#Jamaica, August 17, 2023 – The Ministries of Health and Wellness and Labour and Social Security have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement the ‘New Limb, New Life’ Initiative.

The $50-million initiative aims to provide patients losing limbs due to a health condition or trauma with prosthesis.

The signatories were Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton and Labour and Social Security Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr.  They signed the MOU during Wednesday’s (August 16) post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House.

Dr. Tufton informed that under the initiative, the Health Ministry will collaborate with the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD) to identify beneficiaries.

“The Ministry of Health will not determine who these beneficiaries are. We will hand that over to the Disabilities Foundation through the Ministry of Labour, because they currently have a database and that database is a revolving base, [and] that’s where persons with disabilities go,” he stated.

Dr. Tufton indicated that the programme aims to support persons who cannot afford to acquire a prosthetic leg or arm.

The Minister pointed out that close to 90 per cent of persons who lose a limb each year, do so due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly diabetes.

“That’s a major health concern. So part of our intention is to give those persons a second chance… help them to reintegrate into society because there are a lot of mental health issues associated [with] losing a limb.

“Help them to become more economically viable, give them a sense of hope… but also highlighting the consequences of lifestyle diseases, the consequences of diabetes and, in some instances, using some of these persons who volunteer as testimonials to enhance a more health-seeking posture by the population generally,” he stated.

He said the Ministry looks forward to working with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the JCPD to advance the programme.

The New Limb, New Life programme was first announced in Dr. Tufton’s 2023/24 Sectoral Debate presentation in May.  He said it will be supported through the Ministry’s Compassionate Care Programme.

“A number of persons have been enquiring [and] have signed up. They work primarily with the Sir John Golding [Rehabilitation Centre], which is the facility that deals specifically with trauma related to limb loss,” Dr. Tufton indicated.

The New Limb, New Life programme supports the ‘#KnowYourNumbers’ initiative, which aims to get Jamaicans to do regular screenings to ascertain their health status and modify their behaviour to reduce illness and premature death.