Desouza

IN ANOTHER few years, 24-year-old Dr Claudine DeSouza hopes to be part of a team that will create, structure and reform policy on the country's health sector.

The recent graduate of the University of the West Indies' (UWI) Faculty of Medical Sciences is particularly concerned about the country's free health-care policy and believes the system should have been implemented after a more organised and thought-out approach.

"I really don't believe it is very feasible at this time," she said. "But I believe that if we are going to attempt to do it, that we should at least put some policies in place to govern how it is done."

She added: "We should look at who qualifies for this free health care, and how we're going to monitor it, and how we're going to make it an efficient system."

outstanding grad

DeSouza was one of three outstanding individuals selected as valedictorians during the UWI's graduation exercise last Friday and Saturday.

The young doctor is not alone in her critique of the present system, implemented in April 2008. Several health professionals, including the current president of the Medical Association of Jamaica, Dr Winston De La Haye, have had questions about the effectiveness of the system.

Though she was mindful to point out that the initiative in theory was commendable, DeSouza said she believed the system was implemented too hastily.

"I think if they had tried to phase it in over time, offering the service to certain age groups, for instance, children and senior citizens first, and see how that worked out, it would prove more practical," she said.

She thinks the system is overwhelmed and unable to manage the increased load, especially in terms of the shortage of staff and resources.

The young doctor, who is currently an intern at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, is, however, has confidence in Jamaica's health-care system and believes the country has some of the best doctors in the world.

She said Jamaica's health-care professionals, including nurses, radiologists and physiotherapists, continue to do incredible work under some of the most demanding conditions.

"A lot of resources are not available to us but at the same time we're making all the diagnoses without the fancy, tests and we're still caring for our patients and we're still doing well in terms of patient care and quality of life," she said.

She, however, admitted that she was concerned for the future of Jamaica's youth, as she believed many were going down a slippery path.

predicament

"We're really in a predicament at this time," she said. "I'm working in obstetrics and gynecology now and its mind-boggling to see the number of teenage mothers that are coming in, some as young as 12, 14. and there are 18-year-olds who have had three children."

She continued: "You keep wondering to yourself what is going wrong, what exactly is to be blamed for the breakdown - is it family life, lack of education? I don't know."

DeSouza further suggested that there needed to be a collaborative effort among the various institutions, including the family, the church and school to save the society and in turn, save the nation's youth.

DeSouza said she continues to cling to the hope that one day all Jamaicans would come together and play their part in rebuilding the nation.

athaliah.reynolds@gleanerjm.com