KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Leader Mark Golding is calling for Jamaica’s health system to urgently strengthen primary care and expand lifesaving screening programmes nationwide.

Golding, during a tour of the Kingston Comprehensive Clinic on Slipe Road on Thursday to show support for its preventative healthcare initiatives including free PAP-smear screenings aimed at early detection and prevention of cervical cancer, underscored alarming national statistics that reveal systemic failures in early diagnosis.

According to Golding, cervical cancer, which is entirely preventable through screening, continues to claim lives, while 70 per cent of colon cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages. He noted that 90 per cent of breast cancers are detected only after a lump is felt, often over a year after onset, while prostate cancer is primarily identified after it has spread, and 50 per cent of diabetics and 40 per cent of hypertensive patients remain unaware of their condition.

“These numbers are not just statistics— they represent mothers, fathers and families suffering needlessly,” said Golding. “Jamaica’s health system must pivot urgently toward primary care, with extensive national screening programs for cancers, diabetes, hypertension, and other top killers. Prevention and early treatment are easier, cheaper and far more effective than late-stage cures.”

Golding spoke to the People’s National Party (PNP) plan to advocate for nationwide screening initiatives aimed at detecting diseases earlier, reducing mortality and lowering long-term healthcare costs. He praised the Slipe Road clinic’s efforts as a model for community-driven preventative care, urging government collaboration to scale such programmes islandwide.

“Every Jamaican deserves access to lifesaving screenings. We cannot afford to wait—our people’s lives depend on it,” he added.

Golding’s visit comes amid growing public concern over Jamaica’s healthcare challenges and follows the PNP’s renewed commitment to healthcare reform as a pillar of its policy agenda.