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The Ministry of Health and Wellness has established a central secretariat to oversee and coordinate the national health response in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. “That’s very important to avoid confusion and to ensure that the coordination is intact. There is an email – hurricaneresponse@moh.gov.jm – that you can send any request, any offer of support for health to, and we will direct it appropriately,” Portfolio Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, announced. He was speaking during a special press briefing on Hurricane Melissa recovery at Jamaica House on Thursday (November 6). “This week, we had a donor and partner support meeting. Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), met with a number of donors, I think over 30…and these are organisations, both local and overseas, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), multilateral [and] bilateral partners. So we have basically brought all under one umbrella,” the Minister shared. He encouraged individuals and agencies interested in supporting the health response to contact the Ministry via the designated email address. Meanwhile, Dr. Tufton noted that a PAHO consultant is currently in-country to assist with the deployment of counsellors, psychologists, and social workers to affected communities and health teams in support of the national health response. “There is a plan to engage all our field officers, not just our psychiatrists and psychiatric support teams, but all our field officers who will be in the field to discern, where necessary, the need for some sort of psychosocial support to persons who have been traumatised in this activity,” he stated. The Ministry is also seeking volunteers to assist with the delivery of mental health and psychosocial support services. “We will have a base at each hospital, and so it will involve some amount of training or orientation, and we are seeking volunteers. Persons who may have training in this area can use the email to reach out, and we would be happy to incorporate them into creating this army of mental health practitioners or support team,” Dr. Tufton encouraged. He added that the Ministry anticipates a worsening of mental trauma among hurricane victims and is, therefore, ensuring that a dedicated team is in place to provide the necessary support.
