disrupted lives, Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says Jamaica is in a better position to respond to crises.

 

The assurance comes on the March 10 anniversary of the first confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus locally.

 

Tributes in the form of roses were laid and a near 10-feet tall concrete monument, covered with porcelain tiles with gold name plates, was unveiled Monday to commemorate the service and sacrifice of healthcare professionals who perished during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Healthcare Workers COVID-19 monument memorialises doctors, nurses, mental health officers, midwives, cooks, cashiers among others.

 

During Monday's ceremony, Dr. Holness said the government must commit to strengthening the health care system while providing the necessary resources and support to respond to crises, to adequately remember those who passed.

 

Dr. Holness said economic resilience is key in ensuring Jamaica can withstand external shocks such as another health crisis. 

 

"If our economy isn't doing well, we cannot respond adequately and effectively to crises. The pandemic exposed vulnerabilities that we have since worked tirelessly to address. And because of the difficult but necessary economic reforms we have undertaken, Jamaica is now better prepared for future shocks, whether it is another pandemic, a natural disaster or a global economic downturn. Today, our healthcare sector is stronger," he touted. 

 

The Prime Minister added that remuneration and patient care must, however, be addressed as the government works to improve the sector. 

 

"I think we're going to have to have this open conversation about care in healthcare. It's a difficult conversation because you always have to be paying attention to the remuneration, to the infrastructure, to the facilities, to the supplies and resources. But, you know, care is from the heart. And I think what the public is saying is that we need to see more heart in healthcare," he conceded. 

 

On March 18, 2020, Jamaica confirmed its first COVID-19 death.

 

As of November 18, 2024, there have been 157,419 confirmed cases and 3,866 deaths.