$2b allocation to health sector for initial COVID-19 fight

Jamaica's health zone has been allocated $2 billion as a part of the reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak, Prime Minister Andrew Holness announced on Thursday.

The top minister, who became making his contribution to the 2020-2021 Budget Debate, stated some of the money could be used you obtain 400,000 N-five masks and other personal protective equipment (PPEs) for healthcare workers. “This will improve the capacity of medical examiners to reply with confidence all through this epidemic,” Holness instructed the House.

Apart from the PPEs, the $2 billion might be spent as follows:

1) Over one hundred fifty million dollars to develop new quarantine centres residence an extra 150 persons.

2) Over $287 million is to be spent on retrofitting several hospitals and health centres to create surge capability to be able to accommodate sufferers at some point of the height of the COVID-19 epidemic.

3) Some $198 million is to be spent on buying equipment, such as ventilators for the high-dependency devices in different hospitals. The prime minister referred to that these could be crucial for the five in keeping with cent of COVID-19 patients who may have severe complications from the disease.

4) $547 million is to be spent; bought medications, particularly for the remedy of COVID-19 patients.

The high minister stated the Government stands equipped to offer extra budget from the $10 billion COVID-19 Contingency Fund, have to the need arise. He noted the Government is aware that the worldwide pandemic “can be a recurring disruption with greater frequency in an increasingly connected internationally with a growing population.”

To this end, he noted, “The Government is committed to constructing a sturdy fitness carrier with the capacity and competencies to respond to the present day and future health needs of our population.”

Holness claimed the modern-day ability of the fitness zone is already stretched with present needs, consisting of the outbreak of dengue, “that is still a chief call on our fitness resources”. He instructed the House that the Health Ministry has advanced a comprehensive plan for the country, looking at various infectious outbreak scenarios. The project became approved via the National Disaster Risk Management Council before the COVID-19 outbreak. It turned into coste $2 billion finances was approved via Cabinet. Up to Thursday, Jamaica had recorded 16 cases of the respiratory disease, with one related death.