Damage to Health Sector put at $232 Million

Minister of Health, John Junor has reported that the estimated cost of direct damage to Jamaica’s health sector, caused by Hurricane Ivan, was $232 million, with damage to the infrastructure being $185 million, while equipment damage was $46.8 million.
The damage to the sector’s infrastructure was reflected by the impact of the hurricane on health facilities, hospitals and health centres, the Minister pointed out.
Mr. Junor was speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (October 5), when he presented a comprehensive report of the hurricane damage to the health sector.
Of the 343 health centres islandwide, Minister Junor said 124 suffered some amount of structural damage, mainly to roofs and window panes.
He pointed out that 319 of the centres “are offering services and 24 are not functioning at all, due to severe structural damage, lack of essential utilities or no road access”.
The Minister said the parishes of Manchester and Trelawny had the majority of non-functional health centres. “All other health centres are offering full or partial services,” he added.
Due to an inoperative health centre in the parish, it was disclosed that a mobile clinic began operation in Clarendon this week. “The mobile clinic will continue for the next six weeks, after which the programme will be reviewed,” Mr. Junor said.
Despite 21 of the island’s 23 public hospitals having suffered varying degrees of structural damage, mainly to sections of their roofs, the Minister reported that “all are providing full service”.