In light of the pandemic-induced backlog of elective surgeries in the public health system, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says special interventions will this year be made to address the ongoing issue.

Making his contribution to the 2022-2023 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (May 3), Tufton informed that, “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, sometimes up to two years”.

He advised that, among those who have had to wait the longest for elective surgeries are people who would like to undergo procedures to address cataracts, oral, thyroid, and sinus cancers, Cholesteatomas (ENT), Pterygium, Arthroplasty, and Undescended Testis.

Owing to this, the health minister noted that, through a special initiative called ‘CODE CARE’, the public health system will push to complete an additional 1,000 surgeries over the next 10 months “to clear up most, if not all backlog”.

Tufton shared that the Government will be working with healthcare professionals across the diaspora, who visit Jamaica for special surgery sessions, to provide more efficient arrangements and access to hospital facilities and target elective surgeries with the longest wait.

He stated: “We will do this in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and our missions overseas as well as through our (Health Ministry’s) National Healthcare Enhancement Foundation.”

In addition, approximately J$300 million is to be provided to repair and, where necessary, maintain operating theatres so that they can perform more efficiently and for longer hours to drive more output.

The ministry will also partner with private-sector health facilities to provide surgery and recovery spaces to augment existing facilities.

CODE CARE will be planned and executed by the office of the Chief Medical Officer.