Western Hospitals Benefit Under CHASE Fund

Healthcare delivery at three hospitals within the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) was significantly improved last year, through a grant of $17.5 million from the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education (CHASE) fund.
According to Public Relations Consultant with the (WRHA), Clinton Pickering, the money, which was handed over in mid-2004, was used to improve facilities at Falmouth, Savanna-la-mar and Cornwall Regional hospitals.
Of the total, $2.9 million and $8.1 million went towards the provision of standby generators at the Falmouth and Savanna-la-mar hospitals respectively, while the morgue at Cornwall Regional was refurbished at a cost of $6.5 million.
Regional Maintenance Manager at the WRHA, Neville Thomas, told JIS News that the installation of the standby generators meant that the services of the hospitals would not be disrupted whenever there was a break in the public electricity supply. He noted that this was particularly important for surgeries and patients on life support.
Director of Maintenance and Operations in the WRHA, Daniel Evans, expressed appreciation for the support from CHASE, adding that the money had enabled the hospitals to provide a higher level of service.
“Over the years, we have been challenged with finding financial resources to enable us to consistently maintain our standards in the delivery of quality patient care, so we are indeed grateful for the contribution from CHASE, which has been making a significant impact on the delivery of healthcare in Jamaica,” he stated.
While recognising the high level of support to the WRHA over the years, Mr. Evans appealed to other corporate institutions to come onboard and help “a worthy cause”, which is aimed at ensuring a high standard of healthcare in the region.