Jamaica’s Challenges: Political Corruption, Natural Disasters, Healthcare Struggles, and the Impact of Over-Tourism
More on the lack of integrity and the integrity commission
There was a report in the Jamaican news recently that the integrity commission (anti-corruption watchdog) is investigating several politicians/parliamentarians because of concern regarding illicit enrichment.
These lawmakers apparently are unable to provide reasonable explanations for the significant increase in their assets based on their known, lawful income. Only in Jamaica would a political party strenuously resist release of unsavoury information which could easily and irreversibly tarnish the reputation of the opposition, especially in what many consider to be the high folly, election season.
So, despite the plausible deniability and confused wringing of hands by the spokespersons for the government, most fully accept the statement from the opposition leader, Mr. Golding, to be believable. No opposition politicians are ensnared by illicit enrichment!
Unique to Jamaica is the exponential acquisition of enormous wealth by nascent, honest politicians. Which acquisition is impossible to explain even with acknowledgement of the recent crafty ballooning of politicians’ salaries. So, Jamaicans continue to wonder if governance by their own will be defined by an irreversible, permanent, decline in the income of the average worker while the aristocratic political class amasses unseemly wealth.
The severe, early season hurricane, Beryl has set the country back
The devastation, rapidly moving hurricane Beryl inflicted by its grazing blow passing the south coast of the country will have long lasting effects.
Reduction of food supplies for the local and tourism sector may mean a significant increase in the food import bill. Tourists will not be able to experience the usual wide array of the typical local Jamaican cuisine.
Farmers may experience no income or notable income decline while being required to pay more for the essentials. Thankfully, unlike the experience in the first world city of Houston Texas, in the USA, the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) company was able to quickly and efficiently restore the power to most of the population.
Fortunately, also the average man or woman can find logs to make an outside fire and prepare a meal. The Jamaican governments’ intent to offer some assistance to those who experienced major loss from Beryl may be helpful.
Was the January 2024 US travel advisory to Jamaica incorrect?
The United States Travel Advisory to Jamaica in January 2024 stated in part “public hospitals are under-resourced and cannot always provide high-level specialised care”.
There was vigorous and ill-advised denial and push back from politicians and some of the obstinate, deliberately blinded leaders in the healthcare sector at that time. These deniers felt at peace with the fact that Jamaicans were only used to substandard health care, poor healthcare service and bad outcomes were accepted as the norm.
Now, surprisingly, it is agreed the health care delivery system in Jamaica has a limited supply of fully functional ventilators. Having an adequate number of functional ventilators is crucial for the effective functioning of the most basic healthcare delivery system.
The responsibility of the policymakers, politicians and hospital leadership is to ensure each hospital has adequately trained nurses to operate these ventilators. Without functional ventilators adequately staffed with highly trained critical care nurses, surgeries will be delayed.
Death from reversible disorders which require bridging ventilation will increase exponentially. Premature babies requiring respiratory support will die. Patients with severe sepsis, severe respiratory disorders like status asthmaticus, acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), will have a reduced chance of survival.
Increasing the numbers of non-invasive respiratory support devices like continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines can help support patients with less severe levels of respiratory distress.
Addressing some of the healthcare challenges in Jamaica
Novel approaches to retain nurses trained in Jamaica must be considered. Should all critical and operating room nurses be provided cost adjusted residence on the hospital campus for a full 3 years after completion of speciality training?
Providing this accommodation on the hospital campus increases a nurse’s sense of safety, removes the need to own transportation and enhances access to reliable and consistent nursing staff.
These nurses would be less likely to prematurely migrate thus allowing time to train their replacement before they inevitably do seek greener pastures. Offering free nursing education and applying for a bond is less effective because after working for only a few months in first world countries the nurses’ bonds can be easily repaid.
Will Jamaica be impacted by the ominous signals for over-tourism worldwide?
The mushrooming anti-tourism sentiment worldwide includes a rising number of protests over tourism. Countries and cities implementing adjustments include (Barcelona, Malaga, the Canary Islands Spain; Sicily, Italy; Santorini, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Bali, Indonesia.
Taxes are being levied on tourists in Venice and Mount Fuji in Japan. Airbnb restrictions have already been implemented in multiple cities including Vienna, New York, Paris, Rome, Nashville, West Palm Beach, and Hawaii.
The anticipated outcomes are reduced competition to local hotels and decreased tourist volume as the influx of tourists causes increases in rental prices for locals.
Jamaicans have been for too long deprived of access to local beaches, good rural roads, dependable potable water, affordable healthcare and some utilities. Resources are preferentially deployed to the tourism sector and tourists instead.
Astute, visionary Jamaican politicians and public policy proponents must anticipate, soon, a similar blow back to over-tourism if the abject neglect of the locals persists. Tourism may soon be deemed as not in the self-interest of poor, uneducated Jamaicans who see no hope for a brighter tomorrow.
The real Jamaican challenge!
Consistent proper management of resources, strategic planning, effective preventative maintenance, and persistent demand for accountability are critical to the success of the Jamaica society.
Amid the mounting expectations that large commercial amounts of oil is likely to soon be found in Jamaica, the application of these well proven elements of good governance are starker.
Many countries with oil have shown no improvement in the standard of living of their societies at large. Most Jamaicans would welcome the positive impact of these elusive, yet proven, governance principles.
And most, should the desired benefits accrue to the larger society from these changes, may then willingly support the security forces, obey rules crucial to proper governance, and ignite refreshing new hope of a brighter tomorrow.
Guest Author: Leon Wright
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