Topic: Healthcare as a Human Right
Country: Jamaica
Delegate Name: Meredith McKeown
School: Ann Arbor Community High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Jamaica position papers GLIMUN 2012 committees
Obtaining health care and medical services are an unavoidable part of every individual’s life. Basic health care is provided free to all Jamaican citizens, and private doctors and clinics are also available at an additional cost, or through personal or employee insurance plans. While health care is available to all, prescriptions can be difficult to obtain and seeing an actual doctor can require hours of wait time. In order to combat the challenges associated with access to medicine for Jamaican citizens the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is introducing a Health card which will, according to Health Minister Dr. Fenton Ferguson, “allow ways access to specific medication at no cost”. A vital, essential, and necessary (or VEN) list was also recently established, which should improve access to health care services for Jamaicans. This card will display the individual’s level of health care coverage, any conditions they have, along with any private insurance that they own.
The development of primary health care in Jamaica began with abolition of the slave trade, the collapse of estate-based services after emancipation and the subsequent establishment of the Island Medical Services in 1875. Jamaica was integral in the development of the World Health Organization's Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care, tabling the "Jamaican Perspective on Primary Health Care" which set out its goal that all citizens should be within 10 miles walking distance of a primary health care facility. At the close of the twentieth century, the health reform process led to the development of regional health authorities aimed at integrating the management of primary and secondary care under four Regional Boards of Health. This has led to a change in the role of the central Ministry of Health to one of policy-making, health promotion, setting standards, monitoring and evaluation of the quality of health care.
In order to provide Jamaican citizens with access to health care, we must continue to work towards creating medical facilities within walking distance for all. Jamaica also is working towards reforming the basic health care system, therefore decreasing the need for more expensive privatized insurance. The delegation of Jamaica strives to increase the standard of health care through employing more doctors from the private sector, therefore decreasing the divide between governmental provided health services and individually provided services. Jamaica has already begun this process, providing citizens with a health card to display their insurance and prescriptions and by also creating a VEN list which also works to improve accessibility to medical services.
