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Jamaica’s Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, says the government is willing to use artificial intelligence (AI) to solve problems in the healthcare system.
However, he made it clear that companies offering AI tools must also include a plan to help workers adjust to the changes.
Dr. Tufton made these remarks at the launch of a Jamaican AI company called Vox Technology Limited, held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on April 25.
He said one of the main problems with using AI in healthcare is getting workers to accept it. Even though AI can help fix staff shortages, it won’t be useful if healthcare workers refuse to use it.
He explained that many professionals are used to doing things the old way and may feel that AI takes away their control. They may also feel that they earned their status through hard work and study, and might be reluctant to accept change.
Dr. Tufton urged companies to include strong change-management plans when bringing in AI. Without such plans, expensive technology may end up unused.
He repeated that the Ministry is open to using AI, especially to help solve the problem of not having enough healthcare workers.
He recently traveled to India and the Philippines to look into training partnerships. He said those countries train far more healthcare workers than Jamaica does, even when population size is considered.
He hopes Jamaica can work with them to improve training and also make use of AI tools, like simulators that act like human bodies. These tools are already used in other countries and could help with remote training as well.
Dr. Tufton said Jamaica wants to bring such technology here. It would allow for wider training and help fix staffing shortages.
As Jamaica builds new hospitals, he stressed the importance of making sure there are enough trained healthcare workers to staff them.
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