21
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Universal Access to Efficient and Effective Health Care For All Jamaicans
Eliminating Political Influence from the
Health Sector
Greater Investment in Hospitals and Clinics
Universal Coverage
Healthy citizens make happy and productive citizens, which leads
to greater national productivity and growth. Therefore, we give our
pledge to the Jamaican people, that health will take centre stage
in the JLP government.
A JLP government would reduce political interference in the
appointment of regional and hospital leadership, by setting up a
committee of stakeholders to make appointments in the sector.
We will continue our policy of universal access to health care for
all Jamaicans, and extend services to include more preventive,
diagnostic and specialist services.
The introduction of a no user fee policy for all public health
facilities, by the JLP government in 2008 gave citizens greater
access to health care.
Undeniably, more users meant that greater demands were made
on our public health facilities and health care workers. However
the JLP remains committed to extending access to health care.
We need to reduce the pressure on the public health facilities by:
The JLP government will seek to infuse more cash in the health
sector. One of the sources of additional funding, will be from the
fees collected from casino gambling.
This additional funding will allow for the renovation and upgrade
of our health care infrastructure, so as to offer a modern, effective
and efficient service, able to accommodate the increased demand.
Select hospitals will be targeted in the first phase.
•
increasing the numbers of mobile clinics
•
upgrading and equipping health clinics and centres
in strategic locations,
•
increasing the numbers of community health workers.