Letter of the Day | Improve healthcare and make it patient-centric

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Too many of our public hospitals require patients to endure conditions that quietly erode dignity, safety and trust in the very system meant to protect life. The Ministry of Health and Wellness needs to do better to improve the conditions that are patient-centred.

Parents often wait for hours while children are being treated or transferred. In emergencies, a working phone is a lifeline. Yet, many facilities offer no reliable access to charging. Mobile phones are essential tools for communication with doctors, family and employers, and hospitals should provide safe, clearly marked charging stations for patients and care-givers.

Waiting rooms themselves present another quiet injustice. Hard, broken benches, overcrowded and uncomfortable seating forces elderly patients, pregnant mothers, persons with disabilities and care-givers to sit in pain for long periods. Comfortable, clean seating is a basic part of care; waiting should never become another form of suffering.

Equally troubling is limited access to patient files after hours. Illness does not follow office schedules. Delays in retrieving records can slow treatment, increase risk and burden already stretched staff. In an era of digital systems, it is unacceptable that critical patient information remains time-bound in some facilities.

Night-shift care should also reflect the same empathy and professionalism as day service. A child’s pain does not lessen after sunset, but a parent’s fear often grows.

We must reject the notion that poor behaviour by some users justifies inaction. Strong systems shape behaviour; weak systems excuse it. Standards must be upheld through clear policies, training and consistent enforcement.

These improvements are practical and achievable. A healthier Jamaica will be built not by infrastructure alone, but by choosing to treat every patient and caregiver as human beings first.

ROCHINA ANDERSON

Concerned Mother