Renovated Stony Hill Health Centre Reopens

The Stony Hill Health Centre, in St. Andrew, which was recently renovated, expanded and equipped at a cost of $80 million, was officially reopened on Friday (December 6).

The Type Three facility, which provides medical care to at least 200 patients per day, now has an expanded records system, dental unit, pharmacy, and an upgraded sewer system.

It also boasts new consultation rooms, nebulisation and rehydration areas and new waiting and sub-waiting areas.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, said the reopening demonstrates the progress and the renewal that is taking place in the public health system.

“I believe there is enough, overwhelmingly so in many areas, evidence to suggest that there are a lot of good things happening in public health, and today is another example of that,” he said.

“We have approached it (renewal) in a way that recognises the challenges that we face, develop or put in place a development plan for the next 10 years, because when I became Minister, there was no plan,” he added.

Dr. Tufton pointed out that he tabled the plan during the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives, in May.

“So, we have a plan but we are doing more than that. We have allocated resources to support the upgrade and to catch up with the gaps that existed in our healthcare infrastructure. And this is not a promise, it is a commitment,” he said, while pointing out that the National Health Fund, over the last three years, has spent more than $300 million on a number of health centres across the country.

For his part, Chairman of the Southeast Regional Health Authority, Wentworth Charles, said the work done at the Stony Hill Health Centre has left him feeling renewed that the Authority can do a good job to improve the community health service.

He expressed gratitude to the NHF for its assistance in the improvement and expansion work done at the facility.

Mr. Charles implored users of the facility to take care of the centre and its equipment, and to ensure that the staff is protected and not abused.

Meanwhile, Member of Parliament for West Rural St. Andrew, Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn, expressed gratitude for the renovated health centre, on behalf of the people of Stony Hill and surrounding communities.

“The vision for health care is to provide efficient and quality service in an aesthetically pleasing environment and this is what we have here,” she said.

In addition to Stony Hill, the centre will serve the communities of Parke Road, Golden Spring, Temple Hall, Essex Hall, Content, Mount Airy, Mount Pleasant, Iron River, Boon Hall, Mount Prospect, New Gardens, Mount James, Hall’s Green, Arthur Leon Drive and Mount Friendship.