Gov't building 27 new operating theatres in hospitals across Jamaica

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton said the government is currently building out 27 new operating theatres in hospitals across Jamaica.

“That’s a 37 per cent increase in new operating theatres over the next two years,” he stated during his sectoral presentation in Parliament on Tuesday.

He noted that Cornwall Regional Hospital will have 11 new operating theatres, Spanish Town Hospital will get an additional three operating theatres. Meanwhile, St Ann’s Bay Hospital, May Pen Hospital, Chapelton Community Hospital, Noel Holmes Hospital, National Chest Hospital, Lionel Town Community Hospital, and the Linstead Hospital will all get one or one additional theatre. In the meantime, the Western Child and Adolescent Hospital will receive four.

“We will as a government improve our existing maintenance arrangements for operating theatres and add significant inventory,” he said.

He lamented frequent down time in operating theatres are too frequent, leading to surgeries being cancelled.

“At any point in time we have between 25 and 20 per cent of our operating theatres down, we have about 73 in the public health system including 17 at the University (Hospital) of the West Indies,” he said.

He stated that he has instructed the regional health authorities to appoint an operating theatre manager at each hospital who will have the responsibility to ensure that best practice protocols are followed for scheduled maintenance and usage.

They have also been charged to develop and implement a revised policy and supplier servicing and inventory of parts to ensure quick turnaround for repairs.

Tufton stated that the government will also be looking at how to better maintain efficient ventilating systems in the operating theatres.

A malfunctioning air-conditioning (AC) system forced the closure of the four main operating theatres at the Kingston Public Hospital recently, causing the development of mould in the facility.

They have since been reopened following repairs to the system, and mould remediation.

Tufton disclosed that the government will also be investing in backup ventilation systems for hospitals.

“I have asked that all operating theatres have a backup ventilating system for when the main system goes down, either unexpectedly or for maintenance,” he said.

- Sashana Small

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