Tufton wants SERHA to reevaluate move to stop external radiation services referrals

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has asked the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) to stand down on a position it took regarding hospitals ceasing all external referrals for radiation services under the Enhancement Healthcare Programme.

In a memo to CEOs, Senior Medical Officers, and parish managers, SERHA administrators noted that "there has been a marked reduction in the funding of the programme by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Consequently, the funds that were allocated to the region are now exhausted."

The memo added, "There is no further budgetary support for this programme at this time... Going forward, all radiology services are to be redirected to facilities within SERHA, which have the capabilities of X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scan."

On Wednesday evening, however, Tufton described SERHA's move as drastic and has asked the authority to reevaluate its stance, which could impact numerous patients who are desperately in need of examinations.

"They (SERHA) are having difficulties partly because of coordination issues, but I'm not sure why one region has decided to write that memo," Tufton emphasised, noting that the memo came to his attention during a recent visit to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH).

"I've asked SERHA why they have taken such a drastic position. They have a quota; they must work within their quota."

Tufton explained that the outsourcing of examinations was never meant to be permanent, unless under extreme circumstances, and as such, each region is allotted a budget for outsourcing, which has become very costly, especially against the health ministry's simultaneous efforts to acquire diagnostic equipment for health regions islandwide.

"Because it wasn't meant to be permanent, the Ministry gives each region a budget, and the regions are supposed to work within their budget. In working within their budgets, they need to work with the individual institutions to assess their diagnostic demand and set up in-house. What they don't have, they outsource. So, it needs much tighter coordination," said Tufton.

"It appears that they (SERHA) had a backlog and have been trying to clear it. But I indicated to them that this approach was not appropriate. They need to sit with the relevant institutions and work out a regime that will optimise internal use of equipment versus expensive outsourcing," said Tufton.

Tufton could not confirm the final decision as of Wednesday afternoon.

When contacted, Acting Regional Director for SERHA, Lascelles Brown, said he was not in office, was unaware of the memo dated December 1, 2024, and was therefore unable to comment on it.

Calls to his cell phone after the memo was sent to him via WhatsApp message went unanswered.

In the document, which seemed to have caused some concerns within SERHA's medical community and even in other regions, the health authority directed, "Going forward, all radiology services are to be redirected to facilities within SERHA, which have the capabilities of X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scan."

Of SERHA's 10 hospitals, only Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) can perform all three examinations, and it is also the only facility where CT scans are available.

Meanwhile, all SERHA hospitals can conduct X-rays, while only KPH, Bustamante Hospital for Children, Spanish Town Hospital, and Linstead Public Hospital are equipped to carry out ultrasounds.

Except for dire emergencies, where the services are not offered by hospitals within SERHA, the requests will be passed on to patients, the authority said.

- Corey Robinson

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.