Expansion of Greater Portmore Health Centre 60% Complete

The Greater Portmore Health Centre, which is being expanded at a cost of $660 million, is now 60 per cent complete and is expected to be finished in the summer, according to Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

While on a tour of the facility on January 28, the Minister said representatives of a funding partner, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), have indicated that they are pleased with the “on-time, on-budget” nature of the project and are very encouraged.

“And, we are talking to them about a possible phase two, subject to Government’s approval, involving a number of hospitals and health centres in the hurricane belt of the five parishes that were impacted,” he said.

The five parishes are St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, St. James, Hanover and Trelawny, which were devastated by Hurricane Melissa on October 28 last year.

Dr. Tufton said that the confidence from the funding partner is important for the country and the health system, as it demonstrates that Jamaica can manage a project and run it in a way that gives the best value for money, while serving the community.

Engineering works, such as electrical, plumbing, sanitation, and fire safety systems are approximately 35 per cent complete, and the next phase will focus on tiling, painting, and the installation of windows and doors, as well as landscaping and retrofitting.

When completed, the expanded health centre will offer a wide range of services, including laboratory, X-ray, oral rehydration, screening and physiotherapy. There will also be isolation facilities, treatment and procedure rooms, and an asthma bay.

The project is being undertaken as part of a $10-billion investment by the Government in the development of health infrastructure across the parish under the Health Systems Strengthening Programme (HSSP).

The programme is a collaboration with international partners, including the IDB and the European Union (EU).

Head of Cooperation at the Delegation of the EU in Jamaica, Aniceto Rodriguez, said they are pleased to be part of the project to expand the centre, and increasing the resilience of the buildings, “because when a disaster happens, the first infrastructure that we need to be operational is the health infrastructure. We are also very happy to see that it is within the budget and on time, and it looks like a solid and very functional building”.