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The submission of a report from a Parliamentary committee about the impact of the abolition of user fees on the public health system has sparked new concerns about the nine month old policy.
The report from Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee indicated that a substantial increase in the use of public health care facilities triggered by the provision of free health care, is putting severe strain on the public health system.
The report cited the unavailability of drugs as a well as the chronic shortage of pharmacists.
Opposition Spokesman on Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson said the difficulties caused by the abolition of user fees in public health facilities have raised new questions about the viability of the programme.
Free but not available
According to Dr. Ferguson, the impact of the problems warrants an urgent review by the Government.
"I am calling on the Minister of Health to look at a serious review of the present policy because the reports coming out of many facilities are that its overwhelming ...the number of pharmacists in the system is just not able to deal with the present situation and so, as it relates to pharmaceuticals outside of manpower, the medication itself is not available ... so it is free but not available," he said.
On Thursday, doctors and nurses at the Mandeville Hospital in Manchester walked off the job in protest over the overcrowded state of the facility.
They said the problems have worsened with the abolition of the hospital user fees.
Periodic reviews
Meanwhile the organization which represents Government doctors who are not consultants, have echoed similar sentiments about the policy.
Dr. Andrew Salmon, President of the Jamaica Medical Doctor Association is calling for a system of periodic reviews by the Ministry of Health especially in the wake of a cash crunch facing the Government.
"In light of the economic turmoil that has happened, there have been questions about the sustainability of such a venture because health requires a significant portion of money in order to operate at an efficient level," he said.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/15105/26/
The report from Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee indicated that a substantial increase in the use of public health care facilities triggered by the provision of free health care, is putting severe strain on the public health system.
The report cited the unavailability of drugs as a well as the chronic shortage of pharmacists.
Opposition Spokesman on Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson said the difficulties caused by the abolition of user fees in public health facilities have raised new questions about the viability of the programme.
Free but not available
According to Dr. Ferguson, the impact of the problems warrants an urgent review by the Government.
"I am calling on the Minister of Health to look at a serious review of the present policy because the reports coming out of many facilities are that its overwhelming ...the number of pharmacists in the system is just not able to deal with the present situation and so, as it relates to pharmaceuticals outside of manpower, the medication itself is not available ... so it is free but not available," he said.
On Thursday, doctors and nurses at the Mandeville Hospital in Manchester walked off the job in protest over the overcrowded state of the facility.
They said the problems have worsened with the abolition of the hospital user fees.
Periodic reviews
Meanwhile the organization which represents Government doctors who are not consultants, have echoed similar sentiments about the policy.
Dr. Andrew Salmon, President of the Jamaica Medical Doctor Association is calling for a system of periodic reviews by the Ministry of Health especially in the wake of a cash crunch facing the Government.
"In light of the economic turmoil that has happened, there have been questions about the sustainability of such a venture because health requires a significant portion of money in order to operate at an efficient level," he said.
http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/15105/26/