The Government continues to transform the country’s health sector in a bid to further enhance service delivery to more Jamaicans.

This is being done through infrastructural upgrades, acquisition of critical and modern pieces of equipment, training and provision of scholarships, and the introduction of new technology for the digitisation of health records, which helps with efficiency and better patient management.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, highlighted these during Wednesday’s (January 22) opening ceremony for the health and wellness career exposition and employment fair at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus in St. Andrew.

He said infrastructural upgrades are being done to increase the physical capacity at several institutions islandwide, including the Cornwall Regional Hospital, Spanish Town Hospital and University Hospital of the West Indies as well as several type five clinics.

“Until those come to fruition, many persons are still going to be saying we have an access issue, we don’t have enough space. But these are being built. They will come to fruition, [and] you will see a massive improvement in the ability of the health facilities to host patients,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Holness further noted that the introduction of modern equipment is being incorporated in the sector through public-private partnerships.

He maintained, however, that critical to the transformation process, is building the human capacity to deliver care.

“We can improve the infrastructure, we can improve the facilities. But to get the care [needed] in health, we have to build the human capacity, and that is what today (Wednesday’s expo) is about in the transformation exercise.

It’s about, now, building the human capacity to allow us to actually deliver care,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Holness urged persons who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare to take advantage of the opportunities available in the sector.

Additionally, he appealed for greater compassion and patience, even as the Government continues to transform the sector.