A series of discussions led by Health Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton with members of the Jamaican diaspora based in the United States to recruit medical staff for CODE CARE, is now underway.

Among other things, the meetings have covered faculty exchanges and training to benefit Jamaicans under CODE CARE, a special initiative of the ministry to improve wait times for elective surgeries.

Tufton, who is accompanied by a team from the ministry, including Chief Nursing Officer, Patricia Ingram-Martin, have so far held meetings in South Florida and Atlanta.

Following his participation in the 170th PAHO Executive Council Meeting in Washington DC this week, the minister will travel to New York to continue the CODE CARE recruitment efforts.

According to the ministry, the expansion of the number of surgical teams through the project is to enable at least 2,000 additional surgeries in facilities islandwide.

In addition to the United States, efforts are in place to recruit personnel from Canada and the United Kingdom.

Recruited nurses will be provided with air and ground transportation, accommodation, and per diem for the duration of their stay in Jamaica.

These are in addition to insurance for work in the various facilities and their time in the country; Nursing Council Certification and fee waivers.

The CODE CARE project was developed as a special initiative to address the pandemic-induced backlog of elective surgeries, which has seen persons who would like to undergo procedures to address cataracts, oral, thyroid, and sinus cancers, Cholesteatomas (ENT), Pterygium, Arthroplasty, and Undescended Testis enduring the longest wait times.

READ: Work to address pandemic-induced surgery backlog now under way