Gov’t to hold families to book for Poor Relief relatives
Published:Thursday | April 17, 2025 | 12:05 AMRuddy Mathison/Gleaner Writer
Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has announced that the Government will begin holding families of Poor Relief victims accountable for their relatives even as it continues to improve service delivery across the country’s infirmaries.
Speaking on Monday at the opening ceremony of a therapeutic park at the Spanish Town Infirmary in St Catherine, McKenzie emphasised that many individuals now in state care contributed significantly to nation building before falling on hard times.
“Some of them fall on hard times, some have been abandoned by their families, and what is sad about it is that some of the families who abandoned them find time to dress up to look for them and then they gone. They don’t want to spend time taking care of them,” McKenzie stated.
He further criticised the lack of genuine care shown by some relatives, adding, “And when they die, you see the biggest funeral, and they come and cry alligator tears, but yet when they were alive, they show little or no sympathy, no purpose of recognising that they are their families.”
While not detailing the exact steps the Government will take, McKenzie made it clear that accountability is on the horizon.
“I want to tell you that this is something that the Government is looking at because we have to hold persons responsible for the ones they have responsibility for,” the minister said.
He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to poor relief, noting expansions in psychiatric care and dietary improvements through dietitians. He highlighted the introduction of therapeutic parks – now present in seven infirmaries since 2016 – as part of a broader strategy to improve the well-being of residents. The parks provide a peaceful space where residents can “leave their rooms and enjoy the serenity and peace of the atmosphere before retiring to bed”.
McKenzie also praised the collaboration between the ministries of Health and Wellness and Local Government in relocating social patients from hospitals to infirmaries, helping to free up hospital bed space. So far, five parishes have benefited from this initiative.
“One of the most important things that we can do for these people outside of the love and affection and the fact that it is our responsibility, we should never one day allow them to feel less than they are,” McKenzie said.
He pledged to make further announcements in his Sectoral Debate presentation in May.