Western Child and Adolescent Hospital to Be Named In Honour of Portia Simpson Miller

The Western Child and Adolescent Hospital in St. James will be named in honour of former Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, in recognition of her role in initiating the landmark healthcare project.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the announcement during today’s (May 26), renaming ceremony for the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s 1F North Street building in downtown, Kingston, which has been dedicated in honour of Mrs. Simpson Miller, who served for 11 years as Minister of Labour.

The Western Child and Adolescent Hospital, a 220-bed specialist facility now under development on the compound of Cornwall Regional Hospital, is expected to become the English-speaking Caribbean’s first dedicated paediatric and adolescent hospital. The institution will provide specialised medical care for children and adolescents up to 18 years old.

Prime Minister Holness said the decision to name the hospital after Mrs. Simpson Miller had always been the Government’s intention, noting that she played a critical role in securing the project through negotiations with the Government of China.

“I want to give an assurance that the Western Children Hospital, which Portia Simpson Miller went to China and negotiated with the Government of China, came back to Jamaica and announced it, that it is only appropriate that it should be named in her honour, and it will be done,” the Prime Minister said.

Dr. Holness explained that the Administration had intended to formally announce the naming when the hospital was completed and ready for commissioning. He added that the move forms part of a broader effort to preserve the legacy of the former Prime Minister, regardless of political differences.

The Prime Minister also disclosed plans to rename sections of the Three Miles transportation corridor in honour of Mrs. Simpson Miller, including the overpasses and surrounding areas where the former Portia Simpson Miller Square once stood before major road improvement works were undertaken.

The Prime Minister reflected warmly on his relationship with the former Prime Minister, affectionately known as ‘Mama P’, noting that they have maintained a long-standing personal connection.

He shared that his mother worked in the Ministry of Labour during Mrs. Simpson Miller’s tenure and that both families have remained close over the years. “She’s always in my heart and we’re always good friends,” Dr. Holness said.

In her 2007/08 Budget Debate presentation in the House of Representatives, Mrs. Simpson Miller had described the hospital as a special project aimed at addressing the healthcare needs of Jamaica’s children and adolescents.

She noted at the time that there was a need for “a modern, well-equipped hospital that meets the needs of children and adolescents who depend on the public health services”.

The facility is expected to significantly strengthen paediatric and adolescent healthcare delivery in western Jamaica and across the wider Caribbean region.