650 Beds Available Once CRH and Western Children and Adolescent Hospital are Completed

There will be 650 beds available to patients in St. James and the wider Western Jamaica once the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) and Western Children and Adolescent Hospital are completed.

Clinical Coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), Dr. Delroy Fray, told a meeting of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) in Rose Hall, St. James, on February 22 that the completion of both institutions is set to revolutionise healthcare in the West.

This includes the elimination of complaints of unavailable beds for patients, noting that CRH and the children’s hospital will have 650 beds combined.

“We are going to get 220 extra beds from the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital. We are going to re-equip 430 from the refurbished Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH). That’s 650,” Dr. Fray noted.

“So, we are going to get more beds, and I hope that there will be nobody sitting in the A&E (Accident and Emergency) department waiting for a bed,” he added.

Additionally, Dr. Fray outlined plans for a High-Dependency Unit for medical patients, such as those recovering from heart attacks.

He said the new Cornwall Regional Hospital building will also have a dedicated section for intensive care, further enhancing critical-care services.

Dr. Fray further hinted at plans to introduce cardiothoracic surgery at Cornwall Regional Hospital, signalling a significant expansion in specialised healthcare services.

He expressed confidence that these developments will not only address current challenges but also position the region for even greater advancement in healthcare.

“We are going to get back there and bigger,” Dr. Fray pointed out.

The Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) redevelopment project is currently in its third and final phase, which entails the purchase and installation of medical equipment over the next 30 months.

Meanwhile, work continues on the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital to provide medical services for children and adolescents up to 18 years of age across Western Jamaica. Phases 1 and II parking facilities have been completed, and structural works for the main building and the nurses’ residence have been completed.