Within the public health system, the Jamaican government has created more than 2,000 permanent positions for physicians.
Dr. Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness, stated during a Wednesday House of Representatives sectoral debate that this is being supported by recent compensation review processes as well as long-term planning to restructure and enhance services at both the primary and secondary levels.
“These are the figures: 789 doctors now working in the system will have permanent positions rather than temporary ones; 1,112 new doctor positions will be created over time; and 140 postings will be created to support the COVID-19 pandemic response. That is more than 2,000 permanent positions that will affect the level of service provided to Jamaicans, he said.
This entails a lower patient-to-doctor ratio, more specialists operating inside the system, and more medical professionals working in both hospitals and primary care settings.
Dr. Tufton underlined further that “having more doctors means that patients will receive better care.”
The minister declared, “This Government cares about those who use the public health system.
He continued by saying that his government is working on the various types of healthcare professionals, like nurses.
