Occupational medicine requires a closer look by employers, government and academia
By : B.G. DOYLE contributor@caribbeanbusinesspr.com ; cb.pr@gmail.com Edition: December 13, 2012 | Volume: 40 | No: 49 A report issued March 2011 by the White House Task Force on Puerto Rico states that occupational injury and illness rates appear to be higher on the island than in the U.S. as a whole. According to the report, the incidence rate of injury and illness cases that involved days away from work was 278.4 per 10,000 full-time private-industry workers compared with 106.4 in the States. Dr. Roberto López Nieves, an occupational physician, said much needs to be done if Puerto Rico wants to improve these numbers and attract global companies. "Currently, Puerto Rico doesn't have a formal residence training in occupational medicine and there is no residency-trained physician practicing in the field," he said. He also added that while workplaces with more than 50 employees in Puerto Rico were once required to have occupational health dispensaries certified...