KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — The Ministry of Health is in the process of finalising a report from a review of the four regional health authorities, which will be the subject of stakeholder consultations during the 2018/19 fiscal year.

The review, which was led by a team from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), looked at the authorities’ structure and performance, and proposes specific reforms which will be pivotal to the Government’s strategic plan for the public health sector,

Portfolio Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, made the announcement during his 2018/19 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives yesterday.

Tufton said the strategic plan is aimed at advancing the sector over the next 10 to 30 years through the completion of a number of critical supporting studies and reports that address several key areas/

Another component of the plan, the minister informed, is the commissioning of a needs assessment study for five hospitals, which is being conducted by the United Nations Office for Project Services.

The beneficiary institutions are the Spanish Town, May Pen, Mandeville, St Ann’s Bay and Kingston Public hospitals.

The study will provide recommendations for the facilities’ upgrading and/or expansion to determine how best the healthcare infrastructure can be networked and overhauled to address future challenges.

“These studies will… make a determination as to how we operate (in terms of, for example) where we add beds and operating theatres in order to optimise the infrastructure that is available. We are deficient now, and this will add some value to that process. These (studies) are going to be critical to the (strategic) plan, and we are hoping that by mid-year, we will have the framework of that plan,” he stated.

Tufton advised further that a report on the status of the sector’s information systems has also been completed. The document, which was facilitated under a technical cooperation agreement with the PAHO/World Health Organisation, will form part of the strategic plan.

Meanwhile, a road map for healthcare financing has been established and a report on the status of the national health insurance scheme, in this regard, is being completed. The report is expected to be ready within two months.