Tufton: Improved healthcare requires compassion, not just new buildings

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says Jamaica’s investment in modern healthcare infrastructure must be matched by a renewed commitment to compassionate patient care, warning that improved facilities alone cannot guarantee better health outcomes.

Tufton made the point while addressing journalists following a tour of the new outpatient department under construction at May Pen Hospital in Clarendon on Wednesday, where he said the Government’s focus must now extend beyond expanding physical capacity, to improving the quality of interactions between healthcare providers and patients.

The minister said while infrastructure development is critical to strengthening the public health system, the attitude and approach of healthcare workers remain central to the patient experience.

“One thing that we’re going to have to work on, now that we have demonstrated that we are in fact committing the resources and building out the infrastructure is the care with compassion component,” Tufton said.

He added: “Buildings alone don’t improve or enhance service provision at the optimal level. It is how people treat people that makes the difference.”

Tufton said the Ministry of Health and Wellness is working to strengthen accountability across the healthcare system, with doctors, nurses, chief executive officers and other stakeholders expected to recognise the importance of delivering care in a manner that prioritises patient welfare.

He noted that supporting healthcare workers is also a critical part of improving service delivery, pointing to the need for facilities that cater to staff wellbeing, including staff lounges and other welfare provisions.

ACCOUNTABILITY FRAMEWORK

“One of the things that we’re working on as part of the accountability framework is to get all our stakeholders, both the internal stakeholder, the doctor, the nurse, the CEO, to understand that we have to administer care with compassion, give them the welfare support that they need on the compound, you know – staff lounge and those things, because they need the support,” he said.

The minister also appealed for greater understanding between patients and healthcare providers, noting that waiting times are often influenced by the triage process, which prioritises patients based on the urgency of their medical needs.

He said improving the relationship between patients and health workers requires cooperation from all sides.

Tufton also raised concern about the number of hospital beds occupied by social cases, charging that families and communities have a role to play in supporting relatives who are unable to care for themselves.

“We also have to get more Jamaicans to take care of their loved ones when they’re in a position where they can’t take care of themselves, to minimise the social cases, because unfortunately, too many of our beds are taken up by social cases,” he said.

The minister said the transformation of Jamaica’s healthcare system requires a collective effort involving healthcare workers, patients, families and communities.

“Everybody has a role to play,” Tufton said, adding that while infrastructure expansion is important, the ultimate measure of success will be how patients experience care.

olivia.brown@gleanerjm.com