Renovation of Falmouth Hospital to Begin Next Week

Starting next week, contractors will begin renovation work on the Falmouth Public General Hospital in Trelawny, which was damaged during the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, in making the disclosure, said that the areas to be prioritised include the damaged COVID-19 ward to return 50 to 70 beds to service, the operating theatre, diagnostic services, accident and emergency and the laboratory.

The repairs, he said, will allow the hospital to resume both inpatient and emergency functions while the field hospital, which has been established on the grounds of the facility, continues to provide backup support.

The Minister was speaking to journalists during a visit to the newly established and fully equipped field hospital, donated by the Government of Spain, on Friday (Nov. 14).

The field hospital is outfitted to operate as a complete hospital, offering services such as an operating theatre, delivery suite, pharmacy, laboratory, imaging, accident and emergency, triage and ward space.

Dr. Tufton informed that patients are already being treated at the facility, including maternity, injury and trauma cases.

“So, the field hospital is up and running and functioning, and the people of Trelawny can rest assured that the Government is working with its partners from Spain to provide a service using both our personnel and theirs,” he said.

“It is fully equipped and has the capacity to carry a fair bit of patients on a given day. We will not see just a Trelawny support field hospital; we’re going to see it also as assisting parts of St. James,” he pointed out.

The Health and Wellness Minister said he was pleased with the work being done to restore medical services to the parishes severely impacted by the category 5 system.

“So, we give thanks for that, and we just have to continue to work along the timelines to resume normality,” he said.

Dr. Tufton indicated that Jamaica’s health system and its personnel have proven their resilience over the years, pointing out their track record of weathering crises such as COVID-19, dengue outbreaks and previous storms.

He, however, acknowledged that Hurricane Melissa presented a unique challenge, with many healthcare workers suffering extensive damage and loss as a result of the storm.

“So, this response [field hospital] serves a critical purpose. It provides an entire hospital service but it also provides personnel with the service. It gives our people an opportunity to look after their own personal circumstances, but at the same time, helps us to build back the public hospital,” he pointed out.

Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Spain, Javier San Román, who was also on the tour, said the field hospital serves as a token of solidarity from the Spanish people to Jamaica.

He noted that 80 Spanish professionals, including doctors and nurses, have been deployed to complement the Jamaican Government’s efforts in rebuilding the severely damaged infrastructure.