Major renewal for Jamaica’s public health-care infrastructure

FROM rebuilding hospitals battered by Hurricane Melissa to approving plans for four new, climate-resilient facilities, the Government is embarking on what Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has described as a major renewal of Jamaica’s public health-care infrastructure.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday, Tufton said Cabinet had approved a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) to advance the climate-resilient reconstruction and modernisation of four hospitals.

The projects include new build-outs and improvements at the 250-bed Black River Hospital in St Elizabeth, classified as a Type B facility; the 250-bed Falmouth General Hospital in Trelawny and the 150-bed Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover, both designated Type C; and the 750-bed Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), which will be classified as Type A.