WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Medical Officer of Health for Westmoreland, Dr Marcia Graham, has voiced concern over the escalating impact of violence on the parish’s healthcare system, cautioning that the preventable issue is placing a heavy strain on the services delivered to residents.

She highlighted the issue recently while addressing the monthly meeting of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation in Savanna-la-Mar, noting that incidents of violence continue to disrupt both hospital operations and primary-care services.

Graham pointed out that violence has emerged as one of the troubling trends being monitored by health officials.

She explained that injuries resulting from violent incidents often demand extensive medical care, placing additional pressure on health resources that are already stretched thin.

“Some of them (injured persons) end up in hospital and then, even when they are discharged from hospital, we have to continue doing [wound] dressings in primary care,” the medical officer outlined.

Graham further noted that the ongoing treatment of violence-related injuries contributes significantly to the workload of healthcare providers across the parish.

She underscored that violence should be regarded not only as a law-enforcement issue but also as a major public health concern that undermines communities and the delivery of care.

The medical officer stressed that reducing violence would yield direct benefits for the health sector while enhancing overall community well-being.

“If we embrace peace each and every day, we can also reduce the burden on the healthcare system,” Graham added.

She is urging residents to play their part in fostering safer communities, stressing that collective action is essential to addressing the issue and easing the strain on health services across Westmoreland.

—   JIS