New Male Ward Opened at Portland Infirmary

Male residents of Portland Infirmary are now occupying a new ward, which was built at a cost of $45 million.

The facility, which was officially opened on Friday (March 10) by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, follows the construction of a new female ward at a cost of $15 million, in 2018.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Minister McKenzie said the new male ward, which features “state-of-the art, modern beds for the residents”, was “built within the budget, and it was completed on time.”

“So it never costed taxpayers one cent more than what it was budgeted for,” he further stated.

Mr. McKenzie said consequent on the ward’s construction, the Government has now achieved “a complete overhaul of the infirmary.”

“This is the only infirmary in the [upgrading] programme [now underway] that has benefitted from the construction of a male and a female ward,” the Minister advised.

Under the programme, which began in 2016, several infirmaries islandwide are being upgraded with funding from the National Housing Trust (NHT).

Mr. McKenzie indicated that several sustainable features were incorporated at the Portland infirmary, given the challenges of the facility’s location.

These include a $3.8 million retaining wall to protect the residents and the property when it rains; and a new standby generator, water harvesting system, and catchment tank.

“We would have spent over $70 million here at Portland in under five years. This is an outstanding achievement for the Government,” Mr. McKenzie said.

The NHT’s Senior Projects Manager, Jacqueline Johnson, indicated that the entity has, so far, assisted the Ministry to redevelop infirmaries in Manchester, St. James, Westmoreland, and Portland.

“As a company, we do not simply build homes, we develop communities; and communities cannot be truly developed without adequate, well-maintained social services and physical infrastructure,” Mrs. Johnson said.

Member of Parliament for Portland Eastern, where the infirmary is located, Ann-Marie Vaz, said the facility was designed with the mental and physical needs of the residents and the staff’s comfort, in mind.

“For many years, our infirmary has provided essential and quality healthcare services to the most vulnerable members of our constituency. We look forward to the new and improved [facility] serving our communities for many years to come,” she stated.