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Health Ministry of Jamaica to get technical assistance for projects

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#Jamaica, November 3, 2017 – Kingston – The Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the provision of technical assistance to the Ministry of Health valued at US$564,297.   This will assist the Government’s plans to construct the Western Regional Children’s Hospital. The four-month consultancy will be implemented at a cost of US$146,663.

It will also help in boosting the infrastructure and medical equipment of five hospitals, namely, Spanish Town, May Pen, St. Ann’s Bay Regional, Mandeville Regional and the Kingston Public. This consultancy will be implemented over a six-month period at a fee of US$417,634.

The MOU was signed by Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Sancia Bennett Templer; and Head of UNOPS Operations in Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean, Ingar Falck Olsen, at Jamaica House in Kingston, on October 31.

Dr. Tufton said both projects fall in line with the Ministry’s overarching goal of developing a comprehensive 10-year Strategic Development Plan for the health sector as part of the integrated health-service-delivery framework.   He pointed out that the partnership for the construction of the Western Regional Children’s Hospital will include preparation of the project document, project charter for the construction of the hospital and reviewing technical documents – preliminary designs/drawings and medical equipment list.

Dr. Tufton noted that these will ensure optimal operation of the new hospital, given the current epidemiological profile and the projected growing needs of the population to be served.

“The analysis of the medical equipment list to be provided by the Government of China will ensure that there is no duplication and that all planned health services receive enough reliable equipment to bring quality support to the targeted population,” he said.

The Minister added that ground will be broken for the new 220-bed hospital next year.   He said that upgrading of the hospitals will see Spanish Town Hospital moving from Type B to Type A, May Pen Hospital from Type C to Type B, St. Ann’s Bay Regional and Mandeville Regional Hospitals from Type B to Type A hospitals.

Dr, Tufton noted that for the Kingston Public Hospital, the study will assess the current infrastructure, organisation and services of the hospital and assess the feasibility of the renovation, expansion and the reorganization of the hospital to enhance the quality of services and efficiency of the hospital.     He said that while the country’s health infrastructure faces many challenges and budgetary constraints, the Government is committed to universal access to health and universal healthcare coverage.

“We are moving ahead to fill gaps, and despite challenges within the sector, the Ministry of Health remains committed to improving our infrastructure, which is critical for effective healthcare delivery. We are committed to improving the physical facilities that make care accessible, inclusive of laboratories, and other support facilities, pharmaceuticals, health information system and the appropriate human resources,” he said.

In the meantime, the Minister pointed out that the Government has spent just under $800 million to improve infrastructure in some of the island’s hospitals. He cited recent renovations at the Noel Holmes Hospital and the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital.   For his part, Mr. Olsen said UNOPS works in approximately 100 middle- and high-income countries.

“Usually, Governments have asked us to get engaged in more health-related areas and, therefore, during the last five to 10 years, there’s been a real shift in our focus towards health infrastructure, equipment, procurement, maintenance, pharmaceuticals and construction and rehabilitation of hospitals,” he said.

Release: JIS

 

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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