Declaring that many Jamaicans are becoming “spiritually dead inside”, Opposition spokesman on health and wellness Dr Alfred Dawes says the country is losing its sense of compassion and empathy towards the vulnerable.

During his contribution to the sectoral debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Dawes delivered an emotional reflection on violence, inequality, and social division, saying Jamaica’s problems extend beyond physical and mental health into what he described as a deep decline in spiritual health among many Jamaicans.

“I fear that we are losing our humanity because we have ignored the existence of our spiritual health, the final component of health,” Dawes said.