World Bank: Non-communicable diseases still account for nearly 80% of all deaths in Jamaica

 

 

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has tabled a sobering World Bank review in Parliament, stressing that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continue to account for nearly 80 per cent of all deaths in Jamaica.

 

During his presentation on Tuesday afternoon, Dr. Tufton said the report showed that NCDs cause close to four in every five deaths, while maternal and neonatal mortality remain too high, and there is a chronic shortage of healthcare professionals, among other issues. 

 

"Non-communicable diseases causes close to four in every five deaths, maternal and neonatal mortality remain high, even though it's coming down after the COVID years, spending per person is still below our peers, countries including Brazil, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, Dominica, Suriname and Colombia," the minister outlined.

 

He continued: "Too much of it goes to late-stage hospital care, as opposed to primary care, and medicine costs have grown rapidly; we're obviously providing more medicines, but the costs have escalated significantly. We need more nurses and more doctors in our health centres, at the primary level that is, and our service level agreements with the regional health authorities are not yet used to their full potential to hold the system accountable. That's the critique of the current status by the World Bank, which we accept."

 

Dr. Tufton said there was however a clear commitment to improving the issues plaguing the sector, noting that the health sector's workforce has grown since 2016, with an increase in primary care doctors, registered nurses, midwives, community heath aides and public health inspectors. 

 

He added that the government has been making major investments in infrastructure and other critical areas, and continues to spend more on public health.

 

But Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes, in his response, argued that the issues raised in the review affirm the concerns being raised by the opposition.  

 

"As we speak, the staff and patients at Princess Margaret Hospital are mopping water that is leaking, tiles that have fallen from the roof with the little shower of rain. The infrastructural issues don't just stop at Princess Margaret Hospital. They are all over the island. You will have a few ivory towers while the rest of Jamaicans are getting served in mudhuts. We need to have less people on medication, less people needing surgery, and to make prescriptions cheaper. The Standards and Regulations Department of the Ministry of Health must free up the importation and licensing of drugs to create greater competition. You cannot continue to have an oligarchy of importing medication and tremendous markup with no competition to drive down prices," he contended.