SERHA asked to make budget adjustments to facilitate radiology services

By Prince Moore 

   

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says he has asked the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) to make adjustments within its budget to facilitate patients requiring radiology services.

 

It follows an internal memo Wednesday where SERHA directed that all external referrals for radiology services be discontinued until further notice due to fiscal constraints.

 

The move would affect patients at public health facilities in the South East Region, which covers Kingston, St. Andrew, St. Catherine and St. Thomas.

 

Dr. Tufton notes that the cost of the programme has been increasing. But he says SERHA has been asked to rethink its position. 

 

"Truth is, this programme was never intended to be a permanent programme and the costs have been increasing to a point where even though we have replaced or put in place diagnostic equipment in some of the hospitals, those costs continue to rise. So it required a rethinking, a reorganisation and proper rationing and planning around using the equipment that we have in-house and minimising the outsourcing, which is never ever the idea."

 

He said SERHA took an extreme position, but all regions have been advised to "re-calibrate, use the budget that they have and manage within that budget".