The Ministry of Health and Wellness has established 2,000 permanent post medical physicians to the existing number of medical professions on the island, the largest human resource investment in the doctor workforce by any administration.

Portfolio minister Dr Christopher Tufton made the announcement yesterday (May 3) while making his contributions to the 2023-2024 Sectoral Debate, where he tabled the the ‘Road Map for Primary Health Care Reform‘. He further noted that finds to other plans for health care workers are currently being finalised.

“I am pleased to announce that under this new arrangement, supported by the recent compensation review processes as well as forward planning to restructure and expand services at both the primary and secondary levels, we have established over 2,000 permanent posts to the cadre of physicians, representing the largest human resource investment in the doctor workforce by any administration,” said Tufton.

“Permanent posts as opposed to short term contracts have 789 doctors currently in the system. A New posts of 1,112 doctors is to be filled over time, comprising general practitioners and specialists to support the buildout of our health services over the next three to five years. This is in addition to the 140 posts that were established to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he explained.

As such, the health minister said that the Government will move to properly staff the different services provided in the comprehensive, district and community-level health centres as well as Type C, Type B, regional hospitals and Type A reference hospitals island-wide.

He added that the ministry will specifically be working with rural authorities to increase the scope of patient care.