As the country’s birth rates continue to fall, Jamaica is stepping up its fight to protect every newborn with a major technology boost at Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) in Kingston.

The hospital, which is the largest referral maternity facility in the English-speaking Caribbean, has received a $32-million upgrade in life-saving equipment, including 13 cardiotocographymachines and state-of-the-art ultrasound system to strengthen the monitoring of mothers and babies during pregnancy and labour.

The donation, made through a partnership between Food For The Poor Jamaica and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was handed over on Monday, during an emotional ceremony at the hospital.