Hanover health officer calls for more public assistance
Published:Friday | December 20, 2024 | 12:05 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
Dr Kaushal Singh, the medical officer of health for Hanover, is calling for more non-governmental assistance towards the daily upkeep of the 19 health centres in that parish, saying the support will go a far way towards improving the level of healthcare being offered at those facilities.
“Apart from our own ministerial assistance, we need the people’s assistance, too, to come forward and adopt these clinics, and try to improve them. Those clinics need improvement,” said Singh while addressing the recent monthly meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC). “The Hanover Health Department (HHD) has been experiencing a very eventful year, in terms of staff and facility improvement. The area of facility infrastructure remains very challenging.”
High demand
With Hanover now having the highest incidence of non-communicable diseases in Jamaica, Singh says the demand on some of the health centres is great and the staff has had to be putting in extra effort to facilitate the number of clients. The Green Island health district was named as one of the areas where the health clinics are being heavily used.
“One thing that is very clear is that we have a lot of work to do, particularly in that health district,” said Singh. “And that is because of the limited infrastructure. If you should walk into any health clinic in that area, it always looks overcrowded. So we have been trying to mobilise assistance to improve those health facilities.”
Thankfully, according to Singh, the HHD has been getting some assistance in the Sandy Bay health district from a philanthropic organisation, under the Ministry of Health’s Adopt a Clinic Programme, which has resulted in improvements in the general conditions in that clinic, as well as in the delivery and receiving of healthcare.
Singh said he has had dialogue with the two members of parliament in the parish as it relates to seeking assistance, not only for the immediate infrastructural improvement of the clinics, but also for much-needed improvement to the roadways leading to the clinics, which has affected staffers, especially those whose vehicles are being damaged by the horrible state of the roads,
“Some members of staff are reluctant to work in some areas, because the travelling is so painful for them, and it is not unfounded, as I myself went to some areas and I realise that the roads are not good in some territories,” said Singh.
In further highlighting the need for significant road repairs in some of the areas where the health clinics are located, Singh said the poor road conditions are posing a life-and-death situation.
“It is important to know that 50 per cent mortality happens within one hour, and, if your transportation time is not less than one hour, I am not very sure how far you will reach towards assisting the patient in need,” said Singh, noting that some sensitive ailments can only be remedied if assistance is rendered to the patient early.
With his team trying their very best to be as efficient as possible, Singh used his presentation to praise their dedication to service, noting that, despite the conditions under which they work, most of the health indicators for the parish have been achieved or are near achievement.
“We need more assistance from both government and non-government organisations. We will be able to improve the conditions towards good healthcare in the parish,” noted Singh.