![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dominicanewsonline.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Dominica-China-Friendship-Hospital.webp\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Eleven new medical specialist positions to be created effective August 1, 2025; an upgraded remuneration package to be approved for the medical specialist as well as other medical positions no later than August 6, 2025; and a Medical Professional Bill and Nursing Midwives Bill to be presented in Parliament in September 2025, are some of the measures government plans to put in place to address the public’s concerns regarding quality of care at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital (DCFH).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will appoint a full-time Executive Chairperson to strengthen the governance, accountability, transparency, and to assure overall the delivery of high-quality patient care,\u201d said Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre at Friday’s 2025\/26 National Budget session.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to the post of Chief Executive Officer, we shall appoint a Clinical Director who will have the equal rank of Chief Executive Officer, reporting directly to the Executive Chairperson. This individual will be responsible for overseeing the clinical and medical services and to ensure that we can address patient concerns in a proactive manner.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201c We will engage an Accreditation Coordinator for the Dominica China Friendship Hospital to guide us towards international good practice and accreditation in order to enhance the quality and credibility of our healthcare services [and] we will establish a Patient Support Unit at the Hospital to improve communication and responsiveness to patients and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Dr. McIntyre, that Unit will also work closely with the recently revamped Quality Department to ensure that patients receive the best quality care.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Medical Professions Bill and the Nursing and Midwives Bill will be presented to the Parliament in September 2025,\u201d he revealed. \u201cThese bills will seek to address the rights and professionalism of our health practitioners and the prioritising of the welfare and safety of patients.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he pointed out that the\u00a0new structure for the nursing service, which was established in the last financial year, will continue to be implemented in this financial year.<\/p>\n
\u201cEleven new medical specialist positions will be created effective August 1, 2025, to ensure that all specialists are appointed in permanent positions; and\u00a0an\u00a0upgraded remuneration package will be approved for the medical specialist and other medical positions no later than August 6, 2025,\u201d Dr. McIntyre revealed.<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cTo further motivate the nursing and medical services, this year, the government will launch a financial reward programme for outstanding performance. This programme will begin at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital, where patients and supervisors will evaluate the level of care provided by the doctors and nurses.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said a total of\u00a0ten awards will be granted per quarter to the most outstanding performers for the period.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, he stated that the most impactful initiative for health care in Dominica is the Health Management and Information System that is currently being developed at a cost of $15.5 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis transformative initiative will enhance the delivery of healthcare in Dominica as it will integrate patient records, diagnostics, and treatment histories across all facilities\u2014hospitals and health centres, as well as streamline clinical, financial, and operational functions,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt is envisioned that the integrated patient administration module, the first of 49 modules, will be go live by December 31, 2025 [and] once fully operational, the system will boost continuity of care, efficiency in diagnosis and treatment, and reduce processing time as patients records will be stored in that system and readily available.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went on to state that the government\u2019s efforts to build a robust health care system for a healthier nation continue in this Fiscal Year.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the Primary care level, we will focus heavily on prevention mainly through immunization and education,\u201d he said. \u201cNon-communicable diseases NCDs account for three of every four deaths in the country, therefore, with an NCDs Unit already in place, greater attention will be given to combating NCDs.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further noted that several initiatives are ongoing, and this year the government will launch two major awareness programmes to promote food literacy and healthy choices through nutritional labeling, school partnerships, and increase access to locally grown, nutritious produce.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to educational and promotional activities, we will conduct screening of students for NCDs, physical activity campaigns, mental wellness outreach, and parental education,\u201d Dr. McIntyre revealed. \u201cEven with these initiatives, Mr. Speaker, citizen responsibility in combating NCDs cannot be overstated. Each of us must take ownership of our health. Adopting healthier lifestyles can change lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued, \u201cAs part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen nutrition and food safety, we will soon introduce a Food Safety and Security Bill to Parliament, aimed at ensuring higher standards in food production, handling and distribution for the protection and well-being of our citizens [and] collaboration amongst our nutritionists in the health sector is already underway to promote better nutritional practices among our citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also mentioned that\u00a0prevention of disease through immunization is also critical.<\/p>\n
\u201cDominica has made significant progress in immunization coverage, rising from 76% to 90% within one year. This year, we will make a much-needed change to the immunization of infants. We will switch from pentavalent vaccines to hexavalent vaccines which will reduce the number of inoculations for our infants.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0In addition, he emphasized that preparations are being made to introduce the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine 20 in 2026 to help infants and vulnerable elderly combat seasonal flu,\u201d he revealed. \u201c To bolster public health resilience, Dominica is participating in the Pandemic Fund Project in partnership with the World Bank, PAHO, and FAO. With an investment of $9.2 million, this initiative will modernize disease surveillance systems through the purchase of software and equipment, upgrade laboratories, train personnel, and improve emergency preparedness.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Eleven new medical specialist positions to be created effective August 1, 2025; an upgraded remuneration package to be approved for the medical specialist as well as other medical positions no later than August 6, 2025; and a Medical Professional Bill…","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":345517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,235,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-345516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-homepage-carousel","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n