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Health Minister Opens PROMAC HDU at St. Ann’s Bay Hospital

By: , June 6, 2020

The Key Point:

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, on Friday (June 5), officially opened the $329-million Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building at the St. Ann's Bay Hospital.
Health Minister Opens PROMAC HDU at St. Ann’s  Bay Hospital
Photo: Okoye Henry
Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (second left); and Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska (third left), cut the ribbon to open the $329-million Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building at the St. Ann's Bay Hospital on Friday, June 5. Sharing in the moment are PROMAC Coordinator, Dr. Simone Spence (left); and Ambassador of Germany to Jamaica, His Excellency Dr. Bernd Von Münchow-Pohl.
Health Minister Opens PROMAC HDU at St. Ann’s  Bay Hospital
Photo: Okoye Henry
Consultant Anaesthesiologist, Dr. Peter Scarlett (right); and Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, examine a bed during a tour of the $329 million Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building that was officially opened at the St. Ann's Bay Hospital on Friday, June 5.

The Facts

  • The new facility, made possible through funding by the European Union (EU), will improve the quality of care available for scores of critically ill neonates and high-risk pregnant women in St. Ann.
  • It includes isolation suites, maternal HDU and maternal isolation suites, as well as other specialised units and equipment, geared towards reducing Jamaica’s child mortality and maternal mortality ratio.

The Full Story

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, on Friday (June 5), officially opened the $329-million Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PROMAC) High-Dependency Unit (HDU) building at the St. Ann’s Bay Hospital.

The new facility, made possible through funding by the European Union (EU), will improve the quality of care available for scores of critically ill neonates and high-risk pregnant women in St. Ann.

It includes isolation suites, maternal HDU and maternal isolation suites, as well as other specialised units and equipment, geared towards reducing Jamaica’s child mortality and maternal mortality ratio.

In his address, Dr. Tufton lauded the EU for their generosity and critical support to construct the infrastructure that will strengthen Jamaica’s capacity to respond to an important cause.

It strengthens our capacity to respond in a way that builds on the achievements that we have had and secures and reinforces the resilience that we should be seeking as we confront public health challenges,” he outlined.

Dr. Tufton indicated that St. Ann’s Bay Hospital is the first of five institutions in the country where an HDU infrastructure will be established.

The other hospitals that will benefit are Victoria Jubilee Hospital, Spanish Town Hospital, Bustamante Hospital for Children and the Cornwall Regional Hospital. We expect that thousands of Jamaicans, mother and child, will benefit from these facilities in the years to come,” the Minister said.

For her part, Head of the EU Delegation to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, said she is confident that the PROMAC HDU facility will be of significant benefit to pregnant women and newborn babies locally.

This process was completed in a very timely and effective manner. I look forwards to us opening the other centres,” she said.

 

Last Updated: June 6, 2020

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