Expansion of UHWI Represents Unwavering Commitment to Provide World-Class Medical Care – Chairman

The building of a state-of-the-art medical tower at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), represents not just bricks and mortar but also an “unwavering commitment” to provide world-class medical care to everyone who walks through its doors, says Chairman of the institution, Patrick Hylton.

According to the Chairman, each floor has been designed with one purpose – to serve patients with compassion, with excellence, and with innovation.

“That is the objective. The project really began as a vision shared by healthcare professionals, by the leaders of our country, and by the University of the West Indies, which played an important part in its genesis, all who believe our country deserves better access to advanced medical care,” Mr. Hylton said, while addressing the recent breaking of ground for the medical tower.

He noted that the six-storey facility will host, among other things, advanced diagnostic and imaging centres; exdpanded emergency and critical-care facilities; modern surgical suites with the latest technology; comfortable patient rooms designed for healing; and spaces for medical education and research.

Mr. Hylton added that a very important feature will be “areas for family support and community wellness”.

“What we are doing is creating a legacy that will serve generations to come. Families will find comfort here during difficult times, lives will be saved, health will be restored, and hope will be renewed within the walls of this six-storey building,” he said.

For his part, Medical Officer of Health at the Hospital, Dr. Carl Bruce, said the expansion will create a beacon of advancement in training, research, and patient care, adding that the UHWI has “played an integral part in the local and regional community, providing critical healthcare, leadership, and medical training for our healthcare professionals and experts of varying capacity and specialties”.

He pointed out that an estimated 10 per cent of the Jamaican population visits the Hospital annually, and as one of the “premier referral hospitals” in the region, the vision for the UHWI is to be a leading regional healthcare provider by 2030, with a mission to “advance excellence in healthcare through sustainable teaching, research, and patient care”.