One of the biggest issues that Jamaica faces is its violent crime rate. The crazy thing about this major concern among locals is that if you were to visit this beautiful Caribbean island, you’d never know that there was a big concern about crime.
Why is that?
Because the locals walk around enjoying their every day lives as if nothing is wrong and that they don’t fear their lives on a daily basis… crime rates might be a concern that the locals can act like doesn’t bother them but one of the major concerns among Jamaicans is one that they simply cannot ignore. Can you guess what that concern is?
The major concern among Jamaicans is Jamaica’s health care system. According to the Jamaica Gleaner, only 20% of Jamaicans have health insurance, leaving 80% of people to either go without it or rely upon the public system.
That number is alarming because it means that there are people out there that aren’t getting the care they need. The Jamaican health category of Trading Economics tells us that there are 30,000 people living with HIV.
In knowing that alarming number, and based on research, BioMed Central states that for every 10,000 people, there is 9.68% of physicians that practice medicine there. That’s nowhere near the amount of help that the healthcare industry needs.
If that’s the number of physicians, can you imagine the number for nurses and other health care workers that are needed in the industry? That’s why Jamaica is in need of more health care workers. There’s even a shortage of nurses in the US but the US is nowhere near on the level of Jamaica’s need for more health care workers.
It’s easy for doctors in America to find jobs to help people in need. There are job boards specifically designed for doctors where they can search for jobs by specialty… it’s not always that easy on the island of Jamaica. Health care in Jamaica isn’t keeping up with the health care advancements that have emerged. Take a look at some of the biggest reasons why Jamaica’s health care industry is in need of dire help.
The Medical Facilities are No Longer Efficient to Keep Up With Medical Innovations
People tend to think that Jamaica’s health care industry is lacking in the number of competent workers but that’s not the case at all. Its cry for help is in the actual medical facilities’ infrastructure of not having the right tools and resources to provide the right type of care to its thousands of patients.
The root cause of this issue is funding. To effectively and properly be able to expand the current medical facilities that already exist, it’s very expensive. And the costs of building brand new facilities will cost even more money so until the island finds a way to bring in more revenue, the people of the island will have to suffice with the resources they currently have.
The Health Minister is Working Day In and Day Out to Find a Solution
Natives of Jamaica are having a hard time believing that anything is being done to remedy Jamaica’s health care crisis but the Minister of Health is tirelessly working to end this crisis but it can’t be done single-handedly… Jamaica needs help, and quickly.
The people of Jamaica, depending on what area they live in, oftentimes have to travel very long distances just to be seen by a health care professional. On their journeys to try and see a doctor, they face many transportation challenges making them unable to get the treatment they need… not being able to travel to medical facilities and get treatment for their health conditions is one of the top reasons why Jamaican natives suffer and eventually die from their conditions.
If you’re someone who thinks that nothing is being done, know that great strides and efforts are being made to remedy the crisis but the Health Minister and government need help in getting results… they see the suffering that’s going on and are doing everything in their power to make changes for the better.
In Order to Receive Treatment, Patients Have to Bring Their Own Medical Supplies
Jamaicans living in rural areas are already facing the issue of finding transportation to get to the doctor but to add to that, in order to receive certain treatments, the patients need to buy their own medical supplies. To people living outside of Jamaica, that sounds crazy, right! If they can barely get to the doctor, how are the injured and sickly going to afford medical supplies and other treatments?
This is another reason why lots of Jamaicans lose their lives to the poor health care system. Unfortunately, this happens all the time. There are instances of people needing surgeries but in order to receive the surgery that could save their life, they have to purchase the surgical supplies they need. Again, this is more prevalent in the rural parts but nonetheless, the fact that it is still happening today is sad.
Much has been done to help remedy Jamaica’s health care crisis but there is still much work to be done.
