Cabinet has approved the construction of a US$200 million medical facility in St. James, as the Government looks to tap into the multi-billion dollar global health tourism industry.
Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson, who made the announcement in an interview with JIS News, said that construction of the facility represents the first formal health tourism project for Jamaica.
The project, he said, will be spearheaded by members of the Diaspora, through an established partnership with the Government of Jamaica (GoJ).
According to the Health Minister, Jamaica represents the best possibilities and opportunities for health tourism, not just based on geographical location and the strength of the tourism product, but also the improved road network characterised by modern highways, and the first class airports.
He further pointed to the “impressive reputation” of Jamaican doctors and nurses in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, as well as the inexpensive costs of certain medical services offered in the island in comparison to other countries.
Dr. Ferguson told JIS News that the Government is working on creating the framework to support health tourism.
Focus is being placed on developing the information technology platform, he said, “because it is not just giving service, but we must be in a position to be able to take onboard, in a fulsome way, telemedicine.”
He said that arrangements must also in place to facilitate mobility in the use of health insurance by tourists and international partners, who will be coming to Jamaica for medical services.
source: http://www.inewsgy.com / i News Guyana / Home> Other Stories / by Toni-Ann Rankine, JIS Reporter / May 14th, 2013
