Princess Margaret Hospital Poised for Upgrading to a Type B Facility

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, has announced that Princess Margret Hospital in St. Thomas is being positioned for upgrading to a Type B facility, aligning with the parish’s overall growth trajectory.

Dr. Tufton conducted a high-level tour of the hospital on Thursday (May 29) as part of the Ministry’s continued review of healthcare infrastructure across the island.

“Based on the developments that are taking place here, with the additional services… with the additional doctors, nurses, the operating theatres – we have two major ones, and the minor one that is now being overhauled, which will become almost a major theatre – the facility here at Princess Margret is well positioned to be upgraded to a type B hospital,” the Minister stated.

Dr. Tufton acknowledged significant improvements at the parish’s only hospital, highlighting both infrastructure upgrades and expansion of service delivery over the past nine years.

“This 142-bed facility has grown considerably. We’ve moved from just 12 doctors to 39, thanks to the compensation review, and increased nursing posts from 127 to 152. Emergency services are now operating 24/7, including surgical procedures, which means patients in St. Thomas no longer need to be transferred for emergency care,” he outlined.

Minister Tufton also highlighted major projects that are either currently underway or have been recently completed.

These include a new morgue under construction; a 150,000-gallon water storage system for improved facility resilience, expansion of air-conditioned spaces for patient and staff comfort, the upgrading of operating theatres, and plans for a new sewage treatment plant.

“[Additionally], we have already projectised the procurement of [a] CT scan and digital X-ray machine; I will ensure that I follow through on that. These are now becoming the norm, not the exception, in public health under this Administration,” Dr. Tufton stated, while expressing confidence in the hospital’s trajectory.

Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Dr. Dwight Whittle, underscored the critical need for these tools, pointing out that their acquisition “is going to be a game changer for us”.

The tour formed part of the Ministry’s wider push to modernise healthcare services nationwide, ensuring equity, accessibility and readiness to support Jamaica’s growing communities.