There’s been a 143% increase in the country’s health budget since the Holness administration took office in 2016.
That’s according to figures presented by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton.
Dr. Tufton made the revelation while making his eighth contribution to the Sectoral Debates in the House of Representatives Tuesday.
Nora Gaye Banton reports.
Dr. Tufton told the House of Representatives that the Holness administration is transforming the country’s health sector.
He says while the government accepts that many Jamaicans continue to face challenges at public health facilities, significant investments have been made in health.
The nation’s health budget has moved from 60-billion dollars in 2016 to more than 140billion in 2024.
The Health Minister told his parliamentary colleagues that a legacy of neglect had left public health under funded.
He says the Holness government has recognised the need for a significant expansion in expenditure and personnel.
Dr. Tufton says that led to a deliberate policy to increase the number of public sector workers serving the system.
Despite hailing what he described as significant achievements, Dr. Tufton acknowledged that too many Jamaicans continue to encounter difficulties accessing health care.
The Health Minister says Jamaicans must know that the Holness administration remains committed to continued improvements in the sector.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister chided Opposition Leader, Mark Golding, for recent comments to the diaspora in which he criticised the government for having misplaced priorities in health care.
Dr. Tufton argued that the Opposition Leader told his overseas audience that the government was preoccupied with constructing buildings at the expense of providing more bed spaces.
He also accused Mr. Golding of deliberately spreading mischief regarding the ongoing rehabilitation of the Cornwall Regional Hospital.
Dr. Christopher Tufton, Health and Wellness Minister.
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