Christopher Tufton | A paradigm shift in Jamaica’s health infrastructure

Most of Jamaica’s current health infrastructure predates independence in 1962 and has not been sufficiently maintained. With this in mind, the Government of Jamaica has committed significant capital expenditure of between US$205.7 and US$236.2 million (J$27.2 and J$31.2 billion) to build out our public-health infrastructure over the next three years. This is the most significant investment in hospital infrastructure and upgrade in nearly six decades. The current health environment demands a modern and technologically advanced infrastructure, as well as the appropriate human and technical resources to staff and run it.

Despite the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government is committed to this cause, which will ensure that the Jamaican healthcare system has the capacity to respond to a rapidly changing health environment, an ageing population, and high levels of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

NCDs are responsible for over 70 per cent of all deaths in Jamaica. These diseases have killed far more people than the COVID-19 pandemic. NCDs kill 41 million people each year (equivalent to 71 per cent of all deaths, globally). So far, COVID-19 has killed over five million people.

Confronting NCDs and other health challenges requires a mix of infrastructure, health policies, and human resources.

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

Infrastructure projects are being implemented across several health centres and hospitals and through different programmes and funding arrangements, including the National Health Fund and the European Union-Inter-American Development Bank.

The most significant is the Health Systems Strengthening Programme, which will ensure that 13 facilities benefit from upgrades. These include the Spanish Town Hospital, the St Ann’s Bay Hospital, and the May Pen Hospital.

In addition, we have completed external upgrade designs for the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and are at an advanced stage with rehabilitation work on the Cornwall Regional Hospital, supported by Government of Jamaica funding. The Western Children and Adolescent Hospital in Montego Bay, a gift from the Chinese Government, will also continue being built out. When combined, these improvements will go a far way in modernising our hospital and health centre building infrastructure

HOSPITAL UPGRADE

The Spanish Town Hospital, which was built in 1952 with a little over a 200-bed capacity, will receive the largest infrastructure works of the project, with an entirely new building. The proposed new building encompasses the construction of a six-storey modern facility with an estimated area of 17,633.68 sq m, which will include several points of access for staff and patients, a basement (car park and access), and a skywalk to link the existing wards. With the new upgrade, services including urology, oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, and psychiatry will be offered to meet new and growing demands.

The St Ann’s Bay Hospital, built in 1929, is also benefiting from a $545 million upgrade. The proposed works at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital include demolition and temporary relocation of the maintenance department buildings to facilitate construction of the new outpatient building in the northern section of the plot, with proximity to the main hospital entrance. The new upgrade will include physical and functional reorganisation of services, a new outpatient block, expansion of radiology, and a new intensive care unit.

The May Pen Hospital, which was built in 1974, will also benefit from upgrades. A new patient/user entrance from the outside will be linked to the existing building, allowing access to the pharmacy and the laboratory. The new building will include an outpatient facility with nine consultancy rooms, a medical records department, a staff area, and a service area, and will cover an estimated 1,512.1 sq m. Construction is slated to start in March 2023 and end in August 2024.

With regard to the UHWI, built in 1948, a $4.9-billion investment in building and equipment will ensure major improvements. The upgrade will include a new six-storey, 120,000 square feet medical facility, which will accommodate an additional 40 medical and surgical beds, improvements to outpatient or ambulatory surgery, lecture rooms, conference rooms, and upgrading of the cardiology hybrid interventional surgery room and the neonatal intensive care and administrative departments.

CORNWALL REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Much has been said about the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), a classic case of what can happen to the infrastructure if it is not maintained sufficiently. The rehabilitation of the CRH is now at an advanced stage, with a J$1.6-billion budget for the second and last phase. At the end of the process, we will have an effective building-management system to allow for up-to-date and advanced maintenance services.

NEW HOSPITAL

Western Jamaica will benefit from the construction of the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital. The hospital will have a 220-bed capacity and will be the only one of its kind in the Caribbean. The hospital will boast paediatric intensive care and high dependency care units and will have the first paediatric emergency department on the western side of the island. The complex will also provide modern housing for healthcare workers.

HEALTH CENTRES

Several health centres will also benefit from this major investment in healthcare infrastructure. These include Greater Portmore, St Jago Park, Old Harbour, St Ann’s Bay, Ocho Rios, Brown’s Town, May Pen East and West, Mocho, and Chapelton.

NEED FOR MAINTENANCE

We have not done enough to maintain our infrastructure, a major weakness and a failure that we, as a country, must accept. Going forward, the MOHW will be implementing a more effective maintenance policy to guard against the untimely collapse of our infrastructure and to ensure that we do not have a repeat of what happened at Cornwall Regional. We must also build our project management and training capacities to avoid the implementation failures of the past. This can only be achieved by combining local and international expertise. This is currently being done.

We recognise the importance of improving and making our public health infrastructure more resilient. As outlined, we currently have the most comprehensive infrastructure plan for public health since 1962.

Dr Christopher Tufton is Jamaica’s minister of health and wellness and member of parliament for St Catherine West Central. Send feedback to cctufton@gmail.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.