Falmouth Hospital Maternity Ward reopened

MONTEGO BAY – Minister of Health, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has emphasized that the opening of the newly refurbished Falmouth Hospital Maternity Ward forms part of government’s commitment to significantly improving maternal and child health across the country.

“I am, indeed, pleased to be here to officially open the newly refurbished maternity ward at the Falmouth Hospital. This is in keeping with the commitment of the Ministry of Health to holistically improve maternal and child health. We are taking our responsibility under the Millennium Development Goals very seriously and this requires us to make significant improvements to the maternal and child mortality rates by two thirds by 2015”, the Minister of Health said.

He was speaking at the official opening ceremony for the new Ward, which was extensively refurbished through the instrumentality of the Friends of the Falmouth Hospital, at a cost of over $1 million.

The Unit, which boasts new tiling, painting and plumbing works, in addition to private rooms and new beds, is expected to serve a population of approximately 75,000 persons in Falmouth and surrounding communities of Trelawny.

Mr. Spencer pointed out that Jamaica had made some improvements in the maternal mortality rate, moving from 110 per 100,000 live births in 2000, to 78 per 100,000 live births in 2009.

“There is, however, need for significant reduction in the next few years, if we are to achieve our target of, at most, 36 per 100,000 by 2015,” he said.

The Health Minister, in alluding to the number of positive developments in and around Falmouth, pointed out that the Ministry was now focusing on the health needs of citizens of the areas, through the provision of quality and accessible healthcare for all.

“The Ministry of Health welcomes any partnership that will result in better health outcomes for the people of Jamaica. We recognize the need to develop public-private partnerships, amidst this environment of declining budgets, to improve the health care system and to ensure that the most vulnerable persons can access quality health care.

“I applaud the vision of the ‘Friends of the Hospital’, a vision which is in keeping with the strategic position of this government – to help secure the health of our women and children,” Mr. Spencer noted.

The Minister of Health was joined by the widow of the late Dr. Victor Magnus,  Dahlia Magnus, in cutting the ribbon signalling the official re-opening of the new Falmouth Hospital Maternity Ward.

By GLENIS ROSE