NHF Donates $40 Million to Repair May Pen Hospital

The National Health Fund (NHF) has donated some $40 million to carry out repair work at the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon.
Chairman of the Board of the Southern Regional Health Authority, Faye Bell, noted this at Clarendon’s Parish Health Review for 2004 held at the St. James Methodist Church Hall in May Pen recently.
“I’ve gotten approval from the NHF for over $40 million for the repairs of the hospital, ” she said.
Mrs. Bell noted that the tender process for a contractor was now being done through the National Contracts Committee by a limited contracts arrangement. “I’m hoping that this project will be well on its way for the repairs of the roof and all the leaks and the damaged walls that we have at the May Pen Hospital. The project is expected to commence some time in September this year,” Mrs. Bell informed.
On the matter of the operations of the hospital throughout the year, Parish Manager of the Clarendon Health Department, Michael Bent noted that the institution was still in the transition phase from a type C to a Type B hospital. He added that a female medical ward had been opened to alleviate overcrowding at the Accident and Emergency unit while a nursery had been established in the paediatric ward.
Mr. Bent noted that the hospital was seeking to improve its fee collection for 2005/2006 by using strategies such as collection before patients leave the facility, an aggressive debt collection drive, encouragement to persons to register for the NHF and an education programme for staff and the general public relating to payment of user fees.