By Dionne Rose and Robert Lalah, Staff Reporters 
Allen-Young (left) and Tufton (right)
GRACE ALLEN-YOUNG, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health (MoH), has denied there is a shortage of doctors in the public health system, as alleged by Generation 2000 (G2K), a group of young professionals affiliated to the Jamaica Labour Party, last week.
Her comments came in light of today's hike in hospital user fees by 60 per cent to 70 per cent and the G2K's claim that there are a number of shortcomings in the public health sector and the hike would further deprive the poor.
Speaking at a press briefing late last week, Mrs. Allen-Young said the ministry could not comment further until it had a chance to properly review G2K's claims, but said a full response would be forthcoming this week.
LOOKING AT AFFORADABILITY
Commenting on the recent announcement of the increases by the Government, Dr. Christopher Tufton, president of G2K, told reporters at the JLP Belmont Road office in New Kingston last week: "The concept of user fees is something that is universal, increasingly becoming international. But I think it has to be viewed in ... the context of affordability."
"The flip side of the coin is that no matter how efficient the services might be, if people can't afford it, it really is of no meaningful difference to the average man on the street," he added.
Dr. Tufton noted that many Jamaicans were finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic services, including health care. He said that statistics from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) have shown that poverty has increased over the last couple of years.
"More people are getting poorer, despite what the perception (is). As a result, government has a responsibility to pull persons out of poverty and in the meantime, basic services, which include health care, (should) not (be) denied based on ability to pay," he said.
Dr. Tufton also claimed that a recent audit conducted by his group has shown that resources in the health sector were being mismanaged. A case in point, he said, was the renting of offices in the upscale business community of New Kingston, at The Towers. "So from that prospective the user fees at this time might not be the right thing," he argued.
MEDICATION SHORTAGE
In the area of medicine, the G2K president said that the audit also showed a chronic shortage of basic medication such as pain killers including Panadols, intravenous injection equipment and tapes, which he said were 'rare in supply'.
He said that the situation is so bad that health personnel at times are forced to use equipment that have passed their expiry date. "We know of one case where blood culture material with expiry date of 1999 is currently being used to treat patients," he revealed.
