MONTEGO BAY, St James — Conceding that while there are challenges, outgoing health minister, Dr Fenton Ferguson has dispelled the notion that the nation’s health care sector is amongst the world’s worst.
“There is this view that Jamaica’s health sector is among the worst in the world. And I want to dispel all this argument. I want to dispel of it because in looking at a sector such as health, one of the things you have to look for is what are the outcomes? Not just talking, and I am a scientist so I like evidence, I like data to inform my positions,” remarked Dr Ferguson, who has been transferred to the labour and social security ministry effective tomorrow.
“We have to recognise that we have had challenges, and continue to have challenges in our health sector. No one can deny that there are challenges, but with a small spend relative to others, and what we have as outcomes, we have to recognise that we have done reasonably well.”
Dr Ferguson pointed out that it is not reasonable that the local sector, which boasts some of the best health practitioners, to be ranked among the worst internationally.
“How can we have the best doctors, the best nurses, the best diagnosticians, and yet we are supposed to be the worst? It’s not logical,” Dr Ferguson argued.
The embattled Cabinet member, who has come under intense pressure from the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and other members of civic society for his handling of the CHIKV epidemic and the recent bacterial outbreak which resulted in the deaths of 19 premature babies at two hospitals, the Cornwall Regional Hospitals and University Hospital of the West Indies, bemoaned that he is being chastised for everything that goes awry in the sector.
“Everything that happens, is Minister Fenton. There is no governance structure anymore within the sector. CHIKV come, is the minister; hand, foot and mouth disease come, is the minister,” he said, adding: “I won’t say much about the babies today because I have a national broadcast on Sunday (today), but I would like to say today (Friday) my own sympathies to the parents”.
Additionally, he lashed out at his detractors whom he accused of giving the false impression that he has done nothing while at the helm of the ministry since 2012.
Noting that he is not one to trumpet his own accomplishments, however, Dr Ferguson reasoned that he took the bold initiative to introduce the Tobacco Controls Regulations of 2013, in a bid to battle cancer, which is among the non-communicative diseases responsible for 70 per cent of deaths recorded in Jamaica, while health ministers before him concentrated on the curative side.
“Why have they (predecessors) not dealt with the risk factors? Because it is treading on dangerous grounds. I have been bold enough to tackle big tobacco,” Dr Ferguson said.
“I believe that what we have done is good for Jamaica, it is good for Jamaica and it is time that we as politicians come to the point where we recognise that our task is to do what is good for Jamaica. It is not about empowerment, it must be about what is best for Jamaica. And so it has been a difficult road.”
He was speaking at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), where ground was broken for one of the two radiation treatment centres to be established at a cost of US$15 million. The other centre is to be set up at the St Joseph’s Hospital in St Andrew.
Both facilities will be equipped with two Linear Accelerator (Linac) machines, which will replace the Cobalt system which is now used in the treatment of cancer patients.
Linear technology, widely regarded as the latest in cancer treatment, utilises external beam radiation to target and destroy cancerous cells while sparing the surrounding tissues.
The machines are being acquired through collaboration between the National Health Fund (NHF) and the Culture, Health, Arts, Science and Education (CHASE) Fund, and with contribution from private partners.
Dr Ferguson also pointed out that 13 health centres are in line to be refurbished in addition to the 129 which have already been repaired.
By the end of the financial year, 18 more ambulances will be acquired in addition to the 19 under his watch. He also noted that four centres of excellence for primary care were established under his tenure, among other accomplishments.
No they are not. They still need a couple more tweaks to start killing off patients by the thousands. Jamaica will get there with Sista P leadership though. Maybe she can get us into the top 10 before she leaves office. With Bunting’s Ministry seeing over 1200 murders per year and the Health Ministry helping out as well, Jamaica will be poverty (poor people) free by the 2020s.
He clearly showed me that he is not capable to be the Minister of Health if he does not know how you could have the best doctors,nurses and diagnosticians and still have the worst system.Too you Mr Ferguson they are the best but are they the best from our citizens perspective.Mr Ferguson you might be a scientist but I am sure you should not be our Health Minister.Cuba is about fifty miles from Jamaica and they are ranked 39th in the world with limited resources.I know we could learn a lot from them and they are waiting on our call.
OK then! Simple washing of hands the staff doesn’t do..imagine the stench of the labor room
Dem just nasty, top to bottom. Jamaicans walk on the road and fling their trash anywhere. They lean up in any corner and piss. Dem helicopter dem waste over the gully. People nuh have nuh little pride in demself and dem work. And I blame the politicians. Yuh think dem coulda gwaan wid a fraction of these things in Singapore, Canada or even Cayman Islands? In the 1980s, the place was clean, people did know seh yuh woulda get fined if yuh litter. Now, people do anything dem want. Dem si piece a land dem like, dem capture it. No problem, more thiefing, hungry people fi vote fi the politician dem.
There’s a theory called the “Broken Window Theory”, that says when yuh dont deal with the little things. people get the impression that nobody cares and it’s okay to do bigger things. There are some studies that say the Broken Window Theory is not a real phenomena, but just looking at the decline in the Jamaican society, I have to disagree.
Yup and dem walk round and sell food in the filth…