KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Health & Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton has directed the management of the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) to take action immediately on a series of measures aimed at addressing concerns raised by medical interns regarding working and living conditions across Jamaica’s public health system.

This follows a statement issued on Tuesday, June 23, by the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA), which highlighted challenges being experienced by medical interns.

According to the Ministry of Health, in a press release on Wednesday, effective immediately, the RHAs and UHWI are to implement measures, firstly around facility inspections, where a comprehensive physical audit of all intern accommodation facilities is to be completed within 72 hours.