Dawes says Jamaica cannot ignore the mental health, humanitarian, and social crisis facing ordinary citizens

Opposition Spokesperson on Health and Wellness, Dr Alfred Dawes, says Jamaica is confronting a growing mental health and humanitarian crisis that extends far beyond hospitals and clinics, warning that too many citizens are struggling emotionally, financially, and psychologically without adequate support.

Making his contribution to the 2026/2027 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, Dr Dawes said mental health must stop being treated as an afterthought within national policy discussions. “The mind is not an afterthought,” he said. “It is the engine room of the nation.”

Dr Dawes called for a stronger mental health infrastructure, including expanded community psychiatric services, improved support systems for families caring for mentally ill relatives, and urgent upgrades to Bellevue Hospital. “Bellevue needs proper diagnostic services, functioning facilities, and resources that allow patients to be treated with dignity,” he stated.

The Opposition Spokesperson warned that Jamaica has become too reactive in its approach to mental health, often waiting until tragedy strikes before serious attention is given to the issue. “We cannot continue responding only after lives are lost and families are devastated,” he said.

Dr Dawes also linked the country’s emotional strain to broader economic and social pressures, including the ongoing struggles of families displaced by Hurricane Melissa.

He criticised the Government over delays in distributing humanitarian support while many Jamaicans continue living under difficult conditions months after the disaster. “You cannot speak about wellness while people are still sleeping under tarpaulins, wondering how they will survive another hurricane season,” Dr Dawes said.

He argued that healthcare challenges cannot be separated from transportation costs, food insecurity, housing instability, unemployment, and rising utility bills. “When a pensioner has to decide between paying for medication or paying the light bill, that becomes a health crisis too,” he stated. Dr Dawes also reflected on what he described as a wider loss of compassion within society, warning against becoming numb to the suffering of vulnerable people. “Every time we ignore the pain of others, we lose a little more of our humanity,” he said.

He encouraged Jamaicans to become more intentional about checking on vulnerable relatives, neighbours, friends, and colleagues who may be struggling emotionally or mentally. “You never know what burden someone is carrying or how much difference a conversation or simple act of kindness can make,” he said.

According to Dr Dawes, Jamaica’s future depends not only on treating illness, but on rebuilding hope, dignity, compassion, and care across society. “Health is more than the absence of disease,” he added. “It is dignity, stability, compassion, and hope.”