MINISTER of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton has highlighted the significant expansion of the National Health Fund (NHF), pointing to increased access to medication and broader healthcare support for Jamaicans.

Speaking at the official commissioning of a solar system at the NHF pharmaceutical warehouse on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston on Wednesday, Dr Tufton said the agency has evolved into a critical pillar of national healthcare delivery.

“I have not met a Jamaican in my comings and goings as minister of health… who has said that the NHF has not grown from strength to strength and is an absolute valuable contributor to the health and wellness of our population,” he said.

The minister noted that access to pharmaceuticals has grown substantially over the years.

“In 2016… the NHF was administering less than one million prescriptions a year. Last year, we administered three million prescriptions to Jamaicans across the country,” he said.

He further pointed out that the range of illnesses covered under the NHF has expanded significantly.

“In 2016, the NHF administered drugs to just 15 categories of illnesses. Today, the NHF is administering drugs… free drugs or heavily subsidised drugs… to 28 categories of illness,” he added.

The minister said this expansion reflects the organisation’s responsiveness to the needs of the population.

He also highlighted the NHF’s wider contributions to the health sector, including infrastructure upgrades, financial assistance programmes, and support for training.

“And I have not mentioned all the other things that have been done… the infrastructure build-out, the support for health centres, the grants that have been awarded… the support for persons studying,” he noted.

He said that the NHF continues to play a central role in ensuring equitable access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations, as efforts to strengthen the health system advance.