Black River Hospital gets new Windows from Friends

Friends of the Black River Hospital, a support group for the St. Elizabeth based institution, has installed new windows at the facility at a cost of $1.4 Million.
At a handing over ceremony at the Hospital on Monday (August 23), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Diana Brown, told the gathering that the work of the group, including installation of the windows, has been beneficial to both the patients and the hospital.
“We will forever be grateful for this gesture. The whole ambiance has changed, there is a new look there, it has made a difference and we are going to experience some cost savings because, formally, we had to have the lights on all day, with the new Windows we can turn them off during the days,” she stated.
President of the Friends, Eleanor Evans, said they are not only concerned about the building housing the medical facility, but also the social aspects of the area. She noted that the windows that were replaced were there for almost 200 years.
“They were broken and in bad shape. These new windows have really made a difference to the morale of the staff, and the environment for the patients,” she said.
Sales and Marketing Manager at Windows and Doors, the company which did the upgrading work at a 30% discount and did additional work without charge, said the company understood what the Friends were doing.
“We believe that we owe it to Jamaica for our success, and we couldn’t do anything less that offer the price that we did. And we are available to cooperate with you as you seek to improve the hospital,” he told the gathering.
The Friends also gave $29,000 to 11-year-old St. Elizabeth resident, Ramon Rankin, who was born at the Black River Hospital, has a physical challenge and will be entering high school in September.
The Friends of the Black River Hospital has a membership of 24 females and one male, they are funded by fundraising drives.