More than 100 surgeries have been completed under the CODE CARE Project as the Ministry of Health moves to clear the backlog of elective surgeries in the public health system.
The surgeries completed are inclusive of hernias and transurethral resection of the prostate.
These surgeries were done at Bustamante Hospital for Children, GWest Medical & Surgery Centre, Hospiten, and the Montego Bay Hospital & Urology Centre.
“Since March 2020, many hospitals have had to suspend the normal processing of elective surgeries, which has resulted in the extension of the length of time that persons wait for these operations,” said Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton.
Under CODE CARE, the Government aims to reduce the surgical backlog by 2,000 over a 12-month period and reduce wait times for elective surgeries to less than 180 days.
The backlog of surgeries is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic that put the majority of the world on pause.
Approximately 200 surgeries will be completed in the first instance under the public-private partnership component of Project CODE CARE.
With 100 surgeries completed, more are expected to follow in the coming weeks and months, said Tufton.
“I am extremely pleased at the progress so far and am relieved that many Jamaicans will benefit from the project, including those who have been waiting up to six years for surgery. These individuals can now recover and return to some semblance of anormal life,” he added.
An additional number of Jamaicans will also benefit from the project next month when specialist care nurses arrive on the island to support surgical efforts at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover.
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