Durrant Pate/Contributor

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has unveiled plans to build a new Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), replacing the current 250-year-old facility, which is the island’s largest.

In making the announcement in his Budget Debate presentation in the House of Representatives Thursday afternoon, Holness disclosed that the soon-to-be-operationalised National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) will lead its construction.

He told the House of Representatives that Cabinet had already approved the acquisition of lands for this new facility.

He did not identify the location nor say whether it would be in proximity to the existing landmark structure.

However, the prime minister declared that the new KPH “will be built to modern international standards, with resilience, continuity of care and disaster readiness embedded to its core”.

Dr Holness acknowledges that the “historic and venerated” facility is vulnerable, and “had Hurricane Melissa struck Kingston, the consequences could have been catastrophic, potentially damaging or destroying a major national referral hospital at the very moment when the residents of the surrounding area would have needed it most. That would have added a dangerous new layer of public health crisis to an already severe natural disaster.”

He said a new KPH must be built to modern international standards, with resilience, continuity of care and disaster readiness at its core.