Dawes says healthcare system is in its 'worst state' in more than two decades

Jamaica’s healthcare system is in its worst state in more than two decades, according to PNP Shadow Minister of Health and Wellness Alfred Dawes.

Dawes, a medical doctor and former surgeon at the Savanna-la-Mar Public General Hospital, delivered the stinging assessment on Sunday while addressing the People’s National Party’s (PNP) 88th annual conference at Independence Park in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.

“I can tell you comrades, in the over 20 years that I have been a medical doctor, this is the worst I have seen the healthcare sector in Jamaica,” he said.

Dawes questioned whether the increased spending being touted by the Government is translating into better care for Jamaicans.

He pointed to crowded emergency rooms, broken-down operating theatres and elevators, and malfunctioning equipment as evidence of what he described as a healthcare system under strain.

“They love to tell you that the budget has grown, but I ask them, show me the money,” he said.

Dawes also took aim at the state of regional hospitals and questioned the progress of a $26-billion investment in the sector.

“Ten years later... [they are] still non-functional... show me the money,” he said.

He also criticised what he described as a lack of accountability in the health sector, arguing that frontline workers are often blamed for problems beyond their control.

“Accountability only points down. That is not accountability. That is blame,” Dawes said.

Dawes outlined the PNP’s proposed approach to healthcare, saying the party would seek to increase health funding, expand the National Health Fund and provide Jamaicans with an insurance card that could be used in both public and private healthcare.

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