Region Four Health Services saves $12 million in four months

Nov 24, 2019 News

Residents in Region Four who have had to do abdominal ultrasound and ECG have been breathing a sigh of relief for the past four months.

DSC_0188- Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Quincy Jones

This is because the Regional Health Service Department within Region Four have spent some $12 million to have these done at a cost of $5,000 for the abdominal ultrasound and $2,500 for the ECG.
This, it was learnt, is as a result of ultrasound services that are being offered by Buxton Health centre and ECG services by Plaisance, Mocha and the recently opened Eccles Health centres.
Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Quincy Jones, has stressed that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000, Health Financing is the “function of a health system concerned with the mobilisation, accumulation and allocation of money to cover the health needs of the people, individually and collectively, in the health system” (WHO 2000).
Dr. Jones disclosed that a good financing system raises funds and structures financial incentives to guarantee that all people have access to quality public health and personal healthcare services.
“Per capita health expenditure (amount of resources spent on health per person) can be used to infer whether health spending is enough to achieve appropriate healthcare quality and access.
Dr. Jones said that his department is very elated over the significant monies that residents are being able to save. He said that as they continue to advance health care development, residents within Region Four can certainly look forward to more new and innovative services.
Dr. Jones also spoke about the critical importance of the facility that residents can have these tests done. He noted that it is significantly helping persons who are financially unable to foot the cost privately.
“Health care service provision by the private sector is mainly through out of pocket payment at point of use and is centered around the provision of specialised services, through some primary care services are provided as well,” Dr. Jones said.
The Regional Health Officer noted that government’s commitment to the continued enhancement of health care remains paramount importance. He pointed out that there continues to be increases in the region’s budget despite the population remaining the same. He declared that this is certainly a testimony of Government’s determination to increase health care access for all.
“The steady rise in the region’s health budget amidst a relatively stable population and improvements in key health outcome measures such as maternal and under-five mortality rates over the years is indicative of government commitment towards the financial sustainability of the region’s health sector,” he further said.
The RHO praised the work of the medical staff at these health centres noting that Buxton had conducted some 1531 ultrasounds in four months. He said that with several dedicated and devoted health care professionals in the region, continued growth and enhancement within the region is certainly evident, another gain of the region.
The Regional Health Officer urged residents to maximise the stage of these two major health services.
It is there for residents, he said. Some years ago, people only could have wished to have these. “Let us not take the numerous opportunities and gains that we have today for granted as many of the wishes we had years ago are now today’s reality,” Dr. Jones declared.

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