Plans under way to make placement in long-scorned regions more palatable for healthcare workers
Published:Monday | January 20, 2025 | 12:07 AMOlivia Brown/ Gleaner Writer
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has outlined plans to enhance the onboarding and settling arrangements for public healthcare workers in an effort to address the chronic shortage of health professionals in the island, particularly in rural and underserved areas. The health ministry said the issue has been exacerbated by the tendency of healthcare personnel to gravitate towards regions with better infrastructure and more favourable living conditions.
Between 2016 and 2024, Jamaica witnessed an increase in its number of healthcare professionals. The cadre of doctors expanded from 1,507 to 2,089, nurses increased from 4,669 to 4,741, and community health aides grew significantly from 893 to 2,210. Despite the strides, however, rural areas continue to struggle with the recruitment and retention of healthcare workers, posing a significant challenge to equitable healthcare delivery.
Speaking with The Gleaner on Saturday, Tufton underscored the gravity of the situation, citing Portland as an example, where only nine of the 34 positions available for doctors have been filled. He emphasised the need for a comprehensive overhaul of the orientation programme for healthcare workers assigned to rural areas, ensuring their specific needs are adequately addressed. These needs include suitable accommodations, enhanced security, and overall support to facilitate their transition.
“We are looking at how we revamp the programme around how we orient these persons who are assigned to those areas. Where they have family members ... and originate from, it is always easier. Where they don’t, their issues are normally accommodations, security and generally settling in,” the minister said.
To mitigate these challenges, Tufton referenced a pilot programme in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, where interns were provided with practical support, including consultations with local financial institutions to secure car loans and set up accounts. Assistance was also extended in identifying housing and exploring the idea of subsidising accommodation costs for up to one year.
Elaborating, Tufton said, “That approach took into consideration consulting banking facilities for car loans for healthcare workers, subsidising home costs and arranging meetings with law enforcement authorities to boost the sense of security and safety of workers.”
Stating that the ministry was actively pursuing external recruitment to bridge workforce gaps, Tufton said strategic partnerships with nations such as Cuba, Nigeria, and the Philippines were on the table.
“We have over 300 Cubans who are already here. We have signed MOUs (memorandums of understanding) with Nigeria, and we are having conversations with India,” the minister said, adding that a meeting with the Philippines’ health minister was scheduled for today.
“The Philippines is one of the largest trainers and exporters of healthcare workers, and they have an excellent system, so we’re seeking partnership with them,” said Tufton.
He said while the Government focuses on strengthening local training programmes, it was equally important to leverage collaborative training opportunities, and external recruitment to address the shortage of healthcare professionals.
The ministry underscored that expansion of the healthcare workforce is crucial to realising the aspirations of Vision 2030, Jamaica’s National Strategic Plan for Health. This plan prioritises the strategic goal of “Ensuring Human Resources for Health” that are sufficient in number, possess the requisite competencies, align with the national model of care, and embody a steadfast commitment to the healthcare mission.
The ministry’s projections aim to see an increase of the cadre of doctors to 2,697 in hospitals, and 710 in primary care by 2030. For nurses, the number is expected to increase by 50 per cent, among other categories of healthcare workers.
Tufton noted too that the deceased profile, combined with an ageing population and retirements, were also factors contributing to the shortage of human resources in the health sector.
He also stressed the importance of a well-functioning health sector, highlighting a $10-billion investment in development projects geared towards enhancing the Spanish Town Hospital, as well as the St Jago and Old Harbour health centres in St Catherine, where work is already under way.
Approval is also being sought for 1,256 posts at the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital, including clinical and support staff, as well as shared services with the Cornwall Regional Hospital.
As part of a comprehensive effort to address the shortage, the Ministry of Health and Wellness will host an Expo and Employment Fair on January 22 and 23 at The University of the West Indies, Mona campus. The event is designed to fill critical human resource gaps in healthcare, and will provide Jamaicans with an opportunity to explore available positions and funding avenues for pursuing careers in the sector.