WESTERN BUREAU:Businessman Moses Chybar, president of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce and a practicing wellness coach, is urging Jamaicans to take greater personal responsibility for their health. He argues that a healthy lifestyle is just as important as increased government investment in addressing the country’s healthcare challenges.In speaking to the pressures facing Jamaica’s healthcare system, Chybar said while the Government must continue improving hospitals, expanding capacity, recruiting and retaining healthcare workers and modernising facilities, citizens have a critical role to play in reducing demand on the public health system.“Healthcare is not solely the responsibility of the government. It is a shared responsibility between the government and every citizen,” Chybar said in a media release.He nonetheless acknowledged the widespread public concerns about overcrowded hospitals, long waiting times, shortages of doctors and nurses, inadequate equipment and limited bed space, describing those concerns as legitimate, in noting that every Jamaican deserves access to quality healthcare.However, Chybar questioned how much of the burden on the healthcare system results from preventable illnesses and injuries linked to personal choices.Citing data from the Ministry of Health and Wellness, he said non-communicable diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and chronic respiratory illnesses, account for most deaths in Jamaica, with many of these conditions associated with unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful alcohol consumption.He also identified road traffic crashes as another major contributor to the strain on hospitals, pointing to speeding, reckless overtaking, distracted driving, failure to wear seatbelts or helmets, and impaired driving as preventable causes of serious injuries requiring emergency medical care.According to Chybar, reducing preventable illnesses and traffic crashes would ease pressure on hospitals, shorten waiting times, free up beds and allow healthcare professionals to focus more effectively on patients with unavoidable illnesses and emergencies.Need for partnership He also stressed that his position was not intended to shift responsibility away from the Government but to emphasise the need for a partnership between the State and citizens.“Every nutritious meal, every walk taken, every cigarette not smoked, every responsible decision behind the wheel, every routine health screening and every effort to maintain a healthy weight is an investment not only in our own well-being but also in the sustainability of Jamaica’s healthcare system,” he said.According to Chybar Jamaica’s healthcare challenges require both effective public policy and individual action, arguing that the strongest healthcare system is one where fewer people require hospital treatment because prevention has become part of everyday life.albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com