KINGSTON, Jamaica —The ‘Reduction in Waiting Time Project’ for hospitals was launched a short while ago at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew.

The project, implemented in September of this year at the children’s hospital, forms part of an overall initiative to reduce the waiting time of patients at health facilities by reducing the triage and registration times and the waiting period to see a doctor.

It is expected that in the coming year, other hospitals in the project such as the Kingston Public, Spanish Town and Cornwall Regional hospitals will be fully on stream.

Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton lauded the initiative and explained that part of the project’s aim was to bring together primary and secondary healthcare facilities — hospitals and clinics — reduce the number of people who go to the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department.

He said so far, for Bustamante Hospital there has been close to a 40 per cent reduction in the waiting times at the A&E Department as up to 70 per cent of people who enter A&E should not be there.

The project was made possible through the rearranging of the current health budget, to address this need, Dr Tufton said.

Kimberley Hibbert