Brown’s Town Health Centre Relocated to Pave Way for State-of-the-art Facility

Residents of Brown’s Town and surrounding communities in St. Ann are set to benefit from significant improvement in healthcare services following the relocation and renovation of the Brown’s Town Health Centre.  

The $80 million temporary facility, housed in a renovated structure in Huntley, provided by the Brown’s Town Community College, was officially opened by Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, during a ceremony on Friday (March 7). 

It marks a critical step in the Government’s Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP) and paves the way for the establishment of a $1 billion state-of-the-art comprehensive health centre at the original site in Standfast. 

“It’s a long way that has been travelled in terms of expenditure, in terms of the utility value of the facility, comfort to staff, comfort to patients, and it’s worth celebrating that we have put in place, even though temporary, a facility that is far better than it was originally,” Dr. Tufton said.  

“The people of Brown’s Town and the environs are going to be better off in more ways than one. This, now, is about health and education and that’s a positive,” he added.  

He commended the partners involved in the undertaking, including the National Health Fund (NHF), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and North-East Regional Health Authority (NERHA). 

Dr. Tufton said the current site will remain in place when the Brown’s Town Health Centre returns to its original location. 

Ground will be broken in the coming months for the new, state-of-the-art health facility.  

Construction will cost approximately $780 million with an additional $220 million for internal infrastructure.  

Among the features will be cutting-edge technology and modern amenities such as diagnostic equipment, laboratory services, pharmacy, curative care services, a modern waiting area, and doctors’ quarters.  

A  key component of the new facility will be the implementation of an electronic health record system to allow for seamless access to patient medical data. 

“All that information is locked on a computer and stored in the cloud. If a patient ends up at St. Ann’s Bay Hospital for a consultation, they (healthcare workers) can just retrieve the file. That’s progress and that’s something that we all should encourage,” Dr. Tufton said. 

“It’s going to be good for the people; those who work in the environment and those who benefit from the space,” he added.  

The Ministry has also undertaken improvements at other facilities in the parish, including a $66 million expansion and upgrade of the Bamboo Health Centre. 

Principal of Brown’s Town Community College, Claudeth Haughton, underscored the institution’s commitment to community development. 

She noted that the project to relocate the health centre aligns with the college’s tagline: ‘Creating Opportunities, Connecting Communities’, as it fosters connections between health, education, and the broader community.  

Ms. Haughton said that a healthier community ultimately benefits the students who attend the college.