Auxiliaries and primary medical care.

Abstract

3 fundamental criteria need to be met concerning the shortage of qualified medical personnel for specific duties in Jamaica: 1) an enormous quantitative demand for ambulant care; 2) an unsophisticated level of demand; and 3) specific traditional cultural characteristics. A new group of health care personnel auxiliaries of substantially lesser learning and skills is required to supplement and complement health teams but not to displace professionals. Such persons must be trained for a specific area of work to a defined limit of competency and to use selected tools and medicines. Training must develop skilled hands and disciplined minds. Thus one may extend the application of knowledge to those peoples most in need at a cost that they can afford. Such auxiliaries working in the dual roles of assistant and substitute can ensure the proper utilization of scarce high-level manpower.