Above: Health Minister Rudyard Spencer
The Jamaican government has spent more than $58 million on pharmaceutical imports over the last four years, according to the country’s Ministry of Health.
Ministry statistics show budgetary allocations increased nearly 270 percent from 2007 to this year.
The government said it did not “just import drugs, but rather, scoured every corner of the world” in looking for affordable drugs.
“We were able to secure drugs at a better price in India [in 2009], so the transactions were done with India,” said Health Minister Rudyard Spencer. “Every year that we are importing drugs, we are seeking out the best terms for the Jamaican people.”
Jamaica has also imported pharmaceuticals from several other regions, including the US, Canada, England and Latin America.