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Health Care Available Despite Damage to Western Regional Facilities

October 7, 2004

The Full Story

The extent of damage done to health facilities within the Western Regional Health Authority by Hurricane Ivan has been estimated at some $45 million.
The Western Regional Health Authority consists of four Hospitals and 83 other health facilities in the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland. Checks have revealed that the four Hospitals along with 34 health facilities have suffered varying levels of damage.
Public Relations Officer for the Western Regional Health Authority, Clinton Pickering told JIS News that despite the damage suffered by the facilities, health care was still readily available to all patients across the region.
“The hurricane has done damage to a number of them (health facilities), however, the region has not totally closed down any of the facilities. The region of course is concerned about providing excellent health care to all its clients, so where facilities have been affected, there have been some physical rearrangements to ensure that we continue providing health care to all our clients,” he explained.
He informed that the health team had been working assiduously to return the facilities to normality as soon as possible.
Mr. Pickering said the health facilities in the parish of Trelawny where the Falmouth Hospital and seven other facilities suffered damage, has been estimated at $16.4 million. Other facilities in the parish that have been damaged include, the nurses quarter at the Wait-A-Bit Health Centre, the Albert Town, Warsop, Lowe River and Ulster Spring Health Centres, as well as the Jackson Town Staff Cottage.
In St. James, the Cornwall Regional Hospital, and the Type Five Health Centre in Montego Bay and eight other facilities suffered damage. Those facilities include the John’s Hall, Garlands, Roehampton, Mount Carey, Catadupa, Summerton, Glendevon and Barrette Town Health Centres.
Mr. Pickering further informed that damage in the parish of Hanover is estimated at $14.7 million, with the Noel Holmes Hospital accounting for more than $6 million of that amount. Other health facilities in that parish that have sustained severe damage include, the Green Island, Sandy Bay, Logwood, Cave Valley, Grange, Mountpelier and Cascade Health Centres.
In Westmoreland, with approximately 13 facilities damaged, the estimated cost for repairs is $7 million. The worst affected facilities in that parish are the Negril and Petersfield Health Centres and staff cottages as well as the New Works Health Centre. Meanwhile, other facilities affected are the Savanna-la-mar Hospital, the White House, Williamsfield, Jerusalem Mountain, Baulks, Little London, Georges Plain, St. Leonards, and Berkshire Health Centres.
Chairman of the Board of the Western Regional Health Authority, Gordon Brown, commended the region’s health team for the high level of commitment shown in delivering quality health care, particularly during the tense periods leading up to and after the hurricane.

Last Updated: October 7, 2004

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