By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterTHE MINISTRY of Health says it will be purchasing 30 ambulances in the near future based on funds the Ministry of Finance is expected to release this month.
The ministry made this statement last
week while responding to allegations
from Generation 2000 (G2K), the young
professional arm of the Jamaica Labour
Party (JLP).
G2K, in its own audit of the health services, criticised the Ministry of Health for a number of shortages in the health services, among them the number of ambulances, working generators and other emergency equipment at all of the island's major health facilities.
"Maintenance of plant equipment is also minimal or non-existent," G2K said in a January 19 statement.
However, the Health Ministry pointed out last week that while "equipment is another area that has been severely affected by financing, under the Health Sector Reform Programme there has been some increase in the fleet of ambulances. Nine fully equipped EMS ambulances were provided."
POOR FACILITIES
Regarding G2K's other allegations,
especially regarding poor facilities in major hospitals, the ministry said it was in preliminary discussions with representatives of a European country on the financing of another phase of major redevelopment for hospitals, among them the Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine.
Grace Allen-Young, the ministry's permanent secretary, said yesterday that she expected discussions to be finalised over the next month.
The ministry also said last week that it was working on other issues affecting the health sector. "Problems being experienced with the sewerage system in Annotto Bay have been resolved and the system is scheduled to be commissioned into service by the end of February 2005," it said.
In addition, it said the Kingston Public Hospital and the National Blood Transfusion Service (Blood Bank) recently benefited from a donation of generators and two mobile maintenance units.
Health officials added that they have spent $4.5 billion in donor funding on several hospitals, another $1.7 billion from the National Health Fund on activities such as post-Hurricane Ivan reconstruction and they are now spending $25.5 million donated by the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) Fund on reconstruction work at the Annotto Bay Hospital, one of the hospitals named by G2K.
