KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has emphasised the importance of continued investment in both healthcare infrastructure and the professionals who deliver care across the health sector.

“There is obviously a lot to do in healthcare in Jamaica,” Holness said. “It’s one of the, what you call, the pain points that the Government has to pay critical attention to.

“I track all the issues in healthcare, and the Government of Jamaica… for more than 30 years, was not able to invest in the infrastructure of health and, indeed, the human resources of healthcare.”

“That meant that this significant disinvestment led to a falloff in the capability and quality of service that is being delivered,” he added. “So, you would hear now quite a bit of complaints of, not just the capacity to treat…; you’re also now hearing about the care in healthcare, and that is a big issue.

“So, there are a lot of complaints about waiting time, how patients are treated by health professionals, and it is a reflection of many decades of disinvestment in healthcare.”

The prime minister was speaking on September 2 during a courtesy call with two perfusionists, Faith Johnson and Moses Linton, who received scholarships from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund to pursue Master of Science degrees in Cardiovascular Perfusion at the University of Bristol in England.

Holness pointed out that the Government is now in a position to make significant investments in healthcare, citing the redevelopment of Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine as one example of its commitment to strengthening the sector.

“Spanish Town Hospital… built many decades ago… simply cannot carry the load that it is being required to carry now; so, we’re building a new wing there,” he said. “But it’s not just the Spanish Town Hospital… .  We’re making capital investment in healthcare right across Jamaica.”

“CHASE has been a solid partner in this investment in the capital of health,” Holness added. “So, I know they have invested in an oncology suite, they have invested in eyecare and in other areas of healthcare.

“But now we are guiding them through policy to focus on supporting the development of the human resources in health so that the care in healthcare can be returned.”

The prime minister further noted that “within the next two to three years, you’re going to see a change in the delivery and the quality and the capabilities of Jamaican healthcare when these investments that have been made start to come to fruition”.

Meanwhile, Holness congratulated the two perfusionists, who are based at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), noting that they play a critical role in supporting the more than 80 cardiac surgeries performed annually at the facility.

“CHASE has committed to continue this scholarship so that we can have more perfusionists coming on board,” he stated.

The journey of the two perfusionists — specialised healthcare professionals who operate heart-lung support systems during cardiac surgery — began when Abi-Gaye Smythe, founder of the I Have a Heart Foundation, brought the shortage of trained perfusionists in Jamaica to the prime minister’s attention.

Through the CHASE Fund, the Government was able to support their specialised training.

Now back on the island, they are putting their expertise to work, helping to strengthen Jamaica’s capacity to provide life-saving cardiac care.

For his part, Linton expressed appreciation for the scholarship, noting that “the lecturers [at the University of Bristol] were great and they were very knowledgeable on what was to be done, especially since they have a lot of individuals there with [a wide range of medical conditions].

“So, we were able to get that knowledge as well. We look forward to helping Jamaica… to be here to serve… as we do give back what we would have gotten,” he added.

Johnson also expressed appreciation for the scholarship, noting that, “We are excited, and we love what we do… that’s the most important thing.

“Yes, the hours may be long, extremely long. Sometimes we’re dying to sleep, but we love what we do. We’re here for Jamaicans… and not just Jamaicans… most of our Caribbean islands, because we do get patients from other Caribbean countries,” she stated.

—JIS