$4 Billion Allocated for Expansion, Upgrading of Health Facilities

Expansion and upgrading of hospitals and health centres across the island, under the Prevention and Care Management of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Project, will be advanced in the new fiscal year through a $4-billion allocation.

Details are outlined in the 2026/2027 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives.

The project is geared at contributing to the improvement of the health of the country’s population by strengthening comprehensive policies for the prevention of NCDs and risk factors, and to improve access to an integrated system for prevention, management and care.

Targets over the new fiscal year include completion of civil works at the Spanish Town Hospital and the St. Jago Park, Old Harbour, and Greater Portmore health centres, and the continuation of construction at the Ocho Rios and Brown’s Town health centres. Equipment will be procured for the Spanish Town Hospital.

Works will also continue at the May Pen Hospital’s Outpatient Department, which is at 60 per cent completion; design and costings for three health facilities; piloting of a chronic care model at five health centres; and completion of data collection and reporting for the Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey IV.

As at December 2025, expansion of the Spanish Town Hospital was at 55 per cent complete, while works at St. Jago Park, Greater Portmore, and the Old Harbour Health centres were at 57 per cent, 60 per cent, and 74 per cent, respectively.

Sewerage studies for St. Ann’s Bay, Brown’s Town, Mocho, Old Harbour, and Greater Portmore health centres and St. Ann’s Bay Hospital were completed.

Corrective and preventative maintenance works to the May Pen Hospital, Spanish Town Hospital, and St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, were also undertaken.

Under the project, an electronic health record (EHR) system has been implemented at 13 health facilities, including electrical upgrades at 67 sites and 97 medical carts procured and delivered.

In addition, more than 100 health facilities have been equipped with computers, network equipment and technological infrastructure, and the TeleECHO programme was piloted in six facilities, with the requisite equipment distributed and installed.