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JAMAICA -- Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says patients at public hospitals can now access services provided by 10 approved diagnostic radiology entities, where these are not available at the institutions to which they have been admitted.
The service providers are Apex Radiology, Danhope Radiology, Dynamic Imaging Services, Erin Radiology, Imaging and Intervention Associates, Kris Radiology, North Coast Imaging, Radiology West, St. Jago Ultrasound and X-ray, and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).
Dr. Tufton said the services that can be accessed include computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, ultrasounds, endoscopy, fluoroscopy, mammography and X-rays.
He further advised that framework agreements facilitating this arrangement, which were signed on September 25, came into effect on Monday, October 7.
The Minister was responding to questions from Member of Parliament for Central Kingston, Ronald Thwaites, during Tuesday’s (October 29) sitting of the House of Representatives.
Dr. Tufton informed that the arrangement will facilitate patient referrals to contracted service providers, where hospitals do not have the capacity to undertake the requisite tests.
This, he further advised the House, will be based on the recommendation of the attending physician, adding that the arrangement only applies to persons accessing medical care at hospitals.
These include inpatients, accident and emergency patients, and clients being seen at outpatient clinics
