Business View Caribbean | July 2019

57 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN JULY 2019 only because of my extensive training in health service administration or my experience over the years but also because of my dynamic leadership style, my ability to motivate and inspire as well as my hands on approach to leading. Additionally, I consider myself effective as I use the meager resources at my disposal to impact the greater good at all times. Lastly, and perhaps most salient; I am one who leads with great integrity as I do the right thing even when no one is watching.” BVC: What are the biggest challenges to providing healthcare in Jamaica? Golding: “Similar to other countries, Jamaica is faced with growing costs of health care services. Financial resources are limited and it takes cash to care. But irrespective of the challenges, we have made significant strides. With our limited budget and assistance from the National Health Fund and other funding partners – local and overseas – we have completed several infrastructural improvements and replaced some of our obsolete equipment and vehicles across the Region. We did major renovations and aesthetic improvements to all nine hospitals and at least 80 percent of our Health Centers. We also continue to provide training opportunities for our members of staff. “Of particular note: we recently established a Cardiology Unit, furnished with state- of-the-art equipment at the Kingston Public Hospital. We also renovated the operating theaters and did major expansion of our Accident and Emergency Departments namely the Princess Margaret Hospital and Linstead Hospital. SERHA now boasts a state-of-the-art cardiac unit at the Bustamante Hospital for Children which was formally opened on April 15, 2019. “Another challenge we face is poor customer service in some of our major facilities, which we are improving on through continuous training. SOUTH EAST REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHOR I TY JAMA I CA pictured above Unveiling of the “Tree of Life Wall” during the official opening of the Cardiac Centre at the Bustamante Hospital for Children that was held on Monday, April 15, 2019. The wall represents the multi-million dollar investment made by several partners in enhancing the delivery of cardiovascular services for children.