CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 78

Community Health Centre at the University of the West Indies, Mona
Photo by Keshauna Nichols

and all those things inna it. Where di pain is she
tek it and she like sap your foot with it,” Phang said
as she demonstrated her grandmother’s actions.
She seemed to be unaware of the fact that she had
the option to take over the counter painkillers,
which would have been cheaper to access.
Both women said they do not have health insurance.
Whenever they are sick, they pay by cash.
Ricketts Roomes said there is evidence that suggests
many low-income families do not have health

74

insurance, especially private insurance because
it is very expensive.
She explained that health insurance, for some of
them, is provided through their job; but a large
number of them are contract workers and, as a
result, they are not afforded the privilege of having
health insurance assigned to them.
For those without health insurance, she said they
should register for the Government of Jamaica (GOJ)
Health Card. The card is available to all Jamaicans
and will give patrons of public health facilities ease