Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton says that while dogged with several challenges, Jamaica’s healthcare workers are committed to serving the healthcare system. 

He was speaking at a church service at the Bethel Baptist Church yesterday (July 9) to celebrate Healthcare Workers Appreciation Month.

“Our theme for this month, ‘Honouring Commitment, Service and Sacrifice, reflects for us, the passion with which we perform our daily duties as our healthcare workers,” he said. 

“I want to assure each of you that at the ministry, we remain committed despite the challenges. Let’s not paint a picture of rosieness and perfection. We still have issues in the system that we have to deal with, but for the overwhelming majority of us, I dare say that we are committed to the cause and committed to making the sacrifices that are necessary,” he added.

The minister highlighted the importance of cooperation and support of healthcare workers at every level “if we are to get to a place where Jamaicans can receive quality and essential healthcare that is needed.”  

He also emphasised that health is a partnership. “It is a partnership between us and ourselves in terms of pursuing health seeking behaviour, a partnership between us and civil society, and faith-based organisations, and of course, between the policy makers and the public health system,” he said.

Tufton highlighted that healthcare workers have historically been symbols of kindness, fairness, empathy, and compassion with evidence being shown in how they have led the change in combating health crises faced locally and globally. 

“The reality is, where would we be today without our health care workers having faced the last two to three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The time is now to show our appreciation and this is something that we decided on last year – that each year at this time, we will do so,” he said.

He informed that in 2022, the government moved to announce and dedicate the month of July to the over 23,000 healthcare heroes in expression of gratitude for their services. 

“This year marks, therefore, the second annual celebration and the Ministry of Health and Wellness joins a proud nation in saluting our healthcare workers, the vanguards of our public health,” he shared, noting that healthcare workers include more than just doctors and nurses.

“Healthcare workers include [also] include porters, data entry clerks, community health aids and administrators, and they have continued to blaze a trail of service excellence to Jamaicans from all walks of life including and even in a very challenging environment – and it is a very challenging environment if you are to look at the health profile of our nation. The demands on healthcare are quite significant,” he added.

Tufton expressed that after going through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the healthcare environment still has its challenges. 

“If you listened to my recent Sectoral [debate presentation] you will realise that the health profile of our population is pointing in a direction where persons are getting ill younger, people are dying younger and the demands on the healthcare system, hospitals, health centres, and our pharmacies continue to increase and therefore, there is greater and continuous burden on the healthcare workers,” he said.

Among the solutions to addressing the issues, the minister mentioned the expansion of infrastructural and technological development of health facilities like the Spanish Town Hospital, the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), and the Western Child and Adolescent Hospital in Montego Bay, highlighting that almost US$250 million is the projected spend over the next two to three years. 

Tufton also shared that almost 1,500 additional healthcare workers are being engaged to address the issue of lack of human resource. 

“We are now in the process of recruiting and placing more doctors, more nurses, in keeping with the demands on the system. So, despite the challenges, we continue to remain committed and today is a day to recognise the efforts of that commitment and to ask the good Lord for his guidance as we seek to do things right,” he shared.

“Over last two-three years, the public health system served, in terms of transactions and not necessarily patients – because some people go back more than one time, approximately three million cases a year between the health centres and the hospitals. The overwhelming majority of those cases have gotten served and have returned to their rightful place [in society]. That says alot for the effort, the dedication and the commitment of our healthcare team. So, despite the challenges that we have, that we face, that we must continue to work to overcome, I believe that we have a system that has stood up to the test of time, that has sought to overcome the challenges that exist and that remains committed to the future challenges that we anticipate,” he said. 

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