KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, has announced that several primary care facilities will play a critical supporting role in the ongoing post-hurricane recovery efforts across the public health system.

These facilities will focus on providing triage and outpatient services to help ease the burden on hospitals in the five most severely affected parishes.

Speaking during a press conference at the Health Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston, on Saturday, Tufton said many primary health care facilities have already resumed operations, even as repairs and clean-up efforts continue across the sector.

As part of the Ministry’s phased restoration plan, health centres located near hospitals in the five most severely affected parishes—St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, and Trelawny—will initially be used to support triage and non-emergency care services.

This strategic approach will enable hospitals to prioritise emergency cases while maintaining continuity of care for individuals with chronic illnesses and non-critical conditions.

“An assessment is now being done for these health centres. Where facilities have been damaged, we are restoring them to a level where we can triage non-emergency cases and provide care for persons who may be chronically ill or require attention that doesn’t need accident and emergency intervention,” Tufton explained.

He noted that the arrangement is designed to ensure continuity of community health services during the recovery period, as hospitals contend with increased patient volumes and ongoing infrastructural repairs.

“In the coming days, we will complete that process so that Jamaicans who need check-ups for diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic illnesses, can receive attention at a site close enough to the hospital,” the Minister added.

Tufton also assured the public that the Ministry, in partnership with the National Health Fund (NHF), is taking steps to ensure that essential medications, particularly for chronic illnesses, are available to those who need them.

He further noted that, during the ongoing restoration period, select facilities will operate using generator power and stored water to maintain essential services until full utility restoration is achieved.

“It is our intention, over the next week, to resume activities in all our primary health care facilities, and that process has already started. These efforts will continue as we work to restore some normality to community health,” Tufton said.

He urged the public to remain informed through official media channels and updates from local health departments, as the Ministry continues its efforts to restore full operations across all primary care facilities.

– JIS