Jamaicans urged to improve health behaviours

A call has been made for organisations and individuals to partner with the Ministry of Health and Wellness in getting the population to improve their health behaviours.

Making the call, portfolio minister Dr Christopher Tufton said too many people are ending up at the accident and emergency departments of hospitals when the illnesses could have been prevented by individuals doing regular health checks.

“We want to partner with the private sector, the municipal corporations, members of parliament, the police, employers, civil society and the church. Let us work with you,” the minister said, while speaking at the Annotto Bay Health Centre in St Mary on Friday.

Noting that the partnership can help to reduce the deadly effects of lifestyle diseases, the minister told the audience that “if you control it, the pressure on the hospitals is not going to be great, and importantly, longevity and quality of life will be enhanced”.

A Know Your Numbers event was held at the health centre, which has been officially adopted by Surgix Jamaica Limited.

The minister said that information is key to controlling the illnesses, and the “greatest threat” to personal well-being is consumption habits, lack of physical activity, overindulgence of salt and sugar, and lack of rest. 

“We want to make it easier for people to at least have knowledge, and the Know Your Numbers campaign is going to be a standard feature over the next year and a half,” he said.

The Adopt-A-Clinic programme enables individuals and groups to contribute to the improvement of healthcare service delivery at the primary-care level, and Dr Tufton said Jamaicans all over the diaspora, local corporate entities and individuals are “responding well” to the initiative, with contributions of more than $200 million.

Managing Director of Surgix Jamaica Limited, Winfield Boban, said the opportunity to support the health centre was a “dream long in coming, and we want to be an integral part of what you do every day”.

He pointed out that the company will be arranging regular health events to support community members.

Member of Parliament for St Mary North Eastern, Dr Norman Dunn, said the facility is heavily used, and the adoption is welcomed.

“This moment is a great one for the citizens of Annotto Bay and its environs,” Dr Dunn added.

Public Health Nurse for the parish, Terrion Smith, said the company has done their civic duty to adopt the centre.

“We are going to be better able to support the people. We want to work towards making our community a better place, in preventing illnesses and promoting healthcare,” she said.

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