KPH Poised for Major Overhaul

The 246-year-old Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) is poised for a major upgrade of infrastructure and equipment.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said that the hospital, which is the largest multidisciplinary healthcare facility in Jamaica, has outgrown its capacity and “the time has come for KPH to be renewed in many ways”.

“We are on a trajectory to have a major overhaul of KPH,” he added, while addressing a recent ceremony at the facility in downtown Kingston.

Dr. Tufton said that the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) has done a study on the needs of the hospital, which has indicated the areas for improvement.

“It (study) shows that the plant is old, equipment for the most part is outdated and the infrastructure is suffering from age. We are putting together, very soon, a working committee that is going to embark on examining the infrastructure needs and the demands on the system,” he pointed out.

He lauded the staff at the institution for their commitment to providing a high level of care to patients.

KPH is one of the island’s oldest medical institutions. The hospital, located on North Street in Kingston’s commercial district, was established on December 14, 1776, and primarily serves the communities in the southeast regions of Jamaica.

The institution offers a variety of services, including general surgery, intensive care, pain management, anaesthesiology, gastroenterology, haematology, dialysis, endocrinology, rheumatology, psychiatry, cardiology, diagnostic imaging, laboratory, physiotherapy, dietetics, radiotherapy, ear nose and throat surgery, ophthalmology, among others.