Cornwall Regional Hospital administrative block set to be occupied by Christmas

Durrant Pate/ Contributor

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton has updated the Parliament on improvements in Jamaica’s ailing health sector, which has come under much criticism recently owing to negative experiences by several patients. 

In a statement in the House of Representatives yesterday Dr Tufton gave a progress report on the status of some of the initiatives that were announced in his sectoral presentation earlier this year and sought to assure the country that he and his team at the ministry are working to ensure delivery on the promises of an improved public health system for every Jamaican. Acknowledging that the health facilities that are currently being used have not been maintained for decades, Tufton provided an update on the J$35B in active projects being implemented. 

He disclosed that the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), which is being upgraded has moved into a new phase, which will realize the full rehabilitation of the building with the first section of the building to be rehabilitated being the administrative block with staff being able to be accommodated by Christmas. 

“Madam Speaker, the contractors have advised me that by April of 2025 the medical records department, the general stores, the dietary department and the server rooms will be fully rehabilitated and operational. Madam Speaker, these areas are critical to the proper functioning of the hospital and are being prioritized to ensure that when the full operations are restarted, they can provide the appropriate support to the patients and staff in the facility,” Dr Tufton told the House.

CRH complex being outfitted with new equipment

The next section of the building to be rehabilitated is the Accident and Emergency Unit which will be fully equipped with new CT and MRI machines and brand new amenities to support the work of the staff in A&E. This work is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of the next financial year. He told his fellow Members of Parliament that his Ministry has now reached the final stages of the development of the Western Child and Adolescence Hospital with an expected completion date of the first quarter of the new financial year. 

The Western Regional Health Authority has completed the staffing plan for the facility, and it is expected that in the first phase, an additional 300 positions will be created to support the functioning of the facility. A deputy CEO, senior medical officer and a consultant paediatrician have been employed. 

Dr Tufton announced that with a brand-new facility, the ministry is now purchasing brand new equipment, including MRI machine, CT Scan and other technology to fully outfit the space. Once completed, the CRH complex will be the largest health campus in the region boasting some 800 beds with over 26 specialisations being offered. 

The facility will boast state-of-the-art amenities and equipment managed through the newly implemented Maintenance Policy of the ministry. He spoke about the rehabilitation and transformation of a number of health facilities including the Buff Bay Health Centre, Delphi Health Centre, Port Morant Health Centre, Arcadia Health Centre. 

All these facilities, Minister Tufton, declared now meet the new primary health care service standards that include increased service delivery and patient care through the addition of medical doctors and other staff to support the rising need for chronic care services. 

Operation Refresh 

Under Operation Refresh, which is a J$1 billion initiative to rehabilitate existing health centres, announced by Dr Tufton in his budget debate presentation earlier this year, already four health facilities have been rehabilitated to the tune of J$45M. These facilities have been outfitted with new waiting areas and improved bathroom facilities. 

The staff quarters have been renovated with intention of providing better accommodations and a better work environment. Working the IDB and the European Union, the Health and Wellness Minister advised that three Health Centres in St Catherine, St. Jago Park, Old Harbour and Greater Portmore are to be transformed into comprehensive health centres under the Health System Strengthening Programme. This investment of Euro10 million or J$1.7 billion will be implemented over the next two years and will see the transformation of these facilities to state-of-the-art health centres that provide all the care services for the community, including eye care, dental care and physiotherapy.

Already, the contract for the Old Habour Health Centre has been signed and work will commence shortly with the new buildout being accompanied by brand new equipment including digital X-ray, dental chairs, radiological viewing centre and handheld ultrasound machines. 

Largest investment in health technology

Dr Tufton highlighted that his ministry embarked on the single largest investment in health technology ever seen in post-independence Jamaica with the upgrading of the ministry’s ICT infrastructure and that of 103 health facilities across the island at a cost of US$8.4 million or J$1.3 billion. As at September 30, 2024, 88% or 91 health facilities have been equipped with internet access, WiFi and computers. 

In addition, the ministry has established a health data centre that is housed at E-Gov Jamaica with a redundant relocation in the southern region of the island. This data centre, with its current capacity, can support the technology needed to move to the next stage of health transformation which is digitization.