COVID-19 field hospital in Westmoreland officially opened

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton today officially opened the COVID-19 field hospital in Westmoreland.

The facility, which has a 50-bed capacity, is located on lands near the main building at the Savanna-La-Mar Public Hospital.

Construction of the field hospital began last November, with the project costing $35.4 million.

It includes a reinforced concrete structure, a weather-haven tent and permanent bathroom facilities.

The work on the field hospital was made possible through donations from Diane Scott, chief executive officer of the Jamaican Medical Cannabis Company Group, and Norman Horn, chairman of Arc Manufacturing and Arc Properties Limited.

Tufton noted that there is potential for the field hospital to be expanded in the future.

"If we are going to put up a temporary structure and we have an opportunity to make it a permanent structure in the context of the need for an expanded facility, let us find a way to work that in. I want to credit Eric Clarke and his team for that idea," said Tufton, referencing Eric Clarke, the chairman of the Western Regional Health Authority, which has responsibility for the Savanna-la-mar Public Hospital.

Four new mobile clinic buses were also officially handed over during today's ceremony, with one vehicle going to each of the four regional health authorities.

The buses have been retrofitted for use in the Ministry of Health's community COVID-19 vaccination programme.

- Christopher Thomas 

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