Health Facilities Being Expanded This Year

Health Minister, Hon. Rudyard Spencer, has announced planned infrastructural expansions at several public health facilities, islandwide.
In his contribution to the 2009/10 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, Gordon House on Wednesday (July 15), Mr. Spencer said some $150 million will be spent to commence work on a block at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay.
The sum is taken from the $410 million allocated in this year’s budget for capital works in the sector
Mr. Spencer also announced that the Ministry will proceed with the rehabilitation of a number of health centres, utilising some $300 million secured from the National Health Fund (NHF), in keeping with the administration’s thrust to renew primary health care.
He said that the Ministry is at varying stages of tendering, contracting and undertaking pre-construction works for health centres at Islington, Retreat, Gayle, Denham Town, Dallas, Darlow, Halse Hall, Milk River, Porus and Bethel Town, as well as the Clarendon Health Department.
Mr. Spencer also reminded the House that earlier this year, some $386 million were spent to purchase 17 new dialysis machines for the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), adding that the Ministry will also continue the expansion of services at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH).
“Next week, we will be opening a private sector facility, Hope Dialysis, (with) somewhere in the region of 25 new dialysis machines,” he announced.
The Health Minister said that, last year, a Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) supported consultancy was undertaken to determine the strategic and action plans for the renewal of primary health care in Jamaica.
“Based on the recommendations from the consultancy, we will be required to assess the scope of services that are delivered in primary health care settings and to define, in detail, what these ought to be. We will need to improve the health information system and optimise the use of human resources working in primary health care,” he expained.
He also stated that work on primary health care renewal this year, will include a health information system policy and a continuation of the development of the Community Health Aide curriculum, with a view to recruiting and training these individuals.