Restoration of Lionel Town Hospital to Begin Soon

Prime Minister Hon Bruce Golding has been reassured that restoration of damaged sections of the Lionel Town hospital in Clarendon is soon to begin on a phased basis. This assurance was given over the weekend by Minister of Health and MP for South Eastern Clarendon, Hon Rudyard Spencer during a tour of the hospital facilities by the Prime Minister and other government officials.
Minister Spencer said his Ministry had identified some $17million dollars to begin a phased restoration of damaged sections of the Lionel Town hospital. This is in additional to some $5million being spent to repair the kitchen and dining areas of the hospital which were damaged by the recent hurricane.
Mr Spencer advised the Prime Minister that priority areas had been identified for repairs to get the hospital up and running in a more efficient manner. With the assistance of Senior Medical officer for the May Pen Hospital, Dr Winston Dawes, he said priority areas had been identified in undertaking the repair programme. This will include repairs to the wards, theatres and walkways. Efforts are also to be made to restore the health centres and clinics to reduce some of the pressure on the hospital.
The Lionel Town hospital which serves several communities including May Pen, Portland Cottage, Mitchell Town, and Salt River, has been without a surgeon since 1997.
The Prime Minister was also taken on a tour of the fishing market at Rocky Point which Minister Spencer pointed out would have to be torn down and rebuilt providing better faculties for the people in the community who depend on fishing as their main source of income.
The visit to the Lionel Town hospital and Rocky Point forms part of a series of parish tours by the Prime Minister to review projects already in progress. Clarendon was the first stop which saw the Prime Minister touring the May Pen Hospital, the proposed Herb McKenley Stadium and JAMALCO.