KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Audley Shaw, has urged all players in the health sector to adhere to the newly launched health sector standards that provide guidance on, among other things, the manufacture of several medical items used in the industry.

He was speaking at the virtual launch of six new health sector standards by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) today.

Shaw urged all stakeholders to ensure the protection of consumers by adapting and implementing the new health standards.

“We must be uncompromising on quality,” Shaw said as he encouraged all relevant associations, individual practitioners and regulatory bodies to implement the standards.

The minister also commended the BSJ for its swift response to the needs of the market in developing and launching the hand sanitiser standard last May, on the heels of an influx of hand sanitisers and medical supplies, including masks and protective clothing into the Jamaican market place with the onset of the COVID19 pandemic.

According to the ministry, the range of health sector standards launched today cover areas such as the manufacture of face masks, hand sanitisers; the specification for protective clothing; specification for medical electrical equipment and the specification for infrared thermometers, among others.

“We all want to see our economy rebound from the effects of the pandemic and we all want to have a healthy population, ready to take on the opportunities that this crisis presents. Embracing quality and safety will indeed help to get us there,” Shaw said.