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Inadequate funding threatens quality of Jamaican healthcare - JMDA

The Jamaica Medical Doctors Association (JMDA) is sounding the alarm that a lack of proper maintenance of important medical equipment and machines in the government-run healthcare system is likely to seriously undermine the quality of care offered to patients.    

According to Dr. Marie Brown, 2nd Vice President of  the Association, less than one per cent (of the healthcare budget) is allocated to maintenance of equipment.

"If we have one x-ray machine working in a hospital, and it is not being serviced, then very soon, it is going to stop working," she explained at last Friday's edition of the weekly RJR Group News Forum.

SRHA Hospitals Struggling

The May Pen Hospital, in Clarendon, is accepting only emergency cases as it’s overcrowded, and has run out of some critical medical supplies.

Hospitals in Manchester and St. Elizabeth are grappling with a similar problem.

Chairman of the Southern Regional Health Authority, Michael Stewart, says May Pen has reached its patient capacity.

Danger Lurks At Victoria Jubilee Hospital

Concern has been raised that newborns at the largest maternity facility in the English speaking Caribbean the Victoria Jubilee Hospital could face certain dangers due to a defective equipment in the delivery room.

This was among the findings of  an audit of  Regional Health Authorities released to the public yesterday.

The equipment is called a resuscitaire and is used during delivery procedures and is useful for clinical emergency and resuscitation.