Dear Editor,

The response to interviews conducted by Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton on masturbation by your letter writer P Chin — published on August 25 — did not come as a surprise as most Jamaicans are uncomfortable with topics considered taboo.

Chin has joined many others in complaining about the health sector while ignoring the many gains made, certainly during the 10-year tenure of Dr Tufton as the minister in charge. In fact, some individuals are so eager to knock the sector that they are apparently unaware that some of the same things they have complained about have already been improved.

Dr Tufton, I doubt, needs my help in defending his stewardship, but as a people there is a need to understand that health is more than hospitals and clinics, but multidimensional. I surmise that, that is why the minister has been writing about several wellness issues, including dementia, ageing, belly fat, obesity, bleaching, sexual and reproductive health, happiness, coping with the heat, danger to metal health of children due to long hours online, ultra-processed food, among others.

To ignore these issues is not to understand the holistic nature of health and wellness. Topics may be uncomfortable, but they are a reality.

In the meantime, we should not ignore the gains made in public health. Just reading the many news stories, in addition to information on the ministry’s website, it is clear that 2025 saw more than one million people visiting hospital, with an almost similar number being attended to at health centres. Reports are that the public health system saw 1,155,949 patient visits in hospitals.

In addition, the completion of more than 40,000 diagnostics tests and 75,000 surgeries are not figures to be scoffed at. I consider the more than 750,000 who are served by the National Health Fund’s Drug Serv pharmacies money well spent for the health of the people.

Jamaica also remains on top with its ongoing vaccination programmes, achieving an estimated 98 per cent coverage for BCG; 96 per cent for polio; 95 per cent for DTP3, Hib3, and HepB3; and 93 per cent for MMR1 and MMR2.

In the face of declining immunisation rates in some countries and the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases on the rise, this is a significant achievement for Jamaica and reflects the country’a strong primary care system.

At the same time, life expectancy at birth moved from 72.2 years in 2000 to 74.2 years in 2024, higher that the regional average.

With my interest in health care, I have also taken note of the significant investments in infrastructure at several facilities. Equipment at public health facilities have also been upgraded.

As one who resides right her on the “Rock”, I know the system is not perfect, but I encourage the Ministry of Health and Wellness to continue working towards the betterment of the facilities to offer the people better care, but let us not ignore the wellness aspect of the ministry’s work for which emphasis in this fiscal year is being placed on community care.

Alphonso Brown

Portmore, St Catherine