JAMAICA-POPULATION: Health sector to remain critically ill in 1995

KINGSTON, Dic 27 (IPS) - The new year is not expected to be a happy or prosperous one for Jamaica's health sector as a growing population and high prices will continue to reduce its ability to provide healthcare for the nation.

"There are elements with which we have to contend and we don't have the pocket to deal with it," says Dr. Deanna Ashley, Principal Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health.

According to Ashley, although budgetary allocation to the sector has increased somewhat over the last three years, much of the increase went to pay wage hikes offered to medical personnel in order to keep them in the service.

"What this has meant is that there has been no additional real dollars to buy drugs, medical supplies and equipment most of which we have to import from overseas. Added to this the growing population continues to stretch our resources," she said.

Jamaica's population, which stands at 2.5 million and the fertility rate is 2.5 percent.

Additionally, over the last 15 years, medical personnel employed in the government service have fled the health sector either for more lucrative private sector jobs locally or for higher paying healthcare jobs overseas.

The result has been a chronic shortage of state health care workers particularly nurses. For example at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), the third largest medical institution in the Caribbean there are 107 nurses trying to do the job of 430.

These nurses are expected to man the hospitals 25 wards, intensive care unit, four operating theatres and eight other departments, said a disgruntled senior medical officer Dr Trevor McCartney.

In addition, hospital facilities are not keeping up with the needs of the population. At the KPH wards originally built to accommodate 30 patients are reportedly serving as many as 90 patients at a time.

Part of the problem of increased demand for healthcare, Ashley says, rests with the level of violence and indiscipline in the country.

"Presently we have to contend with a population which is indisciplined and very violent. Through their actions the health service is forced to deal with unnecessary emergencies.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service